Description
Sweet and smoky baked beans with bacon and a hint of bourbon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 8 ounces bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the dried beans and place them in a large pot. Cover with water and soak overnight, or use the quick soak method.
- Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1-1.5 hours. Drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
- While the beans are simmering, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet with the bacon fat and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked beans, cooked bacon, sautéed onion, brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, bourbon, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Add enough reserved bean cooking liquid to keep the beans moist, if needed.
- Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are thick and bubbly. Uncover during the last 30 minutes of baking if you prefer a thicker consistency.
- Season with salt to taste before serving.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a diced jalapeño with the onion.
- If you don’t want to use bourbon, you can substitute with apple cider vinegar or more bean cooking liquid.
- Baked beans can be made ahead of time and reheated.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 25mg