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About This Recipe
Summer is right around the corner and if you’re looking for the perfect side dish, these Cowboy Baked Beans are it!🤠 These beans are hearty, flavorful and so easy to make. They’re the perfect recipe made with tender ground beef, tangy barbecue sauce, sweet brown sugar, crispy bacon pieces and the perfect blend of spices.
And the best part about these beans? They’re so easy to make!! By starting with a canned beans, we skip the whole rinsing/cooking the dry beans part and just add a few extra ingredients to really take these beans up a notch. Plus, this cowboy bean recipe gets even better the next day as the flavors have time to come together so it’s an ideal recipe to make in advance!
This truly is the best baked beans recipes and is the perfect hearty side dish to enjoy alongside my Air Fryer Burgers, Smoky Grilled Chicken Filets, or BBQ Chicken!
And if you’re looking for more summertime favorites that the whole family will love, don’t miss my Favorite Pimento Cheese, Rainbow Fruit Salad, Broccoli Salad or Healthy Macaroni Salad!
Why You’ll Love These Cowboy Baked Beans
- Hearty and filling: This easy recipe is loaded with beans, beef, and bacon for a satisfying main or side dish.
- Crowd pleaser: A great recipe for serving a crowd and always a hit at potlucks, cookouts, game days, or for family dinner.
- Easy to make: This hearty recipe seriously couldn’t be easier to make! It comes together with just a handful of ingredients in one pot or baking dish.
- Meal-prep and freezer friendly: Make ahead and reheat for quick meals throughout the week.
- Customizable: Use your favorite beans, swap the meat, or spice it up to your liking.
- Ground beef: I used 93/7 lean ground beef. I like using a leaner ground beef for higher protein but also so that it doesn’t make these beans too greasy. But if you’re using a higher percentage ground beef you can simply drain excess grease before adding to the baked beans.
- Onion and bell pepper: I love using my vegetable chopper to chop the yellow onion and bell peppers (you can use red or green peppers) into small, even-sized pieces. You could also use a bag of frozen onions and peppers that are already chopped to make this recipe even quicker!
- Seasonings: You’ll need salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Baked beans: I used Bush’s original baked beans. You can use any beans you like just remember if you choose a flavored kind it will affect how these beans taste with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cooked bacon: Chop the bacon into small pieces. You can buy the pre-cooked kind or follow this recipe for the best crispy oven bacon. You can also use turkey bacon if you prefer a leaner option.
- Brown sugar: Regular dark brown sugar or brown sugar alternative like Swerve or Truvia also work.
- BBQ sauce: I used Stubb’s Smoky Brown Sugar bbq sauce but use your favorite! You can also use sugar-free BBQ sauce if preferred.
- Dijon mustard: You could also sub for regular yellow mustard.
- Vegetarian: Omit the bacon and ground beef to make these beans vegetarian. Add extra beans or chopped veggies like bell peppers and mushrooms for a filling vegetarian version.
- Ground meat: Sub the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer a leaner option.
- Ham: You could also use ham or any other smoked meat in place of the bacon if you prefer.
- Flavored beans: There are so many varieties of beans with different flavors! Try using a can of Brown Sugar Hickory, Sweet Heat or Country Style Baked Beans for even more flavor!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. To a small dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet, add the ground beef, onions, peppers, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks until no longer pink.
3. Add the baked beans, bacon, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and dijon mustard. Stir together.
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until thick and bubbly (see notes for finishing in the oven or Crockpot). You can take the lid off halfway to thicken it up quicker. Serve hot and enjoy!
- To bake in the oven: Cover dish (if oven safe) and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, or until thick and bubbly (or transfer to a casserole dish if needed).
- To make in Crockpot: Move baked beans to Crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat the entire recipe, I recommend reheating on the stove top or in the crockpot or oven. To reheat an individual portion, you can reheat in the microwave.
Helpful Tips
- Double the recipe: You can easily double this recipe for a crowd. If doubling this recipe, you will mix everything together on the stove once your ground beef and onions are cooked then transfer the bean mixture to the oven or crockpot to finish cooking. You can also finish cooking your beans in the oven or crockpot even if you’re fixing a single recipe if you want to give the flavors more time to develop or just want to prepare these beans in advance.
- Brown the meat: Let the ground beef get a little browned while cooking. This will help add some depth of flavor to enhance the beans.
- Drain excess grease: For the best beans, make sure to drain any excess fat after cooking the ground beef or bacon before adding to the beans. This helps keep the beans from becoming greasy.
- Variety of beans: If you love variety, try adding kidney, black, or pinto beans along with the regular baked beans to give this recipe extra flavor and texture.
- Let it simmer: Whether you’re using the oven, stovetop, or slow cooker, giving the beans time to simmer helps the flavors meld. The sauce should thicken slightly and become rich and sticky. My favorite way to finish the beans is in the crockpot so I don’t have to worry about watching them but any method works!
Can I make these in advance?
Yes! These cowboy baked beans taste even better the next day as the flavors have more time to come together. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
What kind of beans should I use?
I used a can of Bush’s Baked Beans to keep this recipe simple but you can use other beans like kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans for variety and texture.
Can I freeze these cowboy baked beans?
Yes, you can freeze these beans. Let the beans cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Cowboy Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef I used 93/7
- 1 small onion (150g) chopped small
- 1 bell pepper (150g) chopped small
- 1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic powder
- 1 28-oz. can baked beans I used Bush's original
- 3 slices cooked bacon (42g) crumbled
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (60g) I used Stubb’s smokey brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp ketchup (45g)
- 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar (24g)
- 1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard (8g)
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Instructions
- See notes to double the recipe if serving for a crowd.
- To a small dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet, add the ground beef, onions, peppers, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks until no longer pink.
- Add the baked beans, bacon, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and dijon mustard. Stir together.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until thick and bubbly (see notes for finishing in the oven or Crockpot). You can take the lid off halfway to thicken it up quicker.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- 1 lb. ground beef, I used 93/7
- 1 large onion, chopped small (300g)
- 2 bell peppers, chopped small (300g)
- 1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic powder
- 2 (28-oz.) cans baked beans, I used Bush’s original
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (84g)
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (120g), I used Stubb’s smokey brown sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup (80g)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (48g)
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard (15g)
- To a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, add the ground beef, onions, peppers, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks until no longer pink. Add the baked beans, bacon, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and dijon mustard. Stir together.
- To bake in the oven: Cover dish (if oven safe) and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, or until thick and bubbly (or transfer to a casserole dish if needed).
- To make in Crockpot: Move baked beans to Crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
