Every good meal includes a stellar main dish and a tempting side dish! These Pit-Style BBQ Baked Beans are a great finishing touch to any BBQ menu. They feature a delicious blend of ground beef, veggies, and, of course, some great Heath Riles BBQ products! This recipe is a great compromise between cooking baked beans totally from scratch or buying them from a can. Because we’re using canned baked beans, you don’t have to worry about soaking them overnight.

These Pit-Style BBQ Baked Beans cook low and slow over the Traeger Ironwood XL, absorbing the rich smoke and caramelizing over the heat. Whether you need the perfect side for your big barbecue party or want to indulge in a down-home craving, this dish has you covered. Give it a shot, and let me know what you think!

Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans | Heath Riles BBQ

Baked beans are the ultimate side dish, and my Grandma inspired this recipe. She always added ground beef, peppers, onions, and a lot of brown sugar. I added my own twist to this recipe by including some of my favorite rubs and sauces that contain brown sugar. The end result was a delicious pan of baked beans with a mild flavor fit to accompany any burger, brat, or rack of ribs.

The Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make a batch of mouthwatering Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans.

Bush’s Best Original Baked Beans. In my opinion, there’s no better baked bean than Bush’s! Many people use the cans alone, which is acceptable in a pinch, but it’s just as easy to take them up a notch with a blend of seasonings and veggies.

Ground beef. A little ground beef can turn an ordinary pan of baked beans into a hearty meal. You can use whatever fat-to-meat ratio you want, as it’ll all cook up the same.

Veggies. I added texture to the Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans, including onions and bell pepper. When diced small, they soften perfectly in the Traeger Ironwood XL.

Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habanero Glaze. My new line of glazes gives roasts and ribs a beautiful sheen! This glaze gives you all the flavors of honey without any of the char you get from the real deal. Adding a dash to the baked beans gives it just a little heat, which keeps things interesting.

Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. This sauce took ten years to perfect! It is an excellent addition to ribs, burgers, baked beans, and salads. You can use it alone or pair it with a vinegar-based sauce for a well-balanced dish.

Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Rub. This delicious rub was the first blend I ever perfected. I use it on everything from chicken wings to bloody marys. It’s just that good!

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites are in the Equipment and Tools section.

Pellet grill/smoker. I cooked these Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans on the Traeger Ironwood XL. This pit is incredible because you can use it to grill or smoke. The Traeger Ironwood XL has many excellent features, like a pellet sensor, a super smoke button, and easy transportation.

You can’t go wrong with the Traeger Ironwood XL if you cook large quantities of food. It’s roomy without taking up your entire patio and ultra-durable, lasting for years!

Pellets. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. I love this brand because you get clean smoke with no fillers. It gives these beans a rich, deep flavor that tastes authentic.

The Process for Making Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans

You can find a detailed demonstration of this recipe in the video and recipe card. For now, here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled these Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans together.

Fire up the pit. I stoked the Traeger Ironwood XL with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets and fired it up to 250℉.
Mix the beans and beef. I placed the drained baked beans and ground beef in a large aluminum pan and stirred them with my gloved hand.
Add seasoning. Once the beans and beef were incorporated, I added the onion, bell pepper, brown sugar, Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habanero Glaze, Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce, Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Rub, and mustard. I stirred the Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans, then placed the diced bacon on top.
Smoke and serve. I placed the Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans on the Traeger Ironwood XL and let them smoke for five hours, stirring them at the three-hour mark. I took the beans off the pit and let them cool before digging in.

The Results

The Pit Style BBQ Baked Beans came off the pit bubbly and flavorful. They had the perfect balance of savory and sweet, with just a hint of heat on the back end. The smoke from the charcoal gave the beans a fantastic touch of nostalgic flavor.