Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans
Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans- How do you make baked beans more interesting? I’m going to show you in this post! With this homemade baked bean recipe, we are going to take this Summer cookout classic and turn it on its head a little by using more than one unexpected ingredient. If you want to up your baked bean game, then you are right where you need to be!
Baked Beans From Scratch
I know it’s so easy to give in and buy a can of baked beans when you are getting ready to make a meal that will include them. I am asking you to trust me, throw caution to the wind, and make them yourself if you never have in the past! However, if you are someone who is accustomed to making homemade baked beans (or not), you’ll find this recipe to be pretty easy!
Every Summer, these jalapeno bacon baked beans are a big part of our weekend meals (especially the 4th of July). I make these every year on a number of occasions, and have tweaked the ingredients over the years until I got the combination I was looking for. I am excited to share this recipe with you!
As with most recipes on this site, you’ll find this one also contains fresh produce that you can easily find at your local grocery store or at the Farmers Market. For more info about this blog and how this site can help you cook from scratch and utilize fresh ingredients, please see the about page! I love cooking fresh dishes, and helping others do the same.
Why You’ll Love These Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans
There’s a lot to love about these beans! Here are some of the high points:
- These cook low and slow in your oven at such a low temperature it will not heat up your house on an otherwise warm day.
- Lots of great flavor from a homemade sauce that comes together easily.
- Full of fresh veggies!
Ingredients For Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans
White Beans- You can use canned beans, or cook them on the stove or in an instant pot.
Jalapeno- Leave the veins and seeds for more heat, or see recipe notes for more info about the jalapeno.
Bacon- Don’t skimp on quality here! Good quality bacon will make for a better batch of beans. I like using thick cut bacon. Don’t use peppered bacon, it will add extra pepper to the dish that is not accounted for in the recipe.
Tomato Paste- This adds a lot more depth than ketchup, which is commonly used in baked beans as part of the sauce.
Mustard- See the recipe card to learn more about the mustard.
Balsamic Vinegar- This (and the mustard and tomato paste) are ingredients that put a spin on the usual baked beans. The balsamic pairs wonderfully with the bacon to create a smokiness that can’t be beat!
I have not listed every ingredient here. For more information and notes on the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe card.
Sauce For Baked Beans
This sauce is so good! I love making things like this myself because I know exactly what’s in it, and I can control the spiciness and saltiness. The sauce comes together on the stovetop and does not take very long. It uses pantry staples that you very likely already have!
These baked beans are a little bit of a departure, as they do not contain ketchup which is the base not only for most barbeque sauces, but for the sauce you find in canned baked beans as well. I love the tomato paste here, it adds a lot of depth.
The mustard and balsamic vinegar are unexpected additions that really make these beans pop!
How To Make Baked Beans With Jalapeno And Bacon
This easy recipe will be on your menu all Summer long! Here is a basic overview of what to expect as far as the steps. Be sure to head down to the recipe for full instructions.
- Cook the bacon and the vegetables.
- Make the sauce.
- Add the sauce and beans to the pan.
- Bake until ready to serve.
The low cooking temperature combined with the longer cooking time allow the beans to develop a lot of flavor, as well as letting the sauce thicken a little bit. For more flavor, allow the onions and other veggies to get a little bit of browning on them.
How To Store Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans
Any leftovers you have store really well in a glass or plastic container with a lid. They will keep refrigerated for up to one week. You can reheat them in the microwave, or put them in an oven safe dish and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes to warm through.
Things To Eat With Baked Beans
I love baked beans with spicy chicken burgers and strawberry basil lemonade. I hope these jalapeno bacon baked beans find a place on the table at all of your summer gatherings!
If you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Ratings and comments are always welcome! If you would like all the latest updates, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Happy Cooking!
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Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans
These easy Jalapeno Bacon Baked Beans are sure to become a Summer cookout favorite! Full of fresh veggies and rich flavor you will love.
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 4 slices of good quality Bacon
- 1/2 of a large Green Bell pepper (about 1/2 cup chopped)
- 1/2 of a medium Yellow Onion (about 1/2 cup diced)
- 1 large Jalapeno (or two if they are smaller)
- 2 14 ounce cans of White Beans (or about 3 cups of cooked dried beans)
- 1/2 tsp of Salt
- 1/4 tsp of Pepper
For the Sauce
- 1/3 cup of Tomato Paste
- 1/3 cup of Brown Sugar (dark or light)
- 3 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard
- 3 Tbsp of Blackstrap Molasses
- 2 tsp of Salt
- 1/4 tsp of Black Pepper
Instructions
- Before you get started, gather all the ingredients together that you will need for the sauce.
- Heat an oven safe non stick dutch oven or braiser on medium high heat. While the pan heats, chop the bacon.
- Add the bacon to the pan to cook. While the bacon cooks, chop the 1/2 of a green bell pepper, 1/2 of a yellow onion, and the jalapeno into a small dice.
- Put the veggies along with the 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper into the pan with the bacon and let them sautee for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Turn your oven on to 250 degrees to heat up while you finish the rest of the steps.
- Make the sauce while the vegetables cook. Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the 1/3 cup of tomato paste, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 3 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp of molasses, 2 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper to the saucepan.
- Stir the mixture until it begins to bubble. Turn the heat down to medium low or low to allow the sauce to gently simmer for about 5 minutes or so. Drain the liquid from the beans.
- Once the bacon and veggies are cooked (this should be completed while you assemble the sauce in the other pan) add the drained canned white beans to the veggies and bacon and stir.
- Place the beans in the oven uncovered, and bake for 90 minutes. The long cook time allows the sauce to reduce nicely and for deeper flavors to develop. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can use canned beans for this recipe or cook dried beans in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Use the best quality bacon you can find. I like thick cut!
If you would like your beans to have more heat, feel free to use more chopped jalapeno, or a hotter chile such as Serrano.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes and Salads
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 289
- Sugar: 21
- Sodium: 1162
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 57
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 2
This sounds like a recipe my family would love!
Oh, looks great! I would have never though to put jalapeno in the beans, but I love that idea!