Sweet Heat Baked Bean Chili

Fall is finally right around the corner!!! It’s my favorite time of the year. Bonfires, hoodies, beautiful leaves, fall festivals, Halloween, and most importantly… comfort food! The list could go on and on though.

I love firing up the slow cooker, or getting a nice stew going in the ole Dutch oven. This mouth watering recipe right here will work perfect in either method. I got the inspiration for this recipe from my buddy’s wife. Maci and me were at their little girl Ellie’s second birthday party. She is such a cute little sweetheart. But back to the topic at hand, his wife made a chili with baked beans. I was amazed and intrigued! I could not wait to try it out.

Now, we have some pretty great, but secret chili recipes that have won us quite a few chili cook-offs. Unfortunately I cannot disclose those here because it was a team effort between myself, my cousin Ray, and Maci (Two Lads and a Little Lady).

I never even thought about the possibility of a baked bean chili. So I pondered what my ideal baked bean chili recipe would consist of, and here we are! I chose to go with a sweet and savory recipe. In my opinion, sweetness balances nicely with heat and savory flavor any day. As I mentioned earlier, this recipe would work well in a slow cooker or a Dutch Oven (or other heavy pot). I used a cast iron pot I got at an old flea market one day. I call it my cauldron. If you do decide to make this in a slow cooker, I would cook the meat first in a skillet with the onions and garlic to still get that sauteed flavor.

Let’s get cooking!

First, preheat your Dutch oven over medium heat with a nice drizzle of olive oil. Always preheat your cast iron before you add any food. This helps to keep your iron protected and prevents anything from sticking. While that is preheating, go ahead and dice up a large sweet or yellow onion. Mince up a few cloves of garlic, or you can use already minced garlic in juice. I chose about 1 heaping tablespoon of the latter because I had some I wanted to use up. Mix the garlic and your diced onion in a bowl and set to the side.

Next, go ahead and put 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of sweet Italian sausage into your Dutch oven and start browning it up. Feel free to swap out what I used for ground turkey and turkey sausage, or whatever your preference. While the meat is cooking, continue to chop and stir it all up until you get it broke down into smaller sized chunks using a heavy duty spatula. Add in about 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce and continue stirring and chopping.

When the meat is nice and crumbly go ahead and mix in your onions. Stir it real good until it’s all mixed together well. Reduce your heat down to medium low while we add the rest.

Now add in 2-12 ounce jars of chili sauce, 2 packets of Sazon, 1/4 cup of Sriracha, and 3 large 28 ounce cans of vegetarian baked beans.

I linked a few of the brands I used in case you’re not familiar. But feel free to use whichever brands you like or are available. The Sazon I use in place of chili powder in every recipe. The flavor it offers is irreplaceable in my opinion. There are several different flavors of Sazon, I love every one of them. You can usually find this in the international isle of your grocery store. If you are sensitive to spiciness, feel free to omit the Sriracha. I think the end result balances out very well though.

It may seem like a lot of ingredients to add at once, but just take your time. That’s why we turned the heat down a bit before, it’s not a race. Once you get all that in there, stir it really well. Make sure while you are stirring you use a longer handled utensil so you can dig down to the bottom and get all that juicy meat mixed back in up top. Stir it until everything looks combined evenly.

Lastly, I like to crack some black (or mixed) peppercorns and sea salt on top generously. Turn your heat back up to medium and let your chili build back up to a nice simmer. You don’t want to crank your heat wide open and try to rush this process. You might end up with some burnt beans on the bottom. Let it take its time and gradually build up heat (about 5 mins) while stirring occasionally. Once you see it simmering, go ahead and put the cover on and back the heat off one notch. The key here is low and slow.

Set a timer for 2 hours, stirring once or twice an hour or so. Keep it covered when you aren’t stirring. After 2 hours, turn the heat down to low and get ready to dig in. You can let this stay on the burner at low heat and it will be fine when you come back for seconds. The longer it goes, the more the ingredients break down and more deliciousness is born.

There are so many ways to enjoy this flavorful chili. You can pair it with some homemade cornbread, tortilla chips, crackers, etc. I like to sprinkle some cheddar on top with a sprinkle of cilantro. I would’ve added a dollop of sour cream, but I didn’t have any. It’s really about what you like. Any way you prepare your bowl, it will be amazing I’m sure!

Enjoy!!!

Print Recipe

Sweet Heat Baked Bean Chili

An easy and delicious baked bean chili with the right amount of heat balanced with sweet.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili, Dutch oven, easy, meatloaf, soup

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. ground hamburger
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 12 ounce jar chili sauce
• 2 packets of Sazon
• 3 large 28 ounce cans of baked beans vegetarian
• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• cracked pepper and sea salt your preference

Instructions

• Preheat your Dutch oven over medium heat with a nice drizzle of olive oil.
• While that is preheating, go ahead and dice up a large sweet or yellow onion.
• Mince up a few cloves of garlic, and mix with the diced onion in a bowl and set to the side.
• Put 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of sweet Italian sausage into your Dutch oven and start browning it up. While the meat is cooking, continue to chop and stir it all up until you get it broke down into smaller sized chunks using a heavy duty spatula.
• Add in about 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce and continue stirring and chopping the meat up.
• When the meat is nice and crumbly go ahead and mix in your onions. Stir it real good until it's all mixed together well. Reduce your heat down to medium low while we add the rest.
• Add in 2-12 ounce jars of chili sauce, 2 packets of Sazon, 1/4 cup of Sriracha, 3 large 28 ounce cans of vegetarian baked beans, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
• Once you get all that in there, stir it really well. Make sure while you are stirring you use a longer handled utensil so you can dig down to the bottom and get all that juicy meat mixed back in up top. Stir it until everything look combined evenly.
• Crack some black (or mixed) peppercorns and sea salt on top generously. Turn your heat back up to medium and let your chili build back up to a nice simmer.
• Let it take its time and gradually build up heat (about 5 mins) while stirring occasionally. Once you see it simmering, go ahead and put the cover on and back the heat off one notch.
• Set a timer for 2 hours, stirring once or twice an hour or so. Keep it covered when you aren't stirring. After 2 hours, turn the heat down to low and serve.
• Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!