Hindsight is 20/20. As I sat there hungrily devouring one of these BBQ Bean Sliders, beans were falling out of the bun and BBQ sauce was getting all over my hands and face. That’s when it hit me—this would have been much better as a wrap sandwich. But then again, sometimes the messier the food the better. Either way, these BBQ Bean Sliders probably aren’t a good thing to cook for a first date. Or maybe even the second or third date.
But they are a good thing to cook when you are craving BBQ and you don’t have the time or money to cook an entire pork shoulder. I mean, I love pulled pork and all, probably even more than I should, but sometimes it’s just not convenient or in my budget.
What is convenient? Opening up a couple cans of beans, adding some BBQ sauce, and whipping up a quick slaw. BBQ craving fixed.
Pictured with Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
Double Check Your BBQ Sauce
If you’re a vegetarian, be sure to check the label of your favorite BBQ sauce, because you never know if they might have added some Worcestershire sauce in there. And if you’re not a fan of the high sugar store-bought BBQ sauces, definitely give my Homemade BBQ Sauce a try. My version does contain Worcestershire sauce, but there are some vegetarian Worcestershire sauces on the market (like Annie’s brand) if you want to keep it vegetarian.
It’s All About that Coleslaw
My creamy coleslaw is so fast and easy that once you try it, you’ll probably never buy it pre-made ever again. This coleslaw provides the perfect creamy-savory balance to the sweet-tang of the BBQ sauce. They’re just made for each other.
How to Save Your Leftovers
If you plan to save some of these BBQ sliders for leftovers, wait to mix the coleslaw dressing with the vegetables until just before serving, for the best results. When left in the refrigerator pre-mixed, the coleslaw can get a little limp and runny (although that didn’t stop me from devouring my leftovers).
The BBQ beans can be kept in a separate container themselves, rewarmed in the microwave or in a small sauce pot over low, then piled onto the bun. The beans should stay good in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. I don’t recommend this recipe for freezing, but if you have too many buns for the amount of filling made, baked breads freeze beautifully on their own, so you can save some for the next time you make BBQ beans!
What to Serve with BBQ Bean Sliders
I served my bean sliders with a side of Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, but they’d also go great with a classic like Southern Style Potato Salad. Or perhaps a pasta salad like, Broccoli Pasta Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette, Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, or Summer Sweet Corn Salad.
BBQ Bean Sliders
Servings 4 to 6 servingsIngredients
BBQ Beans
Creamy Coleslaw
- 1/2 14oz. bag coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage, about 3 cups) ($0.75)
- 3 green onions ($0.17)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise ($0.55)
- 1/2 Tbsp honey ($0.06)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
- 1 tsp red wine or apple cider vinegar ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Rinse and drain the pinto and black beans in a colander. Add the drained beans, BBQ sauce, and smoked paprika to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine and then cook over medium-low heat until warmed through (stir occasionally).
- While the beans and BBQ sauce are heating, prepare the creamy coleslaw. Add the cabbage coleslaw mix to a large bowl. Slice the green onions and add them to the bowl with the cabbage.
- In a separate small bowl, make the dressing for the slaw. Stir together the mayonnaise, honey, Dijon, vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the dressing to the bowl with the slaw mix and green onions, then stir to combine.
- To make the sliders, add a heaping 1/2 cup of BBQ beans to each bun, then top with 1/2 cup of the slaw. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make BBQ Bean Sliders – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince one clove of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Rinse and drain one 15 oz. can each of black beans and pinto beans (use a colander to make this easier). Add the drained beans to the skillet along with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.
Stir and heat this mixture over medium until it has heated through.
Meanwhile, make the creamy coleslaw. In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Add 1/2 of a 14 oz. bag of coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) to a bowl. Slice three green onions and add them to the bowl, along with the prepared dressing.
Stir until the cabbage mixture is coated in dressing. And try your hardest to not eat it straight out of the bowl!
To assemble the BBQ bean sliders, add about 1/2 cup of the BBQ bean mixture to each bun, then top with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the creamy coleslaw.
Then Enjoy! Preferably with some sweet potato fries on the side. ;)
So good!!! We skipped the buns and made loaded sweet potato fries instead. Definitely going to make this again!
My daughter doesn’t usually like beans, but she really liked this recipe. I used leftover Rufus Teague Touch of Heat BBQ Sauce. I never know what to do with the small amounts of leftover bbq sauce, and this was perfect. We are not huge cabbage fans in our house, so I used a bag of the broccoli slaw that Green Giant puts out, instead of the coleslaw mix, and it worked really well.
Delicious! My mistake was that I read through the recipe, but I didn’t read through Beth’s comments about it not being best for a bun. It was a mess, but it was a delicious mess. My buns were a little small and I wanted seconds, so I just put the beans and coleslaw in a bowl and ate it that way. Still 10/10! So quick and easy. Great way to get more beans in my diet and less meat.
Looking forward to trying this! What would you recommend if I don’t have any pinto beans on hand? Could you sub black eyes peas to mix with the black beans? Thanks!
Yep, that would work. You can pretty much do any mix of beans for this. :)
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. I used a thick BBQ sauce and mini slider buns, so the sandwiches didn’t fall apart. I would add more garlic, but I love garlic.
I don’t know what happened but this was inedible ): Maybe the barbeque sauce in NZ isn’t the same as the rest of the world but I swear it was gross. Mushy beans and moist coleslaw made the buns soggy and eughhh. Could work in a wrap? Not a keeper.
One of my favorite Budget Bytes recipes. It’s so easy, satisfying, and comforting. A good weeknight meal after a stressful day when you don’t want to cook. I live alone so it provides ample leftovers for lunch/dinners as well. I’ve eaten it on hamburger buns and in pita pockets. Obviously the pita pockets were less messy, but if I’m trying to use up buns I’m fine with the mess. I saw a comment suggest putting it over baked potatoes and I plan to try that next time.
I really enjoyed this recipe! Quick, easy, and tasted great– easily made it vegan by subbing garlic veganaise for the mayo. After making it, the only thing I’d change is serving the beans/slaw in hot dog or brat rolls, rather than hamburger rolls, to avoid the spilling issue Beth described.
Anyone ever slap these beans on a baked potato? I wanna smack this on a potato…
That would be delicious! We have something similar here https://www.budgetbytes.com/bbq-beef-stuffed-potatoes/
So completely delicious. All the flavors worked together like a symphony. I ended up cooking the beans covered on low for longer, and it made it a bit more cohesive and less messy. Like a thick baked bean consistency. I toasted some Kaiser buns and omg…. this one’s a keeper!! Served with some oven baked seasoned fries.
P.S. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this site. Everything I’ve made this far has been fantastic.
The slaw is just the kind that I like — creamy instead of vinegary. The BBQ beans turned out well and took almost no time at all. We had ours on some leftover naan, but it was still WAY messy. Going back for seconds, I didn’t bother making it into a wrap, but the different elements were all good!
This recipe is so good that I’ve been making it for five years. This is one of those recipes that just works. It is so easy and so filling and it tastes so good. I have friends I’ve shared this recipe with that make it regularly. This is such a keeper. Any time that I have a stressful week or I’m moving or on a deadline… this is THE go to recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this one. PS: I peeked around and didn’t see a Budget Bytes version of BBQ Sauce. Is there one? If not, I would love to possibly see one! Your enchilada and teriyaki sauces are staples in my house!
I don’t have one… yet! I need to put that on my list for this summer. :)
Took your advice and stuffed them into whole wheat pitas. Much less mess! These are DELISH!!! Great vegetarian alternative to a BBQ meat sandwich.
These were awesome! So easy and tasty. My picky 6 year old ate a whole sandwich, and declared the recipe a ‘keeper. My bbq sauce was very thick so I had to add a few tablespoons of water, but otherwise everything turned out perfect!
This is so tasty! Heads up, in the photo walkthrough the step where you make the slaw dressing is missing the vinegar as an ingredient. I nearly left it out!
Thank you!! Just fixed it. :)
I made these for lunch today. I wanted something substantial but still summery. Delicious and easy!