Ultimate BBQ beans

We partnered with our friends at Spicewalla to highlight regional bean varieties and regional BBQ flavors, taken to new heights when paired together. These BBQ beans require minimal effort to whip up, yet they’re so incredibly flavorful! Play with the foolproof base recipe by varying the bean and spice pairings. Enjoy with a summery spread of grilled meats, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon wedges, and (of course) friends.

Bean and BBQ spice pairing guide

Take 'em from dried to cooked with our guide!

Print recipe here

Base recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz thick-cut bacon (about 4 strips), diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small jalapeño, diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs Spicewalla BBQ blend of choice
4 cups chicken stock
½ lb Primary Beans variety of choice, dried - no soaking necessary!
⅓ cup tomato paste
½ yellow mustard (Carolina Mustard BBQ x Bayo beans only)
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps

Heat a dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced bacon and sauté, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from the pot and place on a paper towel lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot.

Add diced onion and jalapeño (if using). Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and jalapeño has softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and Spicewalla BBQ blend of choice. Stir to combine and evenly coat the onion and jalapeño. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add chicken stock, Primary Beans variety of choice, and reserved fried bacon. Check to make sure that beans are covered by about 1-2 inches of liquid. If you need more liquid, add more chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 2 ½ - 3 hours until the beans are tender and fully cooked and liquid has reduced by about two-thirds.

Stir in the tomato paste, yellow mustard (if using), dark brown sugar, molasses and apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve warm and enjoy!

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Great beans, but soo many rocks

My partner and I love using these beans as the base for big batches of breakfast burritos. They stand up really well to being cooked, frozen, and reheated. Unfortunately, we find rocks in these beans more often than any other variety or vendor we’ve ever tried. I visually inspect, run my hands through, and rinse in a colander, but some always make it through. I can’t move the beans one by one into the pot before cooking to stave off the fear of cracked teeth, so we’re going to go with different beans/vendors in the future.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this feedback with us. We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience with our Flor de Mayo beans—it’s not the kind of impression we want to leave. These beans are harvested with care and hand-sorted to remove any agricultural debris, so we regret that a few sneaky rocks made their way through. While we strive for perfection, we always recommend giving your beans a quick once-over before cooking to catch anything we might have missed. We’d love the opportunity to make this right and send you a replacement bag. Just send us a quick note at hello@primarybeans.com. Thanks again!

Southwest gold beans are creamy and delicious

These beans really do deliver - so creamy and full of flavor.

No Pressure Cooker Necessary

I soaked the beans in cold water for a day, and then put them in a double boiler to cook all evening over a small flame on the stovetop. They cooked up just fine. A double boiler is much cheaper and easier to use than a pressure cooker!

Good but not my favorite

I made red beans and rice with the Flor de Mayo beans. It was tasty, but what I don’t like is the thicker skins on these beans. I think I’m leaning toward some of the more delicate varieties. I love these beans however, and highly recommend then to my friends

Beans 'n' Rice 5 star, but couldn't get it to work....

The other day I cooked up a pot of Alubia beans and long grain brown rice together. I added the salt and pepper along with some chopped onions and chopped garlic and cooked for about 45 minutes. A taste test of the broth let me know that I needed a bit more salt and a can of Hatch diced green chilis. Cooking another 25 minutes and adding hot water as needed and perfecto. The left overs have been served as is and as the filling for enchiladas and burritos. Super yum!

Flor de Mayo Sourced Again

I tried Flor de Mayo beans about 10 years ago and loved them. However they suddenly disappeared from midwestern U.S. markets. I never gave up searching because the taste was fabulous. So glad to have discovered Primary Beans as a source.

I haven’t cooked those yet but

I did cook the Southwest Gold. My sister and daughter really liked them. I don’t like beans but I was able to eat these so they must be really good. Hopefully I will acquire a taste for beans since they are so healthy. Going to order again