Preheat your oven to 375℉
Heat a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy.
Transfer about ⅓ of the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate for topping later. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan and discard any excess.
Add the minced onion to the bacon fat. Cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the drained beans to the skillet.
Stir in the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Add the remaining cooked bacon and stir everything together.
Transfer the skillet to the oven, uncovered. Depending on how full your pan is, place a baking tray underneath in the oven for any spill over sauce.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
When you stir halfway through, add your cornstarch slurry to make the bake bean thicker and glossy.
The beans should be bubbling around the edges and the sauce should be thick, and slightly caramelized.
Remove from the oven and let the beans rest for about 5–10 minutes. They'll continue to thicken as they cool. Serve warm
