Cast Iron Smoky Baked Beans with Bacon
Hearty baked beans simmered with smoky bacon, onions, and a sweet-savory sauce—slow-cooked in a cast iron skillet over the fire for deep campfire flavor.
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or Dutch oven
- Campfire
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cans baked beans 15 oz each, undrained
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook bacon in skillet over medium campfire heat until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving some fat.
- Add onions to bacon fat and cook 3–4 minutes until soft.
- Stir in baked beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and paprika. Return bacon to skillet.
- Simmer uncovered for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
- Serve hot, directly from skillet.
Notes
Cook beans low and slow over indirect heat to avoid burning. Use a lid or foil if beans bubble too much. Prep sauce at home for quicker camp assembly.