Fighting Cock BBQ Baked Beans
There’s something about a pot of homemade baked beans that makes any meal feel a little more complete. Whether they’re served alongside smoky barbecue, grilled burgers, roasted chicken, or a hearty fall dinner, baked beans bring the perfect combination of savory richness and satisfying sweetness. These Fighting Cock BBQ Baked Beans take that familiar comfort-food favorite in a bolder direction, combining tender beans, savory seasonings, rich molasses, and Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon Barbeque Sauce for a side dish packed with personality.
Unlike ordinary canned baked beans, this homemade version builds flavor from the ground up. Onions, carrots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and warm spices create a savory foundation, while bourbon barbecue sauce adds a distinctive sweet-and-tangy character. A slow finish in the oven allows the ingredients to come together, producing rich, flavorful beans that are equally at home at a backyard cookout, holiday gathering, or cozy family dinner.
Why These Fighting Cock BBQ Baked Beans Work
Great baked beans are all about balancing sweet, savory, smoky, and tangy flavors. Molasses provides deep sweetness, soy bacon bits contribute a savory, smoky note, and cider vinegar keeps the finished dish from becoming overly sweet. Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon Barbeque Sauce ties everything together with its bold barbecue character, while mustard, garlic, and warm spices add complexity.
Starting with dried beans also gives you more control over their texture. Once properly cooked, the beans absorb the surrounding flavors as they bake, creating a hearty side dish with a rich sauce and plenty of depth. The result is a homemade barbecue favorite that offers much more character than simply opening a can.
Ingredients:
- 1-pound dried pea beans or small navy beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup minced carrot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 small sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and minced
- 14 ounce can stewed tomatoes, crushed
- 3 tablespoons soy bacon bits
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon Barbeque Sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 whole cloves, ground in a spice mill
- Water to cover, if necessary
Instructions:
Rinse and pick over the beans; place them in a heavy, large pot, cover with hot water, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain off the water, add enough cold water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are almost tender. The cooking time will vary, according to the altitude, but usually 1 to 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, carrot, and garlic and sauté until the onion is wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the sundried tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, soy bits, molasses, vinegar, Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon Barbeque Sauce, salt, mustard, and cloves and stir.
Place the beans and cooking liquid in a 3-quart ovenproof casserole. Stir the sauteed mixture into the beans and add water to barely cover the beans, if necessary.
Bake in a 325-degree F oven for 1 hour, covered. Remove the cover and continue baking for an additional 1 1/2 hours. Add more water to keep the beans barely covered.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
