Cowboy Baked Beans with Ground Beef & Bacon
Cowboy baked beans are hearty, smoky, and made with bacon and ground beef using a stovetop-to-oven cooking method for deep, savory Texas-style flavor. They're not overly sweet, just bold and satisfying. These baked beans with beef are the perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, and laid-back summer cookouts where comfort food always wins.
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Growing up in Texas, my grandma was the one who cooked just about everything for our family gatherings and holidays. But my grandpa had one recipe that he completely owned, and he perfected it over the years: baked beans.
This cowboy baked beans recipe is inspired by my Grandpa's original version, but with a few of my own twists. I add ground beef to make them heartier and more filling, plus kidney beans for extra texture and bite.
I also build the flavor on the stovetop first, then finish everything in the oven so the beans taste balanced and like they've been cooked all day. This classic BBQ side dish always steals the show.
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My Go-To Baked Beans
This is the kind of recipe that shows up to every party and never comes home with leftovers.
- Hearty and satisfying: Made with both bacon and ground beef, these beans are filling enough to serve as a side or a main dish.
- Perfect for feeding a crowd: This recipe makes a generous batch that's ideal for BBQs, potlucks, and family gatherings.
- Stovetop-to-oven method: Building flavor in layers gives you rich, well-developed baked beans instead of a flat, dump-and-bake result.
- Great make-ahead side dish: The flavors of these baked beans with bacon deepen as they sit, making them perfect for hosting.
Ingredient Notes & Tips
These ingredients are simple, but how they're used makes all the difference.
- I prefer to use thick-cut bacon because it renders slowly and leaves behind flavorful drippings without disappearing into the beans. Those drippings are the foundation of the entire dish, so don't rush this step.
- I recommend using 80/20 ground beef for the best balance of flavor and texture.
- Onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño: This trio builds flavor early on. The onion adds sweetness, the bell pepper brings mild earthiness, and the jalapeño adds gentle heat without overpowering the beans. I remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper to keep the spice level mild and crowd-friendly.
- Just enough brown sugar is added to balance the savory ingredients. Don't worry, these cowboy baked beans aren't overly sweet.
- Choose a BBQ sauce you already enjoy, or use my homemade Texas BBQ sauce recipe.
- Canned baked beans create a rich, saucy base without extra prep. The sauce helps everything meld together during baking, so don't drain them.
- Kidney beans add flavor variety and texture. I rinse and drain them to remove excess sodium and keep the flavors clean and not metallic.
- Dry mustard powder adds subtle tang and depth without making the beans taste mustardy. It quietly balances the sweetness and enhances the savory notes.
How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans
Build flavor in stages: rendering bacon, sautéing veggies, and browning beef before baking creates deeper flavor than adding everything at once.
Every step in this recipe is intentional, and it shows in the final flavor.
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the pieces are crisp around the edges.
The bacon should look deeply golden and smell smoky. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Step 2: Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the hot bacon fat.
Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent. The veggies should look glossy and slightly caramelized.
Step 3: Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until fully browned, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
Pro tip: Let the beef brown undisturbed for a minute or two before stirring to develop better flavor and avoid greasy beans.
Step 4: Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant. Garlic goes in after the beef browns so it doesn't burn. Cooking it briefly until fragrant adds depth without bitterness.
Step 5: Return the cooked bacon to the pot. Add the brown sugar, BBQ sauce, baked beans (with their sauce), kidney beans, and dry mustard.
Stir until everything is evenly combined and the mixture looks thick and well-coated.
Pro tip: Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir to pull up all those flavorful browned bits.
Step 6: Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer it to an oven. Bake until the beans are hot, bubbly around the edges, and thickened.
Remove the beans from the oven and let them sit uncovered for 10-15 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests.
Serving Suggestions
Cowboy baked beans can be eaten on their own or paired with a hearty main dish. I serve them alongside Dutch oven brisket and mustard potato salad for a true backyard BBQ spread that feels special but still relaxed.
Baked beans and potato salad are a BBQ classic for a reason. Serve these beans with mustard potato salad or jalapeño popper potato salad for that familiar cookout combo with a little extra kick.
For something fresh, Mexican street corn pasta salad adds brightness, while my jalapeño mac and cheese recipe brings rich, cheesy comfort to the table.
Whether you're building a full summer cookout menu or just rounding out dinner, these beans fit right in with all your BBQ favorites.
Storage
To store, let the beans cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat baked beans gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
Avoid high heat when reheating. Reheating over high heat can cause the sugars in the beans to scorch. Low and slow keeps the texture and flavor just right.
Make-ahead tip: You can fully cook them, refrigerate overnight, and reheat before serving for stress-free hosting. For larger portions, reheat covered in a 325°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through for even heating.
Made it? Loved it? I'd love for you to share a quick comment and star rating. Thanks, y'all! 🤠
Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe
Save this Recipe!
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bacon chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 - 28 ounce cans of baked beans not drained
- 16 ounce kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook bacon: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Sauté veggies: Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the bacon fat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Brown beef: Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients: Return the bacon to the pot. Add the brown sugar, BBQ sauce, beans, and dry mustard. Stir well until everything is combined.
- Bake: Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the beans from the oven and let them sit uncovered for 10-15 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests.
Notes
- I remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper to keep the spice level mild and crowd-friendly. If you prefer more heat, leave them in or add an extra jalapeño.
- Although you can use any oven-safe large pot, I like to use a Dutch oven because it retains heat well and moves easily from stovetop to oven.
- Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, in the microwave, or covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through, stirring occasionally; low heat works best to prevent scorching and these beans are great made ahead and reheated for easy hosting.
OMG these Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe are the BEST! my dad came to visit for the weekend and he literally wanted them with every meal. This recipe makes a bunch but they didn’t survive the weekend. So delicious, he could not get enough. Needless to say to say we all love this recipe.
This makes me so happy! I'm glad you love these baked beans as much as I do!