Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe (Oven or Slow Cooker)

A large white spoon scooping a serving of cowboy baked beans out of a casserole dish.

5 from 16 votes

Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe (Oven or Slow Cooker)

Cowboy Baked Beans (aka Calico Beans) are loaded with ground beef and applewood smoked bacon. A great party food recipe for large groups.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked beans, baked beans recipe, cowboy baked beans, Cowboy beans

Servings:

Calories: 430kcal

Author: Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

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

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 the smoky flavor you could add some liquid smoke, I don't but it might add some great additional flavor.

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 reduce 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

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.

Nutrition