Pork Belly Bourbon Baked Beans
On October 19, 2021 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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Looking for the most amazing, hearty, and filling BBQ side around? You can’t go wrong with these Pork Belly Bourbon Baked Beans! They combine all the best BBQ ingredients for a side that can easily double as the main course.
Bourbon Baked Beans
All of the best and most indulgent things come together for these pork belly and bourbon baked beans. Just saying it sounds a little naughty. Pork belly. Bourbon. Baked beans. Mmm. This is the side dish that will upstage any main course that makes it to the party.
Honestly, I’d be cool if you just served these beans as the main course and skipped the other stuff. These baked beans are layered with flavor in every bite. From the rich, almost sweet, apple braised pork belly to the firm and savory beans every single bite will battle your inner inhibitions to burst out in song while eating.
Pork Belly for Baked Beans
Pork belly is a pretty fun ingredient to work with and it’s been readily available (and dang affordable) at several stores lately. My favorite place to stock up is Costco. I’ll buy a whole slab and turn most of it into homemade bacon and reserve a special section just for these beautiful meaty baked beans. Pork belly is pretty darn fatty, but that means that the meat running through there is ridiculously flavorful and tender.
Start off with a liberal seasoning of the pork belly with my Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub. This stuff is the best of the best. You can make it yourself using my recipe for Best Sweet Rub or buy a bottle from the Hey Grill Hey Store.
How to Make Pork Bourbon Baked Beans
I cooked this whole batch of beans on my smoker, but you can just as easily do the recipe on your stovetop! Your best friend is going to be a heavy-duty cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven because it will evenly distribute the heat throughout the long cook.
These beans are pretty low maintenance to make, just a lot of dumping, covering, and simmering. If you’ve never made baked beans before, this recipe will have you wondering why you spent so many years warming up that canned stuff.
- Pork belly. Start off with cooking the pork belly. Remove the skin and score the fatty side in 1-inch squares. Season with Sweet Rub. on all sides. Smoke (in a smoker preheated to 225 degrees F) for 2 hours.
- Braise. Grab out a Dutch oven and combine apple juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and bourbon. Add the smoked pork belly to the braise, cover, and cook for 2 hours at 275 degrees F.
- Baked beans. Drain the liquid from the Dutch oven into a bowl and remove the pork belly from the Dutch oven. Shred the pork and remove excess fat. Add the shredded pork back to the pot with beans, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and half of the drained braising liquid. Cook for 2 more hours until the beans reach your desired doneness and overall consistency.
More Bourbon Recipes
Fancy cooking your BBQ in bourbon? Check out a few of our most popular bourbon recipes from Hey Grill Hey below.
Bourbon Baked Beans Recipe
Whether you’re looking for a hearty side or a meaty dinner, this pork belly bourbon baked beans recipe is here to help fill your tummy with all sorts of BBQ goodness.
This post was originally published in December 2015. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Pork Belly Bourbon Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork belly skin removed and fatty side scored in 1 inch squares
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub recipe in notes
Pork Belly Braise
- 2 cups unfiltered apple juice or cider
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup bourbon
Baked Beans
- 3 16-oz cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 16-oz cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat. Start up your smoker. You're looking for a lot of thin blue smoke and a consistent temperature around 225 degrees F.
- Season the pork. Liberally season the pork belly on all sides with the Sweet Rub.
- Smoke the pork belly. Once the grill is smoking, place the seasoned pork belly fat side up on the grill grate and close the lid. Smoke for 2 hours.
- Make the braise. Combine the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and bourbon in a large Dutch oven. Remove the pork belly from the grill and place it in the dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid, return to the grill and increase your grill temperature to 275 degrees F. Cook for an additional 2 hours, or until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred the pork. Drain excess liquid from the Dutch oven and set aside. Shred the pork belly, removing any excess fat.
- Finish cooking. Return the shredded pork belly to the Dutch oven. Stir in the beans, onion, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Cover with the lid and return to the grill. Cook for 2 more hours or until the ingredients are well combined and at the consistency you like. Add additional BBQ sauce if you like your beans a little thinner!
- Enjoy. Dish up and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been thinking of making baked beans and this sounds like just the right recipe!
This is the most beautiful post. *wipes tear from face*
The title alone combines three of my favorite things and holy crap, I’m hungry! I need to make this the next time I have pork belly delivered in my CSA. I NEED this in my life!
Ha!! I cried tears of joy eating it. If you make this, you’d better come back and tell me how you like it!
You said Bourbon and I was sold! I love using Bourbon in recipes, especially smoky and meaty dishes. It just balances it so well. I am pinning this to make soon!
I use more bourbon than I probably should. 🙂 It just pairs so well with BBQ anything.
Bucketlist +1 I’m sure this can serve as a full meal! This must be so delicious you don’t even want more 🙂 Thanks for stopping by at my blog! Glad to find someone coming up with beautiful meals in my main interest! I’ll be checking your blog pretty often I think 🙂
Love it!! It’s always fun finding BBQ buddies. Can’t wait to see more of your stuff.
Did you say pork belly? Oh yes yes yes…. beans.. well, you’re alright too I guess. Come to my tummy!
Pork belly and beans is a tummy party every day!
I love pork belly and I love that this is a slow, REAL, recipe. No “quick” anything. Looks delicious!
The best things are worth waiting for!
A of all. I need a smoker! hashtag jealous
B of all. I like a little naughty in my beans. Bring on the bourbon and pork belly.
I think everybody needs a smoker! Ha! Still amazing just braised in the oven though… also, bourbon. ?
Pork belly always has my vote no matter what ! (the pig in me!) 🙂
Me too! Pork belly everything!
I love all the flavor combos you have going here! I even like how you used a mix of beans in it!
Why thanks! A mix of beans adds a little extra texture and flavor for sure!
You had me at pork belly and you won be at bourbon!!
Sometimes beans need a little extra oomph and pork belly and bourbon will always deliver!