New! A Lovely Southern Savory Baked Beans Recipe

Trust me when I say that this Southern savory baked beans recipe will win many adoring fans and probably become a solid conversation starter as well. Did you know? There is a savory side of the aisle for the Southern baked bean – there absolutely is. Though, I may be the only one singing its praises thus far (did I invent these? Maybe? Don’t tell me if not, okay?).

I’ve never seen savory baked beans at a Southern get-together in all my years of attending them, so now’s our chance to blaze a (relatively) new-path. These are rich and decadent, deeply flavorful, and both creamy and crunchy all at once. I just absolutely love them, and I think you will, too.

Why We Love This Southern Savory Baked Beans Recipe

I’m pretty indifferent on a baked bean, most of the time. That’s just my truth. One bite is usually enough for me, and then I find myself looking for something salty and crunchy to make up for the soft sweet bites of beans. It’s a preference thing, that’s all. As such, I’ve built up this Southern Savory Baked Beans Recipe into something that I not only like, but something that I actually crave and want to serve in, on, around, and under just about everything.

Fry up a couple of eggs, and serve them on top. Spoon them onto a thick-cut piece of grilled or toasted (or FRIED) sourdough and nestle in some broiled tomatoes. Want to take them out of the South and across the pond? Roast up a couple of bangers (sausages) and toast up some bread. Add some sliced/roasted tomatoes and BOOM. You’ve got a lovely approximation of a full English on your hands. Or, taking a cue from either my my marinated butter beans and halloumi or the greatest Southern Butter Beans Recipe, you could certainly use butter beans. Which are the same thing as lima beans, essentially.

What makes this Baked Beans Recipe Southern, Exactly?

Alright then. Given that a traditional Southern baked beans recipe is decidedly and squarely on the sweet side, what with things like brown sugar and ketchup flowing through it – this one is conspicuously different. That said, it is no less Southern – it’s just not traditionally Southern.

Okay. So, there’s bacon. That’s a very Southern thing given that it’s smoked pork fat. But there is also bourbon, molasses, and Vidalia onions. So there you have it. My justification for the “Southern” label. The crispy crunchy topping on this Southern Savory Baked Beans Recipe gives a very fried feel and let’s be honest, the South is no stranger to fried fare.

Savory Baked Beans FAQ’s

What you’ll need to make this Southern Savory Baked Beans recipe

These things are nuts. They’re VERY flavorful and there’s enough interesting variation of flavor going on to keep you coming back for more (that’s my main issue with traditional sweet Southern baked beans). The splash o’ Bourbon gives them this crazy-addicting note of flavor that I personally adore. But you can absolutely leave that out, if you like.

Southern Savory Baked Beans recipe INGREDIENTS

The Beans: I’d very much like for you to use whatever beans you have and/or love in this savory baked beans recipe. Want to soak some great dried beans and use those? Cool. I tend to never (ever) do that because I’m lazy and forget to plan ahead. But if you’re a dried beans person, then just know you’ve got my respect and admiration. For this, I typically use cannellini beans or navy beans. But honestly a mix of different types would be the best. Kidney, navy, and butter beans would make for a fine trio, don’t you think?

Bacon: I maybe should have listed this first, since it’s the quiet-but-powerful flavor force underlying the whole thing here. Not only does the bacon lend it’s rendered fat to these beans, allowing up to cook and caramelize those sweet onions, but it also lends its salt and smoke to the equation. Bacon’s a hero, I’m just here to let it shine.

Onion: Let’s go with a Southern-grown Vidalia if we can, okay? But any kind will work, no worries there. The inherent sweetness of a Vidalia lend just the right kiss of sugar to this that, when coupled with the natural sweetness of molasses and even the bourbon – helps to bring some balance to the salt. We’ll simmer the onion in bacon fat until gloriously tender and perfectly sweet and caramelized.

Molasses: Molasses is my ringer in just about every single cookie recipe I’ve ever shared (like my almost famous chocolate chunk babies). But also. It’s just as much of a superstar secret ingredient when used properly in savory dishes like this Southern Savory Baked Beans recipe. Here it plays with the Bourbon and lends a dark, earthy sweetness that is so wonderfully unique to this very special ingredient. I’m not partial to any specific brand of molasses though. Just whatever you have is good. Or, you can sub in some sorghum, which would be DELICIOUS.

Bourbon: I call this one optional because these beans still gather their identity very well without it. They’re just even better with it. So, if you have some Bourbon around – a splash is a very nice little boost to the overall flavor. But that said, you could absolutely use white wine if you like. Or, feel free to make strictly booze-free beans as well. No harm, no foul.

How to make this Southern Savory Baked Beans recipe

This baked beans recipe’s story begins on the stovetop. This is because we need to cook down our bacon, and then caramelize the Vidalias and garlic in its rendered fat. Next, we’ll add that splash of bourbon and a little bit of tomato paste and the molasses (not ketchup, you see).

Futhermore, we’ll add a fistful of salty parmesan to the mix and a full tablespoon of dried herbs and some crushed chilis (if you’re okay with some heat). Then, in go the beans. Once it’s all stirred together, seasoned with salt and pepper as needed, and tastes great to you (you should definitely taste it) we’ll transfer it to a baking dish. A two-quart dish is a nice size here.

We’ll stir together the rest of the parmesan and the crunchy panko breadcrumbs and coat them with a good drizzle of olive oil. Scatter them over the beans and send it into a 400 degree oven. I like to lay a large piece of foil over the dish for the first 10 minutes, and then I remove it during the last 20 or so. If your topping starts to look too brown, just put the foil back on and you’re good to go.

It’s done when the sauce is nice and bubbly and the topping is super golden brown.

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