Here’s a smoky, sweet, and slightly boozy Apple Bourbon Baked Beans recipe made right in your smoker:
Ingredients (Serves 8–10)
- 3 (28 oz) cans pork & beans (or plain baked beans, drained slightly)
- 1 cup diced thick-cut bacon (or pork belly)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup diced apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work best)
- ½ cup bourbon
- ½ cup apple juice (or cider)
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional, for a little heat)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat your smoker
- Set to 250–275°F using apple, hickory, or pecan wood for a balanced sweet smoke.
2. Cook the bacon, onion, and apple
- In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven (safe for the smoker), cook the bacon until crisp.
- Add onion and apple; sauté 5–7 minutes until softened.
3. Deglaze and add flavor
- Pour in the bourbon and cook for 2–3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple juice, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, and chili powder. Mix well.
4. Combine with beans
- Add the canned beans and stir gently to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Smoke the beans
- Place the skillet/Dutch oven in the smoker (uncovered) and smoke for 2–3 hours, stirring every 45 minutes.
- For thicker beans, smoke longer or let simmer uncovered at the end.
6. Finish and serve
- Remove from the smoker and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Flavor will deepen as it cools slightly.
Tips
- For extra bourbon flavor, stir in a tablespoon of bourbon right before serving.
- Want more spice? Add diced jalapeño or chipotle in adobo.
- These taste even better the next day – perfect for meal prep or BBQ gatherings.
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