Cowboy Beans are a hearty side dish made with ground beef, bacon, onion, peppers, brown sugar, baked beans, and barbecue sauce. Try my Simple Country Baked Beans for another sweet and savory baked beans side dish.
Cowboy Beans
What are cowboy beans? The name most likely came from the days when pioneers traveled along the trails and needed quick, easy, and filling foods. Beans last for a long time, and they can be made with just some water, so they were the perfect staple for extended journeys. By adding the ground beef to this recipe, it makes the dish even more filling!
Cowboy Beans Ingredients
Ground Beef: I prefer ground beef in this recipe; but, you could definitely try ground turkey as a substitute.
Bacon: Cook and crumble the bacon before adding it to the pot. To make this easy (with little clean-up), bake the bacon ahead of time on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet for 18-20 minutes at 415°F.
Seasonings: I added a little bit of garlic salt and onion powder to the mix.
Baked Beans: Choose two 28-ounce cans of your favorite brands of baked beans. We used Bush’s Original Baked Beans.
Barbecue Sauce: As with baked beans, choose your favorite kind of barbecue sauce. Or, use this homemade BBQ sauce.
How to Store Cowboy Beans
To store cowboy beans, first, let them cool to room temperature. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze Baked Beans?
Yes! This recipe does make quite a bit, so you can easily freeze the leftovers. Be sure to let the side dish cool completely before putting it into a freezer-safe container. Label and date the container; they will last up to 6 months.
More Side Dishes
Cowboy Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (approximately 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup brown sugar (this is optional – you could omit)
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, we used Bush's Original Baked Beans
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 4 quart, heavy bottom, oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat, add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Cook until the hamburger is no longer pink. Drain the excess liquid.
- Add cooked bacon crumbles, brown sugar, baked beans, barbecue sauce, and dijon mustard. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.
- Cover and bake for 1 hour. (When done, the beans should be hot and bubbly and thickened.) Serve warm.
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Had to make 1 substitution (it was a biggie, sorry!) – didn’t have any baked beans so I substituted chili beans. Made the rest of the recipe exactly as written. One word: Fabulous. If I could get away with making these 3 times a week, I would, lol.
This will be my forever “go-to” meal. Served this with your Country Cornbread. Perfect!
Was really good , I ate it every night until it was gone , unfortunately so was my girl friend , apparently she couldn’t sleep in my gas chamber , oh well her loss , I’m making more .
I’ve made these for the last few family gatherings and they were a HUGE hit!!! I doubled the recipe last time and made them in a crockpot. I came home with maybe 1 cup left!! Delicious!! 🤤😋
We’re into the smokey bbq. This was fabulous with smokehouse bbq beans from our local grocery. Added Smokey Mountain bbq sauce made by a company in Missouri (not sure if I can mention brand names). No brown sugar needed. It. Was. Soooooooo good!!! Thank you for this recipe!
Has anyone made this using the canned ranch style beans
Yes very good, I didn’t use the brown sugar.
Can I put these in the crock pot instead of in the oven after it’s all mixed? Cook on low or high?
Can you just cook low and slow on the stove for awhile instead of the oven part?
Sure. It does require frequent stirring and will take longer.
These are the best, never have to worry about getting them eaten up, they do make a meal by themselves with hot biscuits. Have made them several times.
Delicious. I don’t like baked beans but I Love these. My husband would eat this every night of the week and twice on Sunday.
Can I skip the baking part?
If you would like.
Made this and add Pillsbury biscuits on top … then baked in over mmmmhhhhhmmmm
This is the fourth time I’ve made this at my husband’s request. He just eats big bowlfulls with nothing else! Thanks so much!
Made this to the T . Thankyou, I’m a hero.
I have been looking for an easy recipe for this for camping..can not wait to try it! Thank you!!!!
Followed your recipe, it was awesome. Had 10 for our cook out, not one bean left!
This was what my Great Grandmother use to make when I was a kid. But I haven’t been able to find her recipe. SO THANK YOU
This dish is wonderful, I will advise to taste before adding the sugar as it was plenty sweet. Instant family favorite.
I add several more kinds of beans and a little molasses .
To die for.
That is awesome
I used Bush’s country-style baked beans so I didn’t need the brown sugar and it was delicious! Thanks.
So glad!
Easy recipe for bean soup