The Smokiest, Spiciest Baked Beans for Your End-of-Summer Barbecues

We’ve teamed up with our friends at All-Clad to bring you Pans With a Plan—a series sharing smart techniques, tasty recipe ideas, and all sorts of handy tips for cooking novices and seasoned pros alike. Here, food writer and recipe developer Asha Loupy shows us how to make the ultimate summer side dish—smoky, spicy baked beans with ham hock—using All-Clad’s FUSIONTEC™ 4.5-Quart Universal Pan.

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As a kid, I never liked Labor Day. It always seemed to mark the end of carefree summer fun—slip-and-sliding in the front yard, late-night sleepovers with friends, food-filled barbecues in the Sacramento sun—and signaled the start of the school year. Even as an adult, that back-to-reality dread still sneaks in as Labor Day approaches.

But this year, I’m pushing the end-of-summer blues aside and fully leaning into those blissful final moments of the season—surrounded by all my favorite people and, of course, the most delicious warm-weather fare possible. You with me? (Heck yeah, you are.)

Throw on those sunnies and slap on some sunscreen, because now is the time for getting in as many leisurely, sun-soaked barbecues as possible. You know, the ones that linger long into the warm evening, steeped in cold libations, bursting with laughter, and filled with a veritable feast of lip-smackingly good food. Flame-kissed burgers, fall-off-the-bone ribs, platefuls of grilled vegetables—these are all great, but I’m really here to shine the spotlight on the ultimate barbecue staple: baked beans.

Yes, baked beans. Say goodbye to the overly sweet ones of yore and hello to these smoky, fantastically spicy oven-baked pork ‘n’ beans. Inspired by classic baked beans and pozole rojo, this recipe is all about the heat (not so much the sweet). Flavored with deeply caramelized wedges of onion, smoky ham hock, oregano, and a fiery paste of rehydrated, dried chiles, this side is sure to steal the show at any get-together. And the best part? It all comes together in All-Clad’s FUSIONTEC™ 4.5-Quart Universal Pan, which goes from oven to picnic table in mouthwatering style (you can choose from three colors—my personal favorite is the Rose Quartz).

Thanks to its steel core, this do-it-all pan heats up quickly and maintains an even heat throughout (a quality that all of All-Clad’s cookware is known for). The natural ceramic interior brings a chip-and cut-resistant cooking surface to the party that’s easy to clean and dishwasher-safe. Plus, the 4.5-Quart Universal Pan has a wide base that's perfect for searing and browning before braising, with tall, gently sloped sides ideal for liquid-based cooking (hi, baked beans!).

Alright, let’s get beany with it

First to the party: dried chiles. Nowadays there’s a plethora of dried chiles on the market, so here’s where you can really have fun with it. Depending on the mix, you can make these beans fruitier, smokier, hotter—you pick the vibe.

New to the world of dried chiles? Try a mix of ancho and guajillo chiles (traditionally used for pozole rojo), and a few chiles de árbol for a touch of spice. I’m a heat seeker, so I like to sneak one smoked sivathei chilli—we’re talking ghost pepper hot here—into the mix along with milder chiles like Indian resham patti or California-grown Espelette peppers to balance the fire. If you want a little extra smokiness, try adding one or two canned chipotle peppers in adobo.

The next layer of flavor comes from deeply caramelized onions. You want to take the onions to almost-charred territory, so they lend a savory, umami depth to the finished dish. (Bonus: The FUSIONTEC™ Universal Pan’s wide base makes it easy to caramelize them in one batch.) Next guests invited to the party? A meaty, smoked ham hock, tomato paste, brown sugar (for a hint of sweetness), a whole head of garlic, oregano, a few bay leaves, and your chile puree.

As for the beans, choose a small-to-medium-size bean with a creamy texture. My go-to is Mayocoba from Rancho Gordo, but you can go with whatever beans fit your fancy, from cannellini and cranberry to pinto and kidney. All this goes into the oven and gets baked, covered, low ‘n’ slow until the beans are tender and all that chile flavor has infused into them. From there, you can bake uncovered until the broth reaches the desired thickness. I like mine somewhere between brothy and saucy as a side dish, or extra-brothy if I’m going to make them the centerpiece of my barbecue.

Ready to turn these beans into the main event?

While these baked beans will happily support a grill full of goodies, they really crave a leading role. Here’s how to make them the star of your barbecue in three steps:

1. Dial down the sugar to 1 tablespoon—in this case, you’re only looking for a fleeting kiss of sweetness, just enough to balance the beans’ dried chile heat.
2. Keep it super saucy: Skip the reducing step and cook covered until the beans are tender (the FUSIONTEC™ Universal Pan’s lid is built to reduce evaporation and lock in all that delicious flavor). If you want potlikker that’s just a touch thicker, cook the beans uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until they reach the desired consistency. (You’re looking for a luscious, yet spoonable broth.)
3. Last but not least, set that pan of brothy, chile-laced beans on the table with a parade of toppings, so everyone can build their own bowls of baked bean goodness. What kind of toppings, you ask? Try bowls of sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, thinly sliced radishes, big chunks of avocado, plenty of chopped cilantro, and bright, acid-forward salsas like pico de gallo and creamy, raw tomatillo-avocado.

2 ways to riff on these baked beans

Make ‘em vegetarian.

Nix the ham hock and boost the smokiness with a couple teaspoons of smoked paprika. Instead of onions, try caramelizing thick leek coins, as well as fat slices of lemon. The paprika mingles with the rehydrated chile puree, creating an almost harissa-like flavor. And those lemons? They slump into jammy bites of citrusy-tart goodness that are the perfect foil for the rich, creamy beans. Finish with crumbled feta, a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and plenty of chopped green herbs like mint, dill, and parsley.

Go green!

Keep the ham hock, but sub out the dried chiles and tomato paste for a handful of tomatillos, a couple poblano peppers, and a serrano chile or two. Char the tomatillos and peppers under the broiler—or caramelize them in the pan before the onions—then let cool, blend, and add them to the liquid base when you would’ve added the pureed, rehydrated chiles. Finish with the zest and juice of a lime instead of apple cider vinegar after the beans come out of the oven. Top with a generous smattering of fresh cilantro.

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What’s your favorite way to make baked beans? Tell us in the comments!

In partnership with All-Clad we're bringing you tips, techniques, and lots of delicious recipe ideas for every piece of cookware in your kitchen—from sauté pans to stockpots. Need to stock up on some new cooking equipment, or upgrade your current collection? All-Clad’s FUSIONTEC™ collection has all the essentials you need to turn out a variety of dishes.