Smoky Southern Baked Beans
Southern baked beans are the epitome of summer potlucks and barbecues! These baked beans are smoky, sweet, tangy and just a little heat. No Texas barbecue would be complete without them!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter or melted tallow, duck fat, or bacon grease
- 6 ounces 85-90% ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tablespoons dark brown sugar see notes
- 1 tablespoon EACH: Worcestershire sauce smoked paprika, yellow mustard, AND chipotle pepper, optional
- ½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder AND onion powder
- ¼ cup EACH: apple cider vinegar AND molasses
- ½ cup EACH: ketchup passata, AND BBQ sauce
- ¼ teaspoon EACH cayenne pepper AND red pepper flakes
- 3 15.5 ounce cans navy or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- SAUTE: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF. Heat a cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook and crumble the beef into small pieces. Remove to a bowl. Add the butter to the skillet and cook the onions, peppers, and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until the onions soften.
- BAKE: If you’re cooking in an oven-safe pot, add the ground beef back to the pot. If you’re not, grab an ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid, add all of the ingredients to the pot, including the ground beef and softened veggies. Stir to combine and place covered in the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Stir the beans about halfway through to make sure nothing is sticking. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I use ground beef but any kind of ground meat will work
- Depending on the sweetness of the bbq sauce, you'll need 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar. For me, 2 was a bit much with certain bbq sauces. So I would start with less as you can always add more!
- Bake the beans for 45 minutes if you prefer them saucier and for 1 hour for thicker, heartier beans!
