Easy Cowboy Beans

Satisfy your craving for hearty, flavorful beans with this recipe for Cowboy Beans. Packed with ground beef, bacon, onion, garlic, spices, and a hint of sweetness, this dish is a crowd-pleaser perfect for any occasion.

I am in love with these mouthwatering good cowboy beans. They are just that tasty. I made them again last night, and I thought hubby and I would have to play rock paper scissors for the last little spoonful in the pot. They are the ideal meal for busy families.

You can prepare them in one of three ways. Either on the stovetop in a Dutch oven and simmer them as long as you like, or start them on the stovetop or in a Dutch oven and finish baking in the oven, or transfer them to a crock pot and finish cooking them there. If you like the flavors and ease of this recipe, try cowboy casserole, crock pot chili, sloppy joes, or Texas chili.

How to Make Cowboy Beans

First, brown the bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Using a slotted spoon, move the browned bacon to a layer of paper towels to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pot. Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Then, add the onions and cook until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Drain the excess fat from the mixture.

Please note at this point, you can transfer everything to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Or add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, to the pot and simmer for a couple of hours, stirring frequently, or place the pot in the oven for a little over an hour. Whichever way you wish to finish cooking the beans, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Purchase good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon and get it crispy.
• Buy ground beef with a little bit of fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor.
• Get the old-style pork and beans, not those ready to pour into the pot, and bake. I use Van Camp’s pork and beans.
• Drain any excess grease from the meats. No one wants a layer of grease on their cowboy beans.
• If you like a little bit of heat, add a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper, a little bit of siracha, or a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Go slowly, taste it, and see if you need more.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is a hearty meal, but here are a few ideas.

• Cornbread
• Corn fritters
• Air fryer potato wedges
• Creamy coleslaw
• Southern potato salad
• Roasted corn
• Beer bread
• Corn muffins
• Johnny cakes
• Cowboy caviar

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power so the beans do not explode.

Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power.

Try These Recipes Next

Cottage Pie

Hunan Chicken

Cowboy Cookies

Country Style Ribs

Apple Cobbler

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

Ham and Beans

Cowboy Beans

Packed with ground beef, bacon, onion, garlic spices, and a hint of sweetness, these cowboy beans are a crowd-pleaser that are perfect for any occasion.

5 from 45 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 429kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can pork and beans do not drain
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard the hotdog kind
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Brown the bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Using a slotted spoon move the browned bacon to a layer of paper towels to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
• Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Drain the excess fat from the mixture.
• Please note at this point you can transfer everything to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Or add the remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon to the pot and simmer for 2 hours stirring frequently. Or place the pot in the oven at 350-degrees for 1 hour. Whichever way you wish to finish cooking the beans season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.
• Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Notes

• Purchase good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon and get it crispy.
• Buy ground beef with a little bit of fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor.
• Get the old-style pork and beans, not the ones that are ready to pour into the pot, and bake. I use Van Camp’s pork and beans.
• Drain any excess grease from the meats.  No one wants a layer of grease on their cowboy beans.
• If you like a little bit of heat, turn it up some by adding a couple pinches of crushed red pepper, a little bit of siracha, or a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Go slowly, taste it, and see if you need more.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg

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