This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Aside from stews and chilis, pit beans are one of the most hearty recipes. Made on the big green egg, these smoked pit beans are the ultimate fall tailgating recipe. Full of flavor, savoriness and smokiness, this recipe is a must this football season.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Bacon grease
Is there anything better than food cooked with bacon grease? I didn’t think so. The basis of this smoked pit beans recipe is bacon, and I’m not mad about it.
Preheat the grill to 350 degrees and set for direct heat. Slice up thick cut bacon into bite size pieces and throw them into a cast iron skillet. Place the dish on the grill and let it warm up while the bacon cooks. Once the bacon looks crispy and brown, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon leaving all the bacon grease still in the pan.
Recipe Tip
- Do not heat up the cast iron skillet before adding the bacon. This will cause the bacon to burn. By placing the bacon on a cold or room temperature skillet, this allows the dish to slowly warm up, allowing the fat to render off nicely and get the bacon perfectly crispy.
Next, slice up some Polish sausage or any sausage, throw it into the cast iron pan and toss it in the bacon grease. Grill until the bite size sausage pieces have a crispy brown color to them. Again remove the sausage with a slotted spoon leaving the bacon grease in the skillet.
Finally, chop up a yellow onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno and sauté it in the bacon grease. Once the veggies have some color remove the skillet from the grill and set aside.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
Step 2: How to make the ultimate smoked pit beans.
Now that the basis for the recipe is completed, it’s time to add all the remaining ingredients and let them cook, smoke and soak up all the delicious flavors.
Start with lowering the heat on the grill to 275 degrees and set it indirect heat.
Add back the bacon and sausage into the cast iron along with an entire can of beans. Yes ready baked beans. I have tried different methods in the past, but find the Bush’s original baked beans work best. They are flavorful and speed up the process. However, if you have a great recipe, please feel free to make your own.
Recipe Tip
- Add beer for that savory, hoppy flavor
- Use canned beans to speed up the cooking process.
Next add in a can of beer, brown sugar, mustard, bbq sauce, hot sauce and Dad’s All Purpose seasoning. I recommend using a sweeter bbq sauce for this recipe. It will help offset all the savoriness in the dish making it a more balanced recipe.
Mix the ingredients together and set it back on the grill. Cook for an additional 1.5 hours. This process is to heat up everything and cook slowly over low heat to get some smokey flavors into the dish as well as allow all the flavors to come out and mix together. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
All my recipes can be replicated in the oven, stove top or gas grill. You do not need a big green egg or weber grill to replicate any of my recipes.
Similar Recipe Ideas:
Recipes
Grilled Country Style Ribs
Recipes
Chuck Roast Burnt Ends
Recipes
Chicken Lollipops
Recipes
Steak Pinwheel
Printer friendly recipe below:
Smoked Pit Beans
Ingredients
- 6 slices Thick cut bacon
- 2 links Polish sausage
- 16 oz Baked beans
- 12 oz Beer
- 1/2 cup Sweet bbq sauce
- 1 tbsp Mustard
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dad's all purpose rub
- 2 tsp Hot sauce
- 1 Yellow onion
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 1 Jalapeno
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 350 degrees and set for direct heat.
- Slice up thick cut bacon into bite size pieces and throw them into a cast iron skillet. Place the cast iron skillet on the grill and cook until the bacon is brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon leaving the grease on the pan.
- Next, slice up some Polish sausage, throw it into the cast iron pan and toss it in the bacon grease. Grill until the bite size sausage pieces are crispy brown.
- Chop up a yellow onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno and sauté it in the bacon grease. Once the veggies have some color remove the skillet from the grill and set aside.
- Lower the heat on the grill to 275 degrees and set it indirect heat.
- Add back the bacon and sausage, an entire can of beans, beer, brown sugar, mustard, bbq sauce, hot sauce and Dad's All Purpose seasoning. Mix the ingredients together and set it back on the grill.
- Cook for an additional 1.5 hours.
Nutrition
Check out the Recipes Page for other tasty ideas!
These are so delicious! Everyone loved them!