We love adding heat to BBQ sides, particularly baked beans. They already have that sweet barbecue flavor that’s so ready for a spicy injection to amp things up. In this spicy baked beans recipe, we opt for chipotle pepper, arguably the most perfect barbecue chili around. Chipotle peppers deliver that jalapeño-level heat, but with that delicious smoky flavor to boot that pairs with sweet barbecue sauce so well.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet and smoky, with molasses and brown sugar up front, a tangy edge from Dijon and a roasty depth from the Guinness. |
| Primary heat source | Three tablespoons of minced chipotles in adobo. 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild to medium. The chipotle warmth builds slowly, and the sweetness keeps it friendly. |
| Texture | Tender beans in a thick, glossy sauce, with bits of smoky bacon throughout. |
| Best uses | Cookouts, potlucks and any plate with ribs, brisket, pulled pork or burgers. |
| Customization ideas | Less chipotle plus smoked paprika for a milder pot, broth in place of the beer, or pinto beans instead of Great Northerns. |
| Before you start | About an hour and a half, most of it in the oven. You’ll need a large baking dish. |
Flavor notes
Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños, so they run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units, the same as the fresh pepper. Canned in adobo, they’re soft enough to mince straight from the can, and the adobo sauce that comes along with them adds even more smoke.
We like using Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce here, as it has just the right amount of sweetness, but feel free to use your favorite barbecue sauce or make your own. You can also temper the heat by adjusting the amount of chipotle used, though you’ll lose some smokiness in the bargain.
Drain and rinse the beans before they go in. That way you decide how thick the finished beans are through the sauce, not the liquid from six cans.
The Guinness adds a roasty, slightly bitter note that keeps all that molasses and brown sugar from tasting like candy. But an hour in the oven doesn’t cook off all of the alcohol. USDA figures show about 25% of it still there after an hour of baking, so if you’re serving kids or anyone who avoids alcohol, swap in beef broth or a non-alcoholic stout.
Bake them uncovered, so the sauce can thicken as it bubbles. And give the beans their five minutes of rest before serving, since they thicken a little more as they cool.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, the smoke or the beans.
- Want it milder? Cut the chipotles to a tablespoon or two and add a teaspoon of smoked paprika, which keeps the smoke without adding much heat.
- Want more heat? Add another tablespoon of minced chipotle, or stir in a finely chopped fresh jalapeño with the onion.
- Want softer onion? Cook the chopped onion in the bacon drippings for a few minutes before it goes in the bowl. It’ll be softer and sweeter in the finished beans.
- Different beans? Navy or pinto beans work just as well as Great Northerns. Drain and rinse them the same way.
- Going meatless? Skip the bacon, use olive oil for the drippings, and add smoked paprika for some of the lost smoke. Check your Worcestershire, too, since the classic kind is made with anchovies.
Serving ideas
These are a cookout side first, and they hold their own next to anything off the grill or smoker.
- With barbecue. Next to ribs, brisket or pulled pork, where the sweet and smoky sauce feels right at home.
- At a cookout. Alongside burgers and hot dogs, with coleslaw and cornbread to round out the plate.
- At a potluck. Baked in a dish that travels well. They reheat easily, and you’ll feed a crowd with one batch.
- Over a baked potato. Spooned over a split baked potato with a little shredded cheddar for a quick meal.
Storage notes
Let the beans cool, then keep them in a sealed container in the fridge and use them within three to four days. They freeze well, too, for two to three months.
Reheat them on the stove over medium-low heat or in a covered dish in the oven, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. You may find they taste even better the next day.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce: Chipotle and smoked paprika in a sweet BBQ sauce, for the meat on the same plate.
- Sriracha Slaw: A spicy coleslaw with Sriracha heat, and the cool crunch these beans need next to them.
- Jalapeño Corn Casserole: Another spicy side that works for a crowd, with jalapeño in a feel-good corn casserole.
50 easy ways to put jalapeños to work — appetizers, meals, salsas and dips, snacks, even fiery drinks. Perfect for a garden glut or a fridge full of extras.
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Smoky And Spicy Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 6 cans Great Northern beans 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 1/4 cups Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce
- 3/4 cup Guinness beer or beef broth
- 1/4 cup light molasses
- 3 tablespoons chipotle chilies in adobo sauce minced
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large pan, cook the bacon until crispy, then drain the bacon slices on a paper towel.
- Transfer 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a large mixing bowl. Then dice the bacon and add it to the bowl as well.
- Add the onion, BBQ sauce, Guinness, molasses, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to the bowl. Stir to blend completely.
- Add in the chipotle chilies and Great Northern beans. Stir to blend.
- Place the mix into a large baking dish, then bake uncovered for 1 hour to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the baked beans to cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
