Smoked Bourbon Baked Beans with Bacon and Burnt Onion

Steps

1. Step 1

   Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F and add a couple of chunks or a handful of soaked chips of a sweet hardwood such as hickory, oak or apple. Let it come up to temperature while you build the beans.

   20 min, hands-off · 250°F

2. Step 2

   Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop and add the bacon. Cook, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned but not crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop the bacon onto a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the skillet. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the fat.

   10 min

   • 8 slices thick-cut smoked bacon
3. Step 3

   Turn the heat to medium-high and add the onions in an even layer. Cook without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, until the undersides are deeply browned with some blackened edges, then stir and keep cooking, stirring only occasionally, until the onions are dark brown and charred in spots, 6 to 8 minutes more. This burnt-onion flavor is the backbone of the dish, so let them go further than feels comfortable, but stop short of ashy black. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

   12 min

   • 2 yellow onions
   • 4 cloves garlic
4. Step 4

   Take the skillet off the heat and pour in the bourbon (off-heat, so it doesn't flare up). Return to medium heat and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the bourbon has reduced by about half and no longer smells sharp, 3 to 4 minutes.

   4 min

   • 2/3 cup bourbon
5. Step 5

   Stir in the navy beans, pinto beans, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, yellow mustard, mustard powder, vinegar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, black pepper, water, and the cooked bacon. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and loose; it should look slightly soupy, since it will thicken a lot in the smoker. Taste and add salt as needed.

   6 min

   • 2 cans navy beans (15.5 oz each)
   • 2 cans pinto beans (15.5 oz each)
   • 1 cup ketchup
   • 1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
   • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
   • 3 tbsp yellow mustard
   • 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
   • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
   • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   • 2 tsp smoked paprika
   • 1/2 tsp black pepper
   • 1 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
   • salt
6. Step 6

   Set the uncovered skillet in the smoker and cook at 250°F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring once an hour, until the beans are glossy and dark and the sauce clings to a spoon with only a little free liquid at the edges. If the top sets into a dark skin before the sauce thickens, stir it in. No smoker? Bake uncovered at 300°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and add 1/2 teaspoon more smoked paprika at the end.

   2 hr 15 min, hands-off · 250°F

7. Step 7

   Let the beans rest 15 minutes off the heat before serving; they tighten up as they cool. Serve warm, straight from the skillet.

   15 min, hands-off

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026