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Best Loaded Backyard BBQ Baked Beans (Easy Side Dish)

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These thick, sticky, smoky baked beans are loaded with bacon and ground beef, sweetened just enough, and perfect for any backyard cookout. They come together in about 45 minutes and are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cans (15 ounces each) pork and beans, undrained
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon. Place your Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot—discard the rest or save it for another use.
  2. Brown the ground beef. Add the ground beef to the pot with the reserved bacon fat. Break it up with your spoon and cook for 5-7 minutes until no longer pink. Don’t drain the fat—it adds flavor. If your beef is especially greasy (like 70/30), spoon off all but about a tablespoon.
  3. Sauté the aromatics. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and the pepper softens. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Build the sauce. Pour in all three cans of pork and beans (undrained), then add the barbecue sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. Stir everything together until well combined.
  5. Add the bacon back. Stir in the reserved crispy bacon pieces. Reserve a small handful for garnish if desired.
  6. Simmer. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent sticking. The sauce will reduce and thicken, and the flavors will meld together. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and the beans look glossy and rich.
  7. Rest and serve. Remove the pot from heat and let the beans sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the sauce to thicken even more. Give it one final stir, taste for seasoning, and add a pinch more salt or a splash of vinegar if needed.

Notes

Don’t rush the bacon; low and medium heat renders fat properly. Brown the beef well for flavor. Stir every 5 minutes to prevent scorching. Adjust sweetness to taste. These beans improve overnight—make ahead for best flavor. For a slow cooker, brown meat first then cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked beans, BBQ beans, loaded baked beans, backyard BBQ, side dish, bacon, ground beef, easy, summer, cookout

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