Baked Beans with Bacon and Jalapeno

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

This recipe for baked beans with bacon and jalapeno is a delicious twist on a classic dish. The navy beans are cooked to perfection with baking soda and bay leaves, and then combined with crispy bacon, spicy jalapenos, and sweet molasses and brown sugar. The dry mustard powder, salt, and black pepper add a nice kick of flavor. The end result is a savory and slightly sweet dish with a hint of heat that’s perfect for any barbecue or potluck. The beans are tender and creamy, with a crispy and crusty top that’s irresistible. The combination of flavors and textures make this dish a true crowd pleaser.

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

1 pound dry navy beans
6 cups water (for boiling) + more for soaking if using overnight method
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 bay leaves
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 large red onion, finely diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
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, then 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 them 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 skillet and set aside. In the 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 beans remain submerged in liquid. If needed, add more reserved bean water.
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.

Notes:

Adjust seasoning as desired. Best served hot and pairs well with cornbread or a fresh salad. Enjoy!

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.