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The Best Barbecue Baked Beans (from Dried Beans)

Contrary to popular belief, soaking the beans in salt water prevents them from bursting and gives them an even creamier texture. Bacon gives the beans their must-have smoky and meaty flavor. Boiling the beans for an hour prior to adding any acidic liquids helps them cook a little faster. Slowly cooking the beans in the oven lets them gently cook while the sauce slowly thickens and becomes more complex. The time investment of using dried beans pays in this recipe, which produces some of the best barbecue beans you'll ever have—a slowly reduced sauce packs a deep and complex barbecue flavor while tender and creamy beans round it out.
Servings: 8
Author: Joshua Bousel

Ingredients

For the beans:

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 pound small dried beans such as great northern, navy, or pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
  • 8 slices bacon cut into ½-inch strips
  • 1 large onion finely minced yellow onion
  • 1 large red bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups ketchup
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon barbecue rub
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Brine the beans:

  • In a large container, whisk together 2 quarts of water and salt until the salt has dissolved.
  • Add the beans, cover, and let stand overnight at room temperature.
  • Drain and rinse the beans.

Cook the bacon:

  • Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Add bacon and cook until fat has rendered and bacon has crisped, 7-10 minutes.
  • Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving as much fat in dutch oven as possible.

Sauté the aromatics and jump start the beans:

  • Add the onion and the red bell pepper to the dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to brown around the edges, about 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in 3 cups of water, chicken stock, reserved bacon, and beans.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Bake the beans:

  • While the beans are simmering on the stovetop, mix together the barbecue sauce ingredients.
  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Mix the barbecue sauce into the beans, cover, and cook in the over for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the cover and cook until beans are tender throughout and the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour longer.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
  • Season with salt.
  • Serve immediately; alternatively, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze. Reheat before serving.

Notes

You can use a single type, or mixed variety of beans.