Smoky BBQ Baked Beans

Name: Smoky BBQ Baked Beans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 5 -6 Servings
Ingredients: 1 C Dry Beans (such as Provider, Pinto, Navy or Black-Eyed Peas (I used Provider) OR 2, 15-oz (425g each) Cans of Beans, rinsed and drained (choose your favorite bean!), 200g); 1, 12 1/2 oz Large Purple Onion (cut in half and sliced into thin 1/2 moons, 350g); 2 C Medium Carrots (sliced, about 1, 142g); 2 Cloves Large of Garlic (minced); 1/8 tsp Red Chili Flakes (if you like more heat (go with 1/4 tsp)); 1 tsp Cumin (ground); 2 tsp Smoky Sweet Paprika; 2 Tbs Coconut Oil (unrefined cold-pressed); 3/4 C Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (crushed, 234g); 1 C BBQ Sauce (homemade sauce); 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt

By Traci 42 Comments

Smoky BBQ Baked Beans are slow cooked, saucy and spicy! A delicious addition to your potluck or cookout! vegan + gluten free

Inspiration for this recipe came from several sources, but ultimately, when I received Provider Dry-Beans in my CSA last week, I knew I wanted to share a mouthwatering, summertime treasure; Smoky BBQ Baked Beans.

This recipe is versatile enough, though, to use canned beans, if you’re short on time, or any dry bean you have on hand such as black-eyed-peas, black or pinto.

Prairie Bottom farmers grew these beans last Spring, dried them through Summer and Fall then shelled them over winter. Sara, Wilbur’s mom, said they are the most difficult of all bean varieties they grow to shell. They’re tough to get into which makes them particularly time-consuming to harvest.

Sara was out weeding the corn when I stopped by. She’s a farmer’s daughter, a teacher and now, farmer again. She’s particularly proud of the work she and Wilbur have done with the land trust to protect and preserve the Prairie as it was slated, in part, to be developed. Some 650 acres, including the Farm, are now protected.

Sara and 1953 Ford Golden Jubilee

Do you see the hand crank on Wilbur’s tractor? This is the only gas-powered tractor used on the farm. Wilbur uses it to till and water; there’s a rain barrel on the back with water collected from the barn roof.

The Farm sets on a former lake bed, so the soil retains moisture well. This is ideal for established plants. However, seedlings require a reliable water source to germinate, so when new seedlings are planted, hand watering is done regularly. This season is a dry one.

All weeding on the farm is done by hand. This includes pulling, hoeing and using a hoe wheel. Weeding is a daily activity because weeds compete for water and can crowd out seedlings.

Brandon and Kimbra, Farm Interns

Prairie Bottom uses organic farming practices, yet is adjacent on two sides to conventional farms. The challenge is to make sure crops are protected when neighboring farms are spraying pesticides.

There is a buffer surrounding the Farm, putting distance between Wilbur’s crops and neighboring crops. Even so, Wilbur stands at the edge of his property when neighboring farmers are spraying, concerned about over-spray. Julieanna shared that the tractor operator will often lower the booms, which reduces drift.

More to come on the farm, but in the meantime, lets talk about these beans.

Chard and His Hens. Knee-high Corn.

Growing up in Texas, BBQ was king. It’s like Starbucks in Seattle; there’s a BBQ pit on every corner. After I stopped eating meat, we’d go to a BBQ pit and I’d get a big baked potato and an ice-burg lettuce salad; no leafy greens in sight.

Baked beans were never vegetarian, so I’d give’em a pass.

But instead, I indulged in copious amounts of BBQ sauce… slather it all over the potato, and wish they had veggie BBQ Baked Beans.

Oh yeah, and the cornbread? That got a Texas-size dunk in the BBQ sauce.

These Smoky BBQ Baked Beans, y’all. Although I’m partial to using Provider beans, this recipe is just as tasty with pinto, black or black-eyed peas.

Be sure to use your favorite BBQ sauce, I highly recommend this recipe, and serve with a generous supply of Tabasco (this is not a sponsored post, I just love this stuff!) and extra sauce. These are over-the-top mouthwatering…. and this is comin’ from a former Texan, y’all.

5 from 5 votes