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Close up photo of Maple Chipotle Baked Beans in a white ramekin with blue accent

Maple Chipotle Barbecue Baked Beans

Maple Chipotle Barbecue Baked Beans - sweet, smoky and spicy, these baked beans are the perfect accompaniment to any great southern barbecue meal.
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine American, Southern Inspired
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings 10 or more as a side dish
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 1 pound white beans
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 large red onions
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dry thyme
  • 1/2 pound smoked bacon (chopped in small pieces and cooked crisp until almost all fat is rendered out)
  • 4 cups Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

For the Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 medium red onion chopped
  • 4 cups plain tomato sauce
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp to 4 tsp ground chipotle powder according to taste
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground dry thyme
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Begin by soaking the beans overnight in water.
  2. In a saute pan heat over medium low heat, add the oil, onions and garlic.
  3. Cook slowly together tossing often until the onions are well caramelized and the onions are reduced by at least half.
  4. Puree this onion mixture and add it to a small covered roasting pan along with all of the remaining ingredients.
  5. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil before adding the cover to create a good seal.
  6. Bake at 300 degrees F for several hours, usually 4 or longer, stirring every half hour until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.
  7. Cooking the can vary by type of beans used. "Not all beans labelled as white beans" are the same. SEE NOTES.

To make the Maple Chipotle Barbeque Sauce

  1. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic and onions.
  2. Cook slowly over medium low heat until well softened and beginning to caramelize.
  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients.
  4. Simmer slowly for about 20-30 minutes or until reduced by about 1/4 the initial volume, stirring often.
  5. When cool, puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Makes about 5 cups.

Recipe Notes

NOTES ON MAKING BAKED BEANS

- Over the years I have heard from several people who note that the cooking time for some varieties of beans labelled as "white beans" have taken much longer to cook than the white navy beans I generally use. I suspect there are even differences in beans that are labelled navy beans. I once purchased some that looked much smaller than those I normally buy and strangely. they took far longer to cook than the larger ones.

- If you can, soak the beans for 48 hours instead of 24. This may help alleviate any problems with harder varieties of baked beans.

- Do not use beans that have been hanging around your cupboard for a long time. When you purchase fresh beans, store them in an airtight plastic container to ensure they do not dry out and harden even more than they are.

- In general leave plenty of time for your beans to cook, many baked beans can be an all day recipe. Some people prefer to make baked beans a day in advance and leave them to absorb even more moisture overnight. Add a cup or 2 of boiling water in the morning to loosen them up and reheat in the oven if necessary.

- Do not be afraid to add more liquid to the beans at any point during their long cooking time. This is perfectly normal and expected in my experience. I generally boil the kettle before checking the beans every couple of hours and add water as necessary. Boiling water is best because it won't slow down the cooking time. It is important that the beans do not dry out or you risk burning them to the bottom of the pan. As long as they do not burn, any batch of beans can be rescued with additional time and boiling water.