Gluten Free Beanie Weenies With Homemade Sauce

Gluten-Free Beanie Weenies: The Easy Homemade Sauce Upgrade

Gluten-free beanie weenies combine sliced hot dogs and tender beans in a sweet, tangy homemade sauce. Browning the hot dogs and cooking the onion first gives this simple dish better flavor than warming everything together in a pot.

The recipe can be finished on the stovetop or transferred to the oven for a thicker, baked-bean-style result. Most of the ingredients are pantry and refrigerator staples, making it useful for an inexpensive weeknight dinner, casual lunch, or potluck side dish.

The gluten-free part requires some attention to labels. Beans themselves are naturally gluten-free, but hot dogs, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and other packaged ingredients can vary. Use products labeled gluten-free when needed for your dietary requirements.

Gluten-Free Beanie Weenies Recipe

Yield: About 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: About 35 minutes
Course: Main dish or side dish
Cuisine: American

Equipment

• Large skillet or wide saucepan
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 2-quart (2 L) baking dish, if using the oven method

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable or olive oil
• 12 ounces (340 g) gluten-free fully cooked hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) slices
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (15 ounces or 425 g each) navy beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) ketchup
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) gluten-free barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) water
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
• Salt, if needed, to taste

Stovetop Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat.

Add the sliced hot dogs. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some of the cut surfaces begin to brown. They do not need to become crisp.

Add the onion and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the drained beans, ketchup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, water, and black pepper. Stir gently so the beans are coated without breaking them up.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken enough to coat the beans and hot dogs.

Taste before adding salt. Hot dogs, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce already contain sodium, so additional salt may not be necessary.

If the mixture becomes thicker than you want, stir in a tablespoon or two of water. For a thicker sauce, simmer it uncovered for a few additional minutes.

Oven-Baked Beanie Weenies

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Prepare the hot dogs, onion, and garlic on the stovetop as directed above. Stir in the beans, ketchup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, water, and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart (2 L) baking dish.

Bake uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened slightly around the edges.

The oven method produces a little more evaporation and a thicker sauce than the stovetop version.

Keeping the Recipe Gluten-Free

A recipe made with beans and hot dogs is not automatically gluten-free simply because neither ingredient would normally require wheat.

In the United States, foods sold with a voluntary “gluten-free” claim must meet the FDA standard for that label, including containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Check labels whenever a packaged ingredient could contain gluten or be exposed to it during manufacturing.[1]

Pay particular attention to:

• hot dogs;
• Worcestershire sauce;
• barbecue sauce;
• ketchup; and
• canned beans that contain seasoning or sauce.

Plain canned navy beans or great northern beans keep the ingredient list easier to check than flavored baked beans.

For someone with celiac disease or another condition requiring strict gluten avoidance, also consider cross-contact in the kitchen. Use clean utensils, cookware, cutting boards, and work surfaces.

Choosing the Beans

Navy beans and great northern beans both work well because their mild flavor lets the homemade sauce remain the main seasoning.

Drain and rinse the beans before adding them. This gives you more control over the consistency and flavor of the finished sauce.

Canned baked beans can also be used, but they change the recipe considerably because they already contain sauce and sweeteners. If using baked beans, reduce or omit the brown sugar and begin with less ketchup and barbecue sauce. Taste the mixture before adding more.

Check the baked-bean label if the finished dish must remain gluten-free.

Adjusting the Homemade Sauce

The sauce is intentionally sweet and tangy, but it does not have to taste like heavily sweetened canned baked beans.

For a less-sweet version, reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon (about 12 g). The ketchup and barbecue sauce already contribute sweetness.

If your barbecue sauce is especially sweet, the additional brown sugar may not be needed at all.

For a more pronounced barbecue flavor, add another tablespoon or two of barbecue sauce. If the sauce becomes too strong or too thick, balance it with a small amount of water rather than adding more ketchup.

Because barbecue sauces differ substantially in sweetness, smoke, acidity, and salt, tasting near the end of cooking is more useful than automatically adding extra seasoning.

Useful Substitutions

Turkey, chicken, pork, or plant-based hot dogs can replace the all-beef hot dogs if they suit your diet. Check the package for gluten-free labeling when necessary.

Pinto beans may replace the navy beans. Their flavor is somewhat stronger, but they hold up well during simmering.

For a milder onion flavor, use half an onion instead of a whole one. Garlic can also be reduced or omitted without affecting the texture of the dish.

If Worcestershire sauce is unavailable, it can simply be omitted. The sauce will lose some savory depth, but the recipe will still work.

Making Beanie Weenies Ahead

The entire dish can be cooked ahead, cooled promptly, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat only the amount needed for the meal rather than repeatedly cooling and reheating the whole batch.

You can also prepare the sauce and slice the hot dogs a day ahead. Store them separately in the refrigerator and combine them with the beans when ready to cook.

For a potluck, prepare the recipe shortly before serving or keep it properly hot during service. Do not leave the cooked dish sitting at room temperature for extended periods.

Storage and Reheating

Transfer leftovers to shallow covered containers and refrigerate them within two hours of cooking. USDA guidance recommends using most cooked leftovers within three to four days.[2]

Reheat beanie weenies to 165°F (74°C) as measured with a food thermometer.[2]

On the stovetop, place the leftovers in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until thoroughly heated. Add a spoonful of water if the sauce has become thick during refrigeration.

For microwave reheating, cover the dish loosely, stir during heating, and check the temperature in more than one place because microwave ovens can heat unevenly.

The cooked dish can also be frozen. Cool it first, divide it into meal-size portions, and freeze in tightly sealed containers. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator before reheating, or reheat frozen leftovers directly using an appropriate stovetop or microwave method.

What to Serve With Beanie Weenies

Because the beans and hot dogs make a fairly substantial dish, simple sides work well. Cornbread, a baked potato, coleslaw, steamed vegetables, or a green salad can turn it into a fuller meal.

For a potluck or cookout, beanie weenies also fit naturally alongside grilled foods, potato salad, or other bean dishes.

Recipe Notes

Browning the hot dogs is optional, but it gives the sliced edges more flavor and keeps the finished dish from tasting as though all the ingredients were simply heated together.

Do not add salt until the end. Several ingredients already contain substantial amounts of sodium.

The sauce thickens as it cooks and thickens further as it cools. If preparing the dish ahead, leave it slightly looser than you want when serving.

Barbecue sauce has a large effect on the final flavor. A very smoky sauce makes the beans noticeably smokier, while a sweet sauce may make the added brown sugar unnecessary.

Sources

[1] U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Gluten and Food Labeling.” FDA guidance states that foods carrying a gluten-free claim must meet federal requirements, including containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Keep Food Safe! Food Safety Basics.” USDA guidance recommends refrigerating cooked leftovers promptly, using most leftovers within three to four days, and reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C).