Print

Best Smoky Brown Sugar Bourbon Baked Beans

brown sugar bourbon baked beans - featured image
Print Recipe

These smoky brown sugar bourbon baked beans are deep, rich, and complex, with layers of flavor from bourbon, smoked paprika, and chipotle. Perfect for cookouts, they’re a crowd-pleasing side dish that tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound dried navy beans (or great northern beans), soaked overnight and drained
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced fine
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 3 cups water (or reserved bean cooking liquid)

Instructions

  1. Soak the beans: The night before, place dried beans in a large bowl and cover with 3 inches of cold water. Let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
  2. Cook the bacon: Place Dutch oven over medium heat and add bacon pieces. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving fat in the pot.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: Add diced onion to the pot with bacon fat. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Deglaze with bourbon: Pour bourbon into the pot and stir, scraping up browned bits. Let bubble for 1-2 minutes until alcohol smell cooks off.
  5. Build the sauce: Add dark brown sugar, molasses, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. Stir into a thick paste and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Add beans and liquid: Add soaked beans, 3 cups water (or reserved bean liquid), and crispy bacon. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid slightly ajar.
  7. Simmer low and slow: Let beans simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Beans should be tender but hold their shape, and sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove lid for last 30 minutes if sauce is too thin.
  8. Finish and adjust: Once beans are tender and sauce is thick and glossy, taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Let rest off heat for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Soaking beans overnight is essential for even cooking. Use a gentle simmer, not a boil, to prevent beans from breaking. Taste and adjust seasoning at the end. Beans taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked beans, smoky baked beans, bourbon baked beans, brown sugar baked beans, cookout side dish, barbecue beans

Find it online: https://zestynora.com/best-smoky-brown-sugar-bourbon-baked-beans/