Brisket Baked Beans with Leftover Smoked Brisket
Our homemade brisket baked beans recipe is made with leftover smoked brisket and dried beans, so it's completely from scratch! The perfect bbq beans recipe if you don't like yours too thick or super sweet, and you've got some leftover brisket in the fridge!
Servings: 14 people
Ingredients
- 1½ lb dried beans rinsed well and soaked in water overnight, see notes
- ½ lb bacon cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds leftover smoked brisket cut into ½" cubes
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 chipotle in adobo chopped (1 pepper from the can)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- After soaking the dried beans overnight, drain the soaking water. Transfer the beans to a large pot, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1½ hours covered until they begin to tenderize. Drain the parboiled beans well.
- When beans have about 45 minutes of cooking time left, preheat the pellet grill or smoker to 275℉ with your choice of wood or pellets. While the grill is heating up, place bacon pieces evenly on a sheet tray and place on the grill grates to begin to cook and render. Cook the bacon about 30-40 minutes while the beans finish simmering. (The bacon won't be fully cooked after this time, but some of the fat will have started rendering out.)
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the bacon fat drippings from the sheet tray and the bacon pieces. Add the diced bell peppers, onions, and jalapeno to the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the bacon is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Assemble the beans - In a large casserole dish or dutch oven, add the drained beans, garlic, beef stock, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chipotle in adobo, salt, and black pepper. Stir together well. Then fold in the cut brisket, sautéed vegetables, and bacon pieces. Spread mixture into an even layer.
- Place the dutch oven or casserole dish on the smoker, and smoke for about 1½ hours at 275°F. Then stir the brisket beans well, and adjust the grill temperature up to 350°F. Continue cooking at 350℉ for another 1½ - 2 hours, or until beans are bubbly and sauce has reduced, with caramelized edges and crisped bacon on top. *For reference, the total cook time for us was 3 hours and 15 minutes on the grill.
- Remove from the smoker, and let cool about 15 minutes before serving – the beans will continue to thicken as they cool.
Notes
- For the dried beans - We used a blend of dried Navy beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Start a day for dried beans. Rinse the dried beans well first. Then add the rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl, and add cold water to the bowl so the beans are covered by about 3-4″ of water. Set the bowl on the counter overnight, or at least 12 hours, for the beans to soak. The addition of kidney beans adds a "bite" and more texture. You can substitute all Navy beans if you wish.