Sandra This Paula Deen BBQ Beans Recipe is a sweet and smoky recipe, which is made with dried beans and crispy bacon. It’s the perfect side dish for BBQs, ready in about 5 hours plus an overnight soak.
Paula Deen BBQ Beans Recipe Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 pound small dried beans, such as great northern, navy, or pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
- 8 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 1/2 cups finely minced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
- 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely diced seeded jalapeño (about 1 medium pepper)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon barbecue rub
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
How To Make Paula Deen BBQ Beans
- Soak the beans: In a large container, whisk together 2 quarts of water and the kosher salt until the salt has dissolved. Add the dried beans, cover, and let them stand overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain and rinse the beans.
- Cook the bacon: Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the Dutch oven.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes until softened. Stir in the green pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the beans: Stir in 3 cups of water, the chicken stock, the reserved bacon, and the soaked beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 1 hour. While the beans simmer, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Add the sauce and bake: Stir the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, molasses, mustard, vinegar, barbecue rub, and hot sauce into the pot. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken and serve: Remove the cover and continue to cook for 1 more hour, or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. Let the beans cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- How do I get the most flavor? The secret is building layers of flavor. Sautéing the onions in the rendered bacon fat and then simmering the beans for a long time in the oven allows all the sweet, smoky, and savory flavors to meld together into a rich, deep sauce.
- Why soak the beans overnight? Soaking dried beans in salted water before cooking helps them to cook more evenly and can reduce the overall cooking time. It’s a crucial step for achieving a tender, creamy bean texture.
- Can I make these in a slow cooker? Yes. After soaking the beans, you can complete steps 2 and 3 on the stovetop. Then, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- What if my beans are still hard? Cooking times for dried beans can vary. If your beans are not tender after the specified cooking time, simply return them to the oven and continue to cook, checking them every 30 minutes.
What To Serve With BBQ Beans
These classic baked beans are the quintessential side dish for any cookout, BBQ, or potluck. They pair perfectly with:
- BBQ pulled pork or chicken sandwiches
- Smoked brisket or ribs
- Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs
- Buttery cornbread
How To Store BBQ Beans
Refrigerate: Store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The flavor is often even better the next day. Freeze: Baked beans freeze very well. Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
BBQ Beans Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 85g
- Protein: 15g
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Sodium: 1200mg
Nutrition information is estimated per serving and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Using dried beans that you soak yourself results in the best texture for this long-simmered dish. Canned beans can sometimes become too soft or mushy with this cooking method.
Yes. This recipe is quite sweet from the brown sugar, honey, and molasses. You can reduce the amount of each of these ingredients to suit your taste.
As written, it has a mild to medium heat from the jalapeño and hot sauce. You can easily adjust the spice level by adding more or less of these ingredients.
Try More Recipes:
Paula Deen BBQ Beans Recipe
Description
Classic, slow-baked BBQ beans with a rich, sweet, and smoky sauce, loaded with bacon and savory aromatics.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak the dried beans overnight in salted water; drain and rinse.
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, leaving the fat.
- Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño in the bacon fat until soft. Add the garlic.
- Stir in water, chicken stock, the cooked bacon, and the soaked beans. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Stir all the sauce ingredients (ketchup, sugar, etc.) into the pot.
- Cover and bake for 4 hours. Uncover and bake for 1 more hour until thick and tender.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Soaking the beans overnight is a crucial step for a tender, even cook.
- Sautéing the vegetables in the rendered bacon fat adds a huge amount of flavor.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, making it a perfect make-ahead side.
- The long, slow bake is what creates the deep, rich flavor and perfect texture.
