Imen Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe is a smoky American side dish. This slow-cooked classic uses dried Great Northern beans, salty bacon, and a dark mix of molasses and tomato paste to create a thick, savory sauce.
If you do nothing else, make sure you soak your beans in cold water for at least eight hours before they ever touch a hot pan. That’s the difference between a tender, creamy bean and a tough, chalky one that never quite softens in the oven. I’ve learned that skipping the soak means the beans won’t absorb the flavors of the molasses and bacon correctly, no matter how long you bake them.
Alton Brown’s approach here is baking the dish at a very low temperature for nearly a full day. Most recipes try to rush the process on the stove, but the oven’s steady heat transforms the sugars into a deep, mahogany glaze. I made these for a family reunion last summer, and the addition of the urfa biber gave them an earthy heat that had everyone asking for the secret ingredient.
Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) dried Great Northern beans
- 1 pound (450g) bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) molasses
- Vegetable broth (as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon urfa biber (optional)
How To Make Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe
- 1. Soak the beans: Put the dried beans into a large bowl and cover them with several inches of cold water. Let them sit on the counter overnight so they can double in size, which helps them cook through more evenly during the long bake.
- 2. Set the oven: Heat your oven to 120°C (250°F). You want a very low, slow heat for this recipe so the sugars in the molasses don’t burn before the beans have a chance to get soft.
- 3. Render the fat: Place a heavy cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and toss in the chopped bacon, onion, and jalapeños. Cook them for about five minutes until the bacon fat has coated the bottom of the pot and the onions have turned soft and see-through.
- 4. Mix the sauce base: Stir the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses into the bacon mixture. Keep stirring for a minute or two until the sugar has dissolved and the paste is smelling slightly toasted and fragrant.
- 5. Measure the liquid: Drain your soaked beans, but save the water they were sitting in. Measure that soaking liquid and add enough vegetable broth to it to reach exactly four cups of total liquid.
- 6. Combine everything: Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven along with the four cups of liquid, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring the whole pot to a boil, giving it a good stir to lift any browned bits from the bottom.
- 7. Bake low and slow: Put the lid on tight and slide the pot into the oven. Let the beans bake for six to 8 hours, checking them once or twice to make sure they aren’t drying out.
If the liquid has evaporated too much and the top of the beans looks dry, stir in a splash of extra broth. You want the sauce to be thick and syrupy, not a solid block, so keep enough moisture in the pot to let the beans simmer.
- 8. Season and serve: Take the pot out of the oven once the beans are buttery and soft. If you’re using the urfa biber, stir it in now to give the dish a final punch of smoky flavor before putting it on the table.
Recipe Tips
- Use a heavy Dutch oven: A thick-walled cast iron pot is the only way to ensure the heat stays steady for eight hours. Thin pots often have hot spots that will scorch the beans at the bottom, even at a low temperature.
- Don’t skip the urfa biber: This Turkish chili flake has a unique, raisin-like sweetness and a mild heat that perfectly complements the dark molasses. It adds a layer of complexity that sets these apart from standard tinned beans.
- Check the age of your beans: If your dried beans have been sitting in the pantry for years, they may never soften completely. Try to buy a fresh bag so you know they’ll respond well to the long soaking and baking times.
- Seed the jalapeños carefully: Most of the heat lives in the white ribs and seeds of the pepper, so remove them if you want a mild side dish. Leaving them in will make the beans significantly spicier as the heat concentrates during the long bake.
- Let them rest before eating: Like most slow-cooked stews, the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down slightly. Giving the beans twenty minutes on the counter after they leave the oven makes the glaze much stickier and richer.
- Save the soaking liquid: Using the water the beans sat in helps preserve some of the natural starches. These starches act as a natural thickener for the sauce, helping it cling to every bean instead of being runny.
What To Serve With Baked Beans
Grilled brisket or a rack of sticky pork ribs is the natural partner for these beans. The smoky bacon and sweet molasses mimic the flavors of barbecue sauce, making them a staple for any outdoor cookout.
A piece of jalapeño cornbread or a simple vinegar-based coleslaw also goes great on the side. The tartness of the slaw helps cut through the heavy, sweet sauce of the beans and refreshes your palate between bites.
How To Store Baked Beans
- Fridge: Keep any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavors actually have more time to develop as they sit, so these often taste even better the next day.
- Reheat: The best way to warm these up is in a saucepan over low heat with a tiny splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. You can use a microwave for 2 minutes, but the sugar might make them pop and splash if they get too hot.
- Freeze: These beans freeze exceptionally well because the thick sauce protects them from freezer burn. Put them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months and thaw them in the fridge before reheating on the stove.
Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 12):
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Protein: 14g
- Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 620mg
FAQs
Can I use canned beans for this Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe?
You can, but the texture won’t be as firm or creamy as using dried beans. If you use canned, skip the soaking step and reduce the oven time to about two hours so the beans don’t turn into mush.
Is this Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe very spicy?
The jalapeños and cayenne provide a noticeable warmth, but it isn’t overwhelming. If you prefer a very mild dish, remove all the seeds from the peppers and cut the cayenne pepper amount in half.
What is urfa biber and where do I find it?
It’s a dark, sun-dried Turkish pepper that has a smoky and slightly sweet flavor. You can usually find it in specialty spice shops or online, and it’s worth the search for the depth it adds.
Why are my beans still hard after 8 hours?
This usually happens if you have very old beans or if your water is particularly hard. Adding a tiny pinch of baking soda to the soaking water can help break down the skins of older beans more effectively.
Can I make these Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can move the ingredients to a slow cooker after the initial boiling step on the stove. Cook them on the low setting for eight to ten hours until they reach the same tender consistency.
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Alton Brown Baked Beans Recipe
Description
Alton Brown’s Baked Beans are a sweet, smoky, and deeply savory masterpiece that completely ruins canned beans forever. By starting with dried Great Northern beans and slow-cooking them for hours in a heavy Dutch oven alongside a full pound of bacon, dark molasses, brown sugar, and jalapeños, the sauce reduces into a thick, sticky, caramelized glaze. It is an authentic, old-school barbecue staple that rewards your patience with incredible depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak the beans: Put the dried beans into a large bowl and cover them with several inches of cold water. Let them sit on the counter overnight so they can double in size, which helps them cook through more evenly during the long bake.
- Set the oven: Heat your oven to 120°C (250°F). You want a very low, slow heat for this recipe so the sugars in the molasses don’t burn before the beans have a chance to get soft.
- Render the fat: Place a heavy cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and toss in the chopped bacon, onion, and jalapeños. Cook them for about 5 minutes until the bacon fat has coated the bottom of the pot and the onions have turned soft and see-through.
- Mix the sauce base: Stir the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses into the bacon mixture. Keep stirring for a minute or two until the sugar has dissolved and the paste is smelling slightly toasted and fragrant.
- Measure the liquid: Drain your soaked beans, but save the water they were sitting in. Measure that soaking liquid and add enough vegetable broth to it to reach exactly four cups of total liquid.
- Combine everything: Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven along with the four cups of liquid, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring the whole pot to a boil, giving it a good stir to lift any browned bits from the bottom.
- Bake low and slow: Put the lid on tight and slide the pot into the oven. Let the beans bake for six to eight hours, checking them once or twice to make sure they aren’t drying out.
- Season and serve: Take the pot out of the oven once the beans are buttery and soft. If you’re using the urfa biber, stir it in now to give the dish a final punch of smoky flavor before putting it on the table.
If the liquid has evaporated too much and the top of the beans looks dry, stir in a splash of extra broth. You want the sauce to be thick and syrupy, not a solid block, so keep enough moisture in the pot to let the beans simmer.
Notes
-
Use a heavy Dutch oven: A thick-walled cast iron pot is the only way to ensure the heat stays steady for eight hours. Thin pots often have hot spots that will scorch the beans at the bottom, even at a low temperature.
Don’t skip the urfa biber: This Turkish chili flake has a unique, raisin-like sweetness and a mild heat that perfectly complements the dark molasses. It adds a layer of complexity that sets these apart from standard tinned beans.
Check the age of your beans: If your dried beans have been sitting in the pantry for years, they may never soften completely. Try to buy a fresh bag so you know they’ll respond well to the long soaking and baking times.
Seed the jalapeños carefully: Most of the heat lives in the white ribs and seeds of the pepper, so remove them if you want a mild side dish. Leaving them in will make the beans significantly spicier as the heat concentrates during the long bake.
Let them rest before eating: Like most slow-cooked stews, the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down slightly. Giving the beans twenty minutes on the counter after they leave the oven makes the glaze much stickier and richer.
Save the soaking liquid: Using the water the beans sat in helps preserve some of the natural starches. These starches act as a natural thickener for the sauce, helping it cling to every bean instead of being runny.
