Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe
Hearty cowboy baked beans with beef and bacon use a stovetop-to-oven cooking method for deep, savory Texas-style flavor. Perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, and summer cookouts.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 308kcal
Equipment
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
