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Perfect Brown Sugar Bourbon Baked Beans Recipe

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Smoky, sweet, and tangy baked beans with bourbon and brown sugar, perfect for tailgating and game day. This crowd-pleasing side dish is easy to make ahead and always disappears fast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cans (15 oz each) navy beans or great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lb thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup good-quality bourbon
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
  • ¼ cup molasses (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Position the rack in the center.
  2. Cook the bacon: Place your Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
  3. Sauté the onion: Add the diced onion to the pot with the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and starting to brown around the edges. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  4. Deglaze with bourbon: Pour in the bourbon and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol smell mellows and the liquid reduces slightly.
  5. Build the sauce: Add the brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. Stir everything together until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth.
  6. Add the beans and bacon: Gently fold in the drained beans and the cooked bacon. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
  7. Bake uncovered: Place the pot in the oven (uncovered!) and bake for 60-75 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. The sauce will thicken and become syrupy, and the top will develop a slightly darker, caramelized crust.
  8. Rest before serving: Let the beans sit for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven. Serve hot, straight from the pot or transferred to a slow cooker for the tailgate.

Notes

For best flavor, make these a day ahead and reheat. The flavors meld and deepen overnight. If the sauce looks too thin after 60 minutes, continue baking; if too thick, add a splash of water or chicken broth. To prevent burning, stir once or twice during baking and tent with foil if the top gets too dark.

Nutrition

Keywords: baked beans, brown sugar, bourbon, bacon, tailgate, game day, side dish, smoky, sweet

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/perfect-brown-sugar-bourbon-baked-beans-recipe/