Cowboy Baked Beans
These Cowboy Baked Beans are hearty, smoky, and packed with ground beef, bacon, and two kinds of beans. Baked until thick and saucy, they’re perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners.
Servings: 8
Calories: 516kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or ground pork
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 30 ounces baked beans 2 cans, undrained
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons mustard yellow or Dijon
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional, for a kick
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the baked beans, kidney beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder (if using), and cooked bacon. Stir to combine.
- Pour the bean mixture into a large oven-safe casserole dish or Dutch oven. Spread evenly. Stir in the cooked ground beef and onion mixture until well combined.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the beans are bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Let the beans cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Ground meat: I usually use beef, but pork or turkey also work, just adjust seasoning to taste.
- Bacon: Adds depth and smokiness, cook it first and brown the meat in the leftover drippings.
- Beans: Use canned baked beans with sauce, plus rinsed kidney beans for texture.
- BBQ sauce: Go with a flavor you love, smoky, sweet, spicy, it all works here.
- Too thick? Add a splash of water or BBQ sauce when reheating to loosen things up.
- Optional heat: Add chili powder or hot sauce if you want a little kick.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 242IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 5mg
