Preparation Steps

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and lay the bacon in a single layer. Bake until deeply crisp, 12–15 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in a large Dutch oven.
• While the bacon cooks, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic so they’re ready to go.
• Set the Dutch oven with the reserved drippings over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the beef is browned and the onion is soft, 6–8 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl (leave any flavorful bits in the pot).
• To the same pot, add baked beans, kidney beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a lively simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until slightly thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
• Fold the beef–onion mixture into the beans. Crumble the bacon and stir in half, reserving the rest for topping.
• Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, and continue baking until bubbling and thickened, 15–20 minutes more.
• Switch the oven to broil on high and broil the beans just until the surface lightly caramelizes, 2–3 minutes (watch closely).
• Remove from the oven, stir in the apple cider vinegar, and scatter the remaining bacon over the top. Let rest 10 minutes before serving for the sauce to settle.