Quick Barbecued Beans (Printer-Friendly)
Sweet and smoky beans simmered in rich barbecue sauce, ready in 30 minutes for any occasion.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beans
01 - 2 cans (15 oz each) navy beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
→ Sauces & Liquids
02 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
03 - 1/4 cup ketchup
04 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
05 - 1/4 cup water
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sweeteners
08 - 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
09 - 1 tablespoon molasses (optional, for deeper flavor)
→ Seasonings
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - Salt to taste
→ Optional
14 - 2 strips bacon, diced (omit for vegetarian version)
# How to Make It:
01 - If using bacon, cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. For a vegetarian version, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil instead.
02 - Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the drained beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, water, brown sugar, molasses, smoked paprika, mustard powder, black pepper, and salt. Mix until evenly combined.
04 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld together.
05 - If using bacon, stir the crisp bacon pieces back in just before serving. Serve hot as a side dish or main course.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These beans deliver the soul of slow cooked barbecue in under thirty minutes, which feels almost unfair.
- The sauce clings to every bean like it was meant to be there, and reheating leftovers the next day somehow tastes even better.
02 -
- Walking away from the simmer without stirring is the fastest path to scorched beans on the bottom of your pan, so set a timer for every three minutes.
- Tasting the sauce before adding salt saves you from an oversalted finished dish because the barbecue sauce and Worcestershire already bring significant sodium.
03 -
- Letting the beans rest off the heat for five minutes before serving allows the sauce to set and thicken further, making every spoonful richer.
- Using a barbecue sauce with a smoke flavor already built in doubles down on that grilled taste without any extra effort.