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 Recipe in Pot

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!

Raw Ingredients for Cowboy Beans Recipe

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 Cook Cowboy Beans Recipe

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.

Spoonful of Hot Cowboy Beans

More Side Dishes

5 from 77 votes

Cowboy Beans

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cowboy Beans are a hearty side dish made with ground beef, bacon, onion, peppers, brown sugar, baked beans, and barbecue sauce.

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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Reader Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 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 .

  3. 5 stars
    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!! 🤤😋

  4. 5 stars
    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!

  5. 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.

  6. 5 stars
    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.

  7. 5 stars
    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!

  8. I have been looking for an easy recipe for this for camping..can not wait to try it! Thank you!!!!

  9. 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

  10. 5 stars
    This dish is wonderful, I will advise to taste before adding the sugar as it was plenty sweet. Instant family favorite.

  11. 5 stars
    I used Bush’s country-style baked beans so I didn’t need the brown sugar and it was delicious! Thanks.

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