My great-grandma Curly was not a woman whose house you could leave hungry, especially when she was making her famous BBQ Baked Beans.

She grew up in Kansas, then lived in Colorado and San Diego as my Great Grandpa worked building roads for the Army Corps of Engineers – including Trail Ridge Road and Coronado – so she knew how to whip up a hearty, down-home midwest meal. When her recipe first appeared on Sweet C’s back in 2011, I called it “Grandma Curly’s Bean Bake” and Sweet C’s readers have been making it ever since!

This is not the pale, watery baked beans from a can you set out next to the hot dogs. Great-grandma Curly’s version is deeply smoky, rich, and loaded with three types of beans, a full pound of bacon, and ground beef – it’s a hearty, crowd-filling side dish that easily becomes the thing everyone asks about at cookouts and potlucks. I’ve now made it hundreds of times over 40+ years, tested the oven version against the slow cooker version side by side (genuinely no difference in flavor – I was surprised too), and nailed down the Instant Pot adaptation so you can make it however works for your kitchen.

Every version comes out sweet, smoky, and absolutely loaded with flavor – just like from Grandma Curly’s kitchen!

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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Three types of beans. Kidney, butter, and pork & beans – each brings a different texture and flavor that makes the whole pot more interesting than standard baked beans.
• A pound of bacon AND a pound of ground beef. This is not a side dish that apologies for itself. It’s hearty enough to eat as a main.
• Works in the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. All three methods produce identical results – use whichever fits your day.
• Makes a huge batch for a crowd. 10 generous servings, and leftovers get even better overnight.
• Family-tested for over 60 years. My great-grandma’s recipe, updated with every method I’ve tested since 2011.

Quick Recipe Snapshot Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 1 hour (oven) or 4 hours (slow cooker) Servings: 10 Calories: ~450 per serving Best for: BBQs, cookouts, potlucks, game day, make-ahead sides

What Makes These Baked Beans Different

Most baked beans recipes call for one can of beans, a little brown sugar, and some ketchup. This recipe uses three kinds of beans, a full pound of bacon, and a pound of ground beef – which is closer to what you’d call cowboy baked beans than standard BBQ beans.

Here’s what each element does:

Kidney beans bring a firm, earthy bite that holds up through a long bake. Butter beans (also called lima beans) add a creamy, almost silky texture that balances the chewy bacon and beef. Pork & beans provide the classic sweet base you expect from baked beans – they’re already seasoned, which gives the whole pot a head start on flavor.

The sauce – brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and mustard – builds a sweet-smoky-tangy glaze that thickens as it bakes and coats every bean in the pot. It’s the sauce that makes these unmistakably great-grandma’s.

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BBQ Baked Beans Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup BBQ sauce (smoky hickory style recommended)
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons mustard (see notes – can omit if allergic)
• 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
• 15 oz can pork and beans (do NOT drain – the liquid adds flavor)
• 15 oz can butter beans, drained

How to Make BBQ Baked Beans (Oven Method)

Slow Cooker BBQ Baked Beans

To make these in the slow cooker, follow the same prep steps – cook the bacon, brown the beef and onion in the bacon fat, and mix everything together. Then add it all to a slow cooker instead of a casserole dish.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6–7 hours. The slow cooker method produces the same flavor as the oven version (I tested them side by side and genuinely could not tell the difference). The main advantage is hands-off cooking – great for cookouts where oven space is at a premium.

Slow cooker tip: If the beans look thin at the 3-hour mark, remove the lid for the final hour to let some moisture evaporate and the sauce thicken. Slow cookers trap steam, which can make baked beans saucier than the oven version.

Keeping warm for a party: once the beans are cooked through, switch the slow cooker to WARM – they’ll hold safely for up to 3 hours on the warm setting.

Instant Pot BBQ Baked Beans

Step 1: Using the Sauté function, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside.

Step 2: Without draining the fat, add the onion and ground beef to the pot. Sauté, crumbling the beef, until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.

Step 3: Add the brown sugar, ketchup, BBQ sauce, molasses, and mustard to the pot and stir to combine. Add all three cans of beans (including the liquid from the pork & beans can) and the cooked bacon. Stir well.

Step 4: Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on HIGH pressure using the Bean/Chili function for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.

Instant Pot note: The sauce will be thinner coming out of the pressure cooker than the oven version. Switch back to Sauté and cook uncovered for 5–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens to your liking.

Recipe Variations

Cowboy Baked Beans: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne to the sauce mixture. Swap the BBQ sauce for a spicy or chipotle variety. This is the “classic” cowboy version – big, bold, and smoky.

Spicy BBQ Baked Beans: Stir in 1–2 diced jalapeños (seeds in for more heat, seeds out for milder) when you cook the onion. Add a tablespoon of hot sauce to the sauce mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes before serving.

Maple Bacon Baked Beans: Swap the brown sugar for 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Use thick-cut maple bacon if you can find it. The maple deepens the sweetness and pairs beautifully with the smoky bacon.

Kansas City Style: Use a sweeter, tomato-forward BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece is the classic). Increase the ketchup to ? cup and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the sauce for a touch of tanginess.

Vegetarian BBQ Baked Beans: Omit the bacon and ground beef entirely. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add ½ cup diced smoked tempeh or smoked tofu for protein and smoky depth. Use vegetarian-friendly BBQ sauce and omit the pork & beans (replace with a third can of kidney or black beans).

Ground Turkey Version: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey for a lighter version that still has great savory depth from the bacon. Everything else stays the same.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-ahead: These beans taste noticeably better the next day after the flavors meld overnight. You can make them up to 2 days in advance, refrigerate covered, and reheat at 325°F for 20–25 minutes (covered) or in the slow cooker on warm for 1–2 hours.

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The sauce will continue to thicken as they sit – add a splash of water when reheating if needed.

Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or in a 325°F oven covered for 25–30 minutes.

Tips for the Best BBQ Baked Beans

Don’t drain the pork & beans. The liquid in the can is seasoned and sweet – it adds flavor and helps the sauce come together. Drain the kidney and butter beans, but keep the pork & beans liquid.

Cook the bacon until truly crispy. Soft, undercooked bacon will get lost in the pot. You want it crunchy before you add it so it holds a little texture through the bake.

The longer they bake, the better. If you have time, push toward the full hour rather than pulling them at 40 minutes. The edges caramelize and the sauce thickens significantly in that last stretch.

Use the bacon fat. Don’t drain it from the pan before browning the beef and onion. That fat carries flavor that no substitute quite matches.

Taste before baking. Once everything is mixed, taste the raw mixture and adjust. More brown sugar if you want sweeter, more ketchup if you want tangier, more BBQ sauce if you want smokier.

What to Serve With BBQ Baked Beans

These beans are a natural centerpiece of any BBQ spread. Here’s what we love serving alongside them:

• Easy Smoked Brisket – sliced brisket and baked beans is the classic Texas combination
• Best Smoked Pulled Pork – pile the pulled pork alongside a big scoop of beans
• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks – weeknight-friendly option when you don’t want to fire up the smoker
• BBQ Chicken Quarters – grilled on the grates while the beans bake in the oven
• Best Grilled Corn on the Cob – a must-have cookout side
• Grilled Potatoes – easy foil packet potatoes round out the spread

BBQ Baked Beans FAQ

More BBQ Side Dishes You’ll Love

Best Grilled Corn on the Cob (3 Methods) — Ready in 20 Min

Scalloped Corn Casserole Recipe

Grilled Potatoes

The Best Easy Deviled Eggs Recipe Ever

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