These Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans are easy and delicious and only call for 5 ingredients! They’re the perfect side dish to your favorite grilled meal and great for parties! This recipe will serve 8 but can easily be doubled to serve more.

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

Do you have any idea how hard it is to make something from scratch using only FIVE ingredients?

Really hard. Maybe I should elaborate to say that it’s difficult to make a barbecue-friendly dish and only using 5 ingredients. The struggle was real. But when friends presented me with the challenge to create a 5-ingredient labor-less dish, I of course accepted.

I’m not one to turn down a challenge, like the time when our friend Dave dared me to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon – not my finest moment. Although, that was a somewhat scary disaster, 5-ingredient recipe developing doesn’t have to be. And I may just have a few tricks up my sleeve.

1: use BACON! 2: involve barbecue sauce 3. be OKAY with taking necessary shortcuts. Have I mentioned that this was a judgment free zone?

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

Now who doesn’t love the sound of 5 ingredient barbecue bacon baked beans??? Exactly.

Ingredients for 5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

To Make These Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans You Will Need:

  • yellow onion – The base for most recipes, adds texture and sweet and subtle onion flavor to the beans.
  • thick-cut bacon – I like to go to the butcher shop or use Wright brand (not sponsored) or any other high-quality brand.
  • baked beans – A great shortcut. I usually buy organic to avoid any unnecessary additives. 
  • barbecue sauce – I like use this recipe, but use your favorite.
  • un-sulphured molasses – For sweetness, depth of flavor and will also deepen the color of the beans.

add onion and bacon to pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 180°C).

In a cool pan, add 10-inch deep sided skillet, add a medium diced yellow onion and 4 chopped slices of applewood bacon.

cook until the onions soften and bacon caramelizes

Heat to medium, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and translucent and bacon is caramelized in spots.

add barbecue sauce and molasses

Then add in 1 (28 ounce) can of baked beans, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and 2 tablespoons un-sulphured molasses.

If I was to make true “from scratch” beans I’d flip to page 183 in my cookbook *wink* but I would need quite a few more ingredients. Using organic baked beans is a-okay in my book, especially when on a 5-ingredient budget.

stir to combine

Stir well to combine.

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

Lastly, cover and bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway.

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

Once 40 minutes are up, uncover and stir one last time before sliding the pan (uncovered) back into the oven for 20 minutes. This will help thicken it up the barbecue bacon baked beans a smidgen more.

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

That’s all folks!

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

These barbecue bacon baked beans go great with brats, burgers or hot dogs – really anything grilled.

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

Enjoy! And if you give this Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

5-Ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans
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Yield: 8 servings

5-ingredient Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans

These Barbecue Bacon Baked Beans are easy and delicious and only call for 5 ingredients! They're the perfect side dish to your favorite grilled meal and great for parties! This recipe will serve 8 but can easily be doubled to serve more.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut into pieces
  • 28 ounces baked beans, I buy organic
  • 1/2 cup sweet barbecue sauce
  • 2 tablespoons un-sulphured molasses, do not use blackstrap

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃)
  • In a 10-inch deep sided skillet, add onions and bacon and then heat on medium. Stir occasionally until onions are soft and the bacon is caramelized in spots - about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pan off of the heat and add in the beans, barbecue sauce and molasses. Stir well to combine.
  • Cover the pan and slide it onto the middle rack of your preheated oven. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. When time is up, use pot holders to remove the lid, then stir and slide the pan back into your oven for 20 minutes.
  • Allow the beans to cool for a few minutes before serving. The beans will thicken up more as they cool.

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 670mg, Potassium: 463mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 44IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Laurie McNamara
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American

This recipe was originally posted on May 20, 2016 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.