Spicy Jalapeño Baked Beans at Home

A barbecue isn’t a barbecue without baked beans. In fact I won’t serve hotdogs, brats or ham without them. They are a beloved quintessential summer side dish (unless you’re like Haileigh, then chips would be the equivalent) and this straightforward recipe is my latest and greatest, and also made with a lot less sugar than old-style recipes.

In the past, you may remember my mom’s (semi in a home kitchen) baked beans or my 5-ingredient barbecue bacon beans. Today, however I’m sharing a especially simple and spicy, vegetarian baked bean recipe. The recipe itself is a small batch but can easily be doubled or tripled for larger crowds OR the reliable size for a family of 4-6.

These jalapeño baked beans are sweet and smoky with a little heat from diced jalapeños. Leave the ribs and seeds in for lots of heat or discard for a milder flavor.

For these spicy jalapeño baked beans gather:

• 3/4 teaspoon light olive oil
• 1/2 a medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeñ0
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
• 2/3 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans

Start by adding the olive oil, onion, jalapeño, garlic with a pinch of kosher salt to a 2 to 3.5 quart dutch oven and heating over medium-low heat. Stir and sauté for about 8 minutes or until tender.

Then add the ketchup, molasses, liquid smoke, dark brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, dry mustard, cayenne and then pour in the water.

Stirring to combine.

Lastly, add in the drained and rinsed beans, stir and slide the whole pan, uncovered, into your preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes. Stir half way through baking.

Ta-da! If the beans are too think for your liking, try adding a 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water to thin them back out without affecting the flavor.

Serve immediately!

Sweet, smoky and spicy! The dependable side dish to brats, hotdogs or your regular grilled food.

Enjoy! And if you give this dish a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!