The Best Barbecue Baked Beans
The Best Barbecue Baked Beans marry smoky bacon and tender pork shoulder with sweet-tangy barbecue sauce, molasses, and brown sugar for deep, rich flavor. Slow baking turns the sauce thick and glossy while the beans stay hearty and satisfying. Ideal for summer cookouts, potlucks, or any BBQ spread where you want a standout side that eats like a meal.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook3 hrs 5 mins
- Serves12
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in The Best Barbecue Baked Beans, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactPoor
- 34 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 10 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 92 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 26
- Heart Health
- 40
- Metabolic
- 50
- Digestive
- 24
- Inflammatory
- 54
- Performance
- 42
- General Wellness
- 1
Assemble all the ingredients.
- 2
Place the dry beans in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- 3
Drain the beans and move them to a large pot with 3 quarts of cold, fresh water. Add the bay leaf, pork shoulder, and onion. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir. Skim off any foam if you like. Simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.
- 4
Lower the heat to medium-low and stir. Skim off any foam if desired. Simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.
- 5
While the beans simmer, whisk together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, kosher salt, and garlic powder in a bowl. Set aside until needed.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Using a spider strainer, transfer the tender bean mixture to a deep 15x10-inch baking dish.
- 7
Pour in the barbecue sauce mixture and 2 1/2 cups of the bean cooking liquid. Lay the bacon slices on top.
- 8
Bake, uncovered, on the center rack of the preheated oven until the liquids reduce to a thick sauce, 2 to 3 hours.
- 9
Enjoy!
- Calories 370.23 kcal Moderate 19%
- Protein 25.48 g Good Source 51%
- Carbohydrate 35.96 g 13%
- Total Fat 13.61 g Moderate 17%
- Saturated Fat 5.13 g High 26%
- Trans Fat 0.27 g High --
- Cholesterol 67.51 mg High 23%
- Sodium 942.62 mg High 41%
- Dietary Fiber 7.54 g Good Source 27%
- Total Sugars 27.84 g --
- Added Sugars 17.89 g High 36%
- Calcium 45.02 mg Low Source 3%
- Iron 1.87 mg Moderate 10%
- Potassium 493.95 mg Moderate 11%
- Vitamin A 89.41 mcg Low Source 10%
- Vitamin C 1.87 mg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin D 0.4 mcg Low Source 2%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Mustard
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
The Best Barbecue Baked Beans is made with 19 ingredients and serves 12. It takes about 3 hrs 20 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Apple Cider Vinegar, Barbecue Sauce, Black Pepper, and Boneless Loin Pork Roast. Each serving provides about 370.23 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is The Best Barbecue Baked Beans made of?
- The main ingredients are Apple Cider Vinegar, Barbecue Sauce, Black Pepper, Boneless Loin Pork Roast, Brown Sugar. The full list of 19 is above.
- How long does it take to make The Best Barbecue Baked Beans?
- About 3 hrs 20 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 5 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 370.23 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is The Best Barbecue Baked Beans easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 19 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is The Best Barbecue Baked Beans healthy?
- The Best Barbecue Baked Beans has an easyChef Pro health score of 41/100. Per serving, it provides 370.23 calories and 25.48 g of protein, or 51% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 942.62 mg (41% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 5.13 g (26% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 17.89 g (36% of the Daily Value). It contains Mustard, Tomatoes, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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