Last Updated May 24th, 2023 at 12:52 pm by Lisa
Cowboy Baked Beans are loaded with browned hamburger meat and crispy applewood smoked bacon. The addition of ground beef makes these absolutely amazing and almost a meal itself.
One of the most delicious side dishes ever. A family favorite for dinner, holidays like Christmas and Easter, or for summer cookouts and picnics. People also call these calico beans or hamburger baked beans.
These crock pot baked beans can also be baked in the oven. Enjoy this hearty recipe that feeds a large hungry crowd. They will rave, get seconds, and want this great recipe...
Traditional baked beans are really good, but this is one of the best baked beans with ground beef recipes ever.
The first time I tried these I couldn't stop eating them at a friend's birthday party.
This cowboy bean recipe is my own version and is one of my personal favorite new recipes and is quick, easy, and inexpensive to put together.
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How To Make Cowboy Beans
- 1 lb bacon applewood smoked
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 48 ounces baked beans (don't drain)
- 32 ounces kidney beans (drain)
- 16 ounces cannellini beans (drain)
- 32 ounces black beans (drain)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Ground beef 85/15 works well in this recipe. You can also swap in lean ground beef if you prefer.
Bacon any brand works fine, but applewood smoked bacon is so extra special and adds a bit of smoky flavor. Feel free to add even more bacon than I used! And if you really like a smoky flavor, you could add some liquid smoke.
Apple cider vinegar is in the recipe to help balance the sweetness of the brown sugar, ketchup, and sugar in the canned baked beans. If you want to dial back the sweetness, you can use less sugar by reducing the brown sugar.
Beans usually called for in this recipe are limas, and those work really well. I have listed additional types of beans that will work just fine. I used canned instead of dry beans. Soaked beans take time, plus they don't always get to the right soft texture.
- butter (mature lima beans)
- pork and beans
- navy
- kidney
- black
- pinto
- cannellini white
Let's Make Them!
- Decide if you are going to make them in a slow cooker or bake in the oven. You can use a deep casserole dish or large pot like a dutch oven. I like a large heavy cast iron pot so I can cook in it and finish baking all in one. Slow cookers are great for parties to keep them warm for several hours.
- Chop the sliced uncooked bacon into small pieces, over medium heat, brown the bacon in a heavy cast-iron skillet or a large cast iron dutch oven on the stove top using a wooden spoon. Tip, you can cut the bacon into small pieces with clean kitchen scissors right into the pot-I find this faster!
- Remove the crispy cooked bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Don't remove the bacon drippings from the pan. Next add the chopped onion and brown for 5-6 minutes until translucent, add the minced garlic, stir for one minute.
- Next, brown the ground beef, cook for 6-8 minutes. Next, add the bacon, back in with the cooked ground beef, onion, and garlic.
- Next, add 3 cans of baked beans (don't drain), 2 cans of kidney beans (drain), 1 can of cannellini beans (drain), and 2 cans of black beans (drain).
- Add the remaining ingredients; brown sugar, cider vinegar, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Stir all the ingredients well to combine.
- Place into the slow cooker or large dutch oven or large deep casserole dish. The baked beans usually doesn't all fit in one standard 9 x 13, you need a deeper dish.
- Cook in slow cooker crockpot on low for 2 hours OR bake 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours in a large covered dish. Serve hot.
Reader Comments
"Very good! I made this today for the slow cooker to take to a family reunion." Christy
"I lost my old recipe for Cowboy Beans and found this duplicate. hooray! It is a perfect match and love, love, love them." Durreta
"Wow I made these last week and my family went crazy for these cowboy baked beans. Will be doing this again over memorial day weekend." William
"These “Cowboy Baked Beans” are fabulous. All you need is cornbread and sweet tea to make a great meal." Betty
A popular dish in the western United States Cowboy Beans are made with ground beef and a variety of beans in a slightly sweet and tangy sauce. Other types of meat can be used like bacon. They are like baked beans but not as sweet, and are a meal in themselves. They are made and served from slow cookers or crock-pots, or baked in the oven, depending on the recipe.
Although cowboy appears in the name, the use of canned beans, ketchup, and mustard, means the dish is unlike anything ranch hands would have eaten in the 19th century.
Out on the trail, the chuckwagon cook soaked beans in a pot all day and perhaps combined them with small bits of leftover meat, and maybe that is how Cowboy beans got their name? We will never know, but these are amazing and the perfect side dish for family dinner, holidays, and cookouts.
Serving Idea
You can serve individual hot portions in small paper bowls or cups with spoons to make them easier to eat at picnics and cookouts.
Leftovers
Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. When ready to reheat, place them in a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.
Cookout Food Safety
- If serving outside, plan to keep food protected from flying insects with food tents, and try different ways to chill salads. You can use ice packs or buy special bowls that chill before parties.
- Keep dishes out of the direct sun if possible. When they sit out for a long time, they can spoil and not be food-safe.
- For outdoor parties, make sure to get food back in the fridge after about an hour to keep it safe during the hottest time of day.
- It's a good idea to reheat leftover dishes later in the day when people get hungry.
- The best way to be on the safe side, is to choose dishes that won't spoil in the heat. Avoid mayonnaise-based recipes.
- Pack up leftovers for guests to take with them, and keep chilled until people head home.
What To Serve With Baked Beans
For your next holiday or cookout party Crockpot baked beans go well with the best side dishes like coleslaw, grilled corn, macaroni salad, or potato salad. A Seven Layer fresh salad is perfect with perhaps fresh fruit at family gatherings and picnics. You can serve a creamy dressing like Ranch Dressing. Serve a hot side dish of mashed potato on the buffet table. For a healthier option, serve a platter of fresh veggies with a light dip. And toss a colorful bowl of fresh fruit together for your party.
Try this easy recipe for smoky baked beans with main dish ideas like Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs, or Cheeseburger Sliders. BBQ sandwiches like Pulled Pork Sandwiches can be topped with BBQ sauce. More delicious ways to enjoy perfect baked beans are to serve them with a grilled chicken breast or pork chops.
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Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe (Oven or Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon applewood smoked
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 48 ounces baked beans (don't drain)
- 32 ounces kidney beans (drain)
- 16 ounces cannellini beans (drain)
- 32 ounces black beans (drain)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Instructions
- Decide if you are going to make them in a slow cooker or bake in the oven. You can use a deep casserole dish or large pot like a dutch oven. I like a large heavy cast iron pot so I can cook in it and finish baking all in one. Slow cookers are great for parties to keep them warm for several hours.
- Chop the sliced uncooked bacon into small pieces, over medium heat, brown the bacon in a heavy cast-iron skillet or a large cast iron dutch oven on the stove top using a wooden spoon. Tip, you can cut the bacon into small pieces with clean kitchen scissors right into the pot-I find this faster!
- Remove the crispy cooked bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Don't remove the bacon drippings from the pan. Next add the chopped onion and brown for 5-6 minutes until translucent, add the minced garlic, stir for one minute.
- Next, brown the ground beef, cook for 6-8 minutes. Next, add the bacon, back in with the cooked ground beef, onion, and garlic.
- Next, add 3 cans of baked beans (don't drain), 2 cans of kidney beans (drain), 1 can of cannellini beans (drain), and 2 cans of black beans (drain).
- Add the remaining ingredients; brown sugar, cider vinegar, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Stir all the ingredients well to combine.
- Place into the slow cooker or large dutch oven or large deep casserole dish. The baked beans usually doesn't all fit in one standard 9 x 13, you need a deeper dish.
- Cook in slow cooker crockpot on low for 2 hours OR bake 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours in a large covered dish. Serve hot.
Notes
- butter (mature lima beans)
- pork and beans
- navy
- kidney
- black
- pinto
- cannellini white
Trying this for the first time! I just tasted it before I put it in the slow cooker and it is AMAZING!!! But, I drained off the grease after cooking the hamburger. Doesn’t seem healthy to leave in the bacon and hamburger grease. I might possibly have to add a little more liquid??? Maybe more ketchup since I drained off a cup of grease? The flavor is incredible!!!
Excellent!!! Made for a family cookout and went over well. What was left we made into chili by adding some canned tomatoes, chili powder and beef broth. Tasted fantastic!
Monica!That is so awesome...I am so thrilled the beans were a hit at your cookout. What a great idea to add the beans to chili. Love it!
Have made this twice now and it is always fantastic and so easy to make. It's so good I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you so much!
Oh WOW Diannne!!! Now that is a great thing to hear. I have loved this recipe for many years, and made it countless times. I agree, not sure how to make it any better! LOL So thankful for your kind comment and awesome rating Dianne!
Made for several church potlucks. Everyone loves them!
Just made this recipe for a quilting carry-in. Big success. Wonderful flavor. Only way I will make baked beans now!
Love your blog...hate all the ads...impossible to read the blog! UNSUBSCRIBING!
Wonderful post
Thanks
at what point are you draining all that grease?
Tammy, no need to remove the bacon grease you are cooking your bacon first then the onions for flavor!
Great bean recipe. I’m usually not a bean fan, now i am! I’ve only halved the recipe. Making this a second time tonight. Added in some zucchini, since it’s the season…and trying to watch the calories. My husband loved it when I made this recipe last month, my first attempt. I made as written, but used navy and black beans with the baked, like small beans, large not a fan. I added a little left over coffee, mustard powder, and some cayenne pepper, like the spice! Thanks for the recipe, definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much for your great review and comment! What creative ingredients you added...coffee and beans would go great together. So glad you loved the recipe, and it's a family keeper.
I made this recipe for a family reunion. I have made it before following recipe exactly it turned out great, this time I added 3 cubenel peppers an extra 1/2 pound of bacon (just because.....bacon) I also added about a pound and a half of smoked pulled pork that I roughly chopped and cooked it in the slow cooker over night. it was great. next time I think I'll prep it all and cook it our pit boss electric smoker for some added smoky flavor. We love your recipes, keep on cooking.
Wow Tracy! Pulled pork would be SOOOO good in it and of course more bacon! 🥓 Thanks so much for leaving a great review, I might add that tip into the recipe and mention your first name if thats okay! Great ideas. Thanks for loving my recipes, we are so glad to have you here!!!
Best thing ever. Had at my moms house and she shared this recipe. We added BBQ sauce and it was killer. Love this and it’s in my repertoire forever.
Oh Ben thank you so much for your great comment and rating! We love that recipe too, I made it for friends over the 4th and everyone loves it. Thanks again for letting us know it was a big hit with your family!
Can this recipe be canned?
Hey Betty, no sorry this recipe is not written or designed for canning.
Can I add everything to the crockpot refrigerate and then cook the next day?
Thanks
Michele, this recipe has cooked bacon and onions in it, so do that in a separate pan and then add it all into your crock pot. Cooking the bacon and onion makes a big difference in flavor! Good luck and have a relaxing weekend.
What size is each portion ? 1 cup ?
Yes Donna, each serving portion is approximately 1 cup per person, that is how I serve them. People LOVE this recipe, hope you try it!
Hello,
I am thinking of making this for a side for a 50th bday.
How many people does this feed? I looked but didn't see it anywhere but knowing me could have looked it over. I need to feed 80 people.
Sincerely, Tammie
Hi Tammie, The recipe lists the servings for you right by the prep time, and you can slide the bar which adjusts the ingredients for your party servings. These are always a hit at parties!
Thank you so much!!!!!! 🙂
These are a crowd pleaser for sure. They are delicious! I tweaked mine a little though. I used garlic powder while cooking the beef. I didn’t t use fresh garlic. I also added a finely diced bell pepper and a peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple to the onion and sautéed. Also increased the brown sugar to 3/4 cup. My folks aren’t fans of kidney, black or cannolini beans. I used 2 large cans of baked beans, 2 cans drained pinto beans and 2 small cans pork and beans drained. Definitely will make this many more times ❤️
Kelly thank you so much for your nice comments! That is the thing about this recipe is you can customize it for how your family likes it...great suggestions!!! Have a Happy July 4th weekend!
Made these for Father’s Day . These were a big hit with my family. I made these exactly like the recipe said only I cut the recipe in half using five cans of beans. I will be saving this recipe for sure!!!
Oh, Chris, that is fantastic! Aren't they tasty? I had these at a family event and just couldn't stop eating them. So glad that everyone loved them and for your nice comment!
Hey Lisa, Can I freeze this recipe? Want to take it in a cooler overnight and serve it at a party the next day.
Yum!, these were so good. They have such a great tangy-sweet flavor. Thanks for the recipe.
This is the recipe my mom had always used for her beans. So easy. My daughter uses this for her family now.66 I remember liking it so much that I usually had beans on toast for breakfast before going to school !! LOL!
Oh I LOVE to hear that...I got this recipe from a good dear family friend in Minnesota, and have loved it for years. I have heard of beans on toast! My friends in England introduced me to baked beans as part of the classic English breakfast...so interesting to hear your family served them too. Hey, they are delicious, and a great protein source. Thanks for your fun comment!
We have made it twice! 1 time with sausage and 1 time with hamburger. It has turned out fantastic both times!
Hey Abby, Thank you! We love them too....so easy. I first had these at a potluck birthday party and couldn't stop eating them...appreciate your comment so very much. And I LOVE the idea of sausage!!
Love that there's hamburger in this recipe! And the bacon! Can't wait to make this recipe!
Girl, these cowboy beans sound like a really AMAZING side dish for a picnic or gathering! What amazing flavors!! So saving this recipe!