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.

Course main meal

Cuisine American

Keyword cowboy baked beans, cowboy beans recipe, how to make cowboy beans, recipe for cowboy beans, what are cowboy beans

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 20

Servings 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 (see notes)
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