Baked Beans with Bacon and Jalapeno

Fresh baked beans with bacon, jalapeno, red onion, molasses, and brown sugar.

These Baked Beans with Bacon and Jalapeno offer a deliciously spicy twist on a classic dish. Navy beans are cooked with baking soda and bay leaves for tenderness, then combined with crispy bacon, spicy jalapenos, molasses, and brown sugar for a savory-sweet flavor profile. Dry mustard, salt, and black pepper add an extra kick, and the beans bake to a tender, creamy texture with a crispy, caramelized top. Perfect for barbecues or potlucks, this dish is a crowd-pleasing blend of flavors and textures.

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

Sorting and rinsing beans: 5 minutes
Quick Soak Method: 1 hour (includes bringing beans to a boil and letting them stand)
Overnight Soak Method: Overnight (time varies, but not actively preparing)
Preparing bacon and veggies: 15 minutes (including frying bacon and sautéing onion and jalapeños)

Cook Time

Cooking beans: 10 minutes
Baking: 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes (1 hour covered, 1 hour uncovered, and an additional 20-30 minutes to form a crust)

Total Time

Quick Soak Method: About 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours (including prep and cook time)
Overnight Soak Method: The total time is more spread out due to the overnight soaking, but the active preparation and cooking time remains similar to the quick soak method.

Ingredients

Beans and Liquids

1 pound dry navy beans
6 cups water (for boiling) + more for soaking if using overnight method
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Aromatics

2 bay leaves
1/2 large red onion, finely diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced

Meat

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Sweeteners

1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Seasonings and Spices

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Beans

Rinse and sort navy beans. Soak using one of the following methods:

Quick Soak

In a Dutch oven, combine beans with 6 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

Overnight Soak

Place beans in a large bowl and cover with water.
Allow to soak overnight.

Cook Beans

After soaking, drain and rinse the beans. Return beans to the Dutch oven and add 6 fresh cups of water, baking soda, and bay leaves. Bring to a medium boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reserve the bean cooking water, then drain the beans.

Prepare Bacon and Veggies

In a skillet, pan-fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the skillet and set aside. In the remaining bacon grease, sauté red onion and jalapeños until translucent.

Assemble and Bake

Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). In the Dutch oven, combine beans, crispy bacon, sautéed onion and jalapeños, molasses, brown sugar, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Add enough reserved bean water to just cover the mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and bake for 1 hour, checking occasionally to ensure the beans remain submerged. Add more reserved water if necessary. Continue baking for an additional hour, or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Uncover the Dutch oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until a crust forms on top.

Serve

Enjoy your tender, flavorful baked beans with a crispy crust!

Bring 1 pound of navy beans with 6 cups of water to a boil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, then remove from heat and cover for 1 hour. (Alternatively, soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with water.)

Drain and rinse the beans in a colander, then place back into the Dutch oven with 6 fresh cups of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 bay leaves and stir. Bring to a medium boil for 10 minutes.

Drain the beans but keep the reserved liquid.

Meanwhile, dice the uncooked bacon and the red onion and jalapenos.

Cook the diced bacon in a pan until crisp, drain and set aside.

Transfer the beans into the Dutch oven and stir in the bacon pieces, diced jalapeno, red onion, molasses, dark brown sugar, dry mustard powder, salt, and pepper.