Satisfy your craving for hearty, flavorful beans with this recipe for Cowboy Beans. Packed with ground beef, bacon, onion, garlic, spices, and a hint of sweetness, this dish is a crowd-pleaser perfect for any occasion.
I am in love with these mouthwatering good cowboy beans. They are just that tasty. I made them again last night, and I thought hubby and I would have to play rock paper scissors for the last little spoonful in the pot. They are the ideal meal for busy families.
You can prepare them in one of three ways. Either on the stovetop in a Dutch oven and simmer them as long as you like, or start them on the stovetop or in a Dutch oven and finish baking in the oven, or transfer them to a crock pot and finish cooking them there. If you like the flavors and ease of this recipe, try cowboy casserole, crock pot chili, sloppy joes, or Texas chili.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bacon: thick cut
- Ground beef: with some fat in it, like 85/15. Fat gives the beef flavor.
- Garlic: fresh, please
- Beans: like pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, great northern beans, or black beans
- Seasonings: chili powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Mustard: prepared mustard (like the one for hotdogs)
- Barbecue sauce: your favorite brand will work
- Apple cider vinegar: adds a little tang.
How to Make Cowboy Beans
First, brown the bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Using a slotted spoon, move the browned bacon to a layer of paper towels to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pot. Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Then, add the onions and cook until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Drain the excess fat from the mixture.
Please note at this point, you can transfer everything to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Or add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, to the pot and simmer for a couple of hours, stirring frequently, or place the pot in the oven for a little over an hour. Whichever way you wish to finish cooking the beans, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Purchase good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon and get it crispy.
- Buy ground beef with a little bit of fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor.
- Get the old-style pork and beans, not those ready to pour into the pot, and bake. I use Van Camp’s pork and beans.
- Drain any excess grease from the meats. No one wants a layer of grease on their cowboy beans.
- If you like a little bit of heat, add a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper, a little bit of siracha, or a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Go slowly, taste it, and see if you need more.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is a hearty meal, but here are a few ideas.
- Cornbread
- Corn fritters
- Air fryer potato wedges
- Creamy coleslaw
- Southern potato salad
- Roasted corn
- Beer bread
- Corn muffins
- Johnny cakes
- Cowboy caviar
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power so the beans do not explode.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power.
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Cowboy Beans
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can pork and beans do not drain
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard the hotdog kind
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Using a slotted spoon move the browned bacon to a layer of paper towels to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Drain the excess fat from the mixture.
- Please note at this point you can transfer everything to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Or add the remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon to the pot and simmer for 2 hours stirring frequently. Or place the pot in the oven at 350-degrees for 1 hour. Whichever way you wish to finish cooking the beans season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Purchase good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon and get it crispy.
- Buy ground beef with a little bit of fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor.
- Get the old-style pork and beans, not the ones that are ready to pour into the pot, and bake. I use Van Camp’s pork and beans.
- Drain any excess grease from the meats. No one wants a layer of grease on their cowboy beans.
- If you like a little bit of heat, turn it up some by adding a couple pinches of crushed red pepper, a little bit of siracha, or a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Go slowly, taste it, and see if you need more.
Nutrition
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Fred G
This came out great. I used some smoked sausage, and added a cup of beer, a can of kidney beans and and diced some jalapenos for extra spice. I made it in the morning and let it simmer all day. Very thick, hearty, hot and delicious on a cold winter day.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Fred! That sounds absolutely delicious! It is snowing here right now.
Soniya
Yum! Love how easy they are to make it in crockpot! Definitely maki them this weekend
Toni
This is s good!! Such a perfect weeknight meal! So comforting!
Dannii
Oh this looks like total comfort food. I definitely want a big bowl of this.
Katie
Made it for the family and it was a hit!
Katie
My family is going to love this recipe and I am so excited to try!
Natasha
It was so tasty I made it for my family and it was such a hit! This is going to be one of our favorite recipes for sure.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Natasha! So glad that you liked it!
Stephanie
These were fantastic! So easy and the flavor was perfection!
Carolyn
Sounds like a great recipe! Do you drain and rinse the beans before adding?
Beth Pierce
Yes I do! Thanks for the heads up! I will add that!
Katie
So easy and so delicious! The perfect side.
Ashley F
Turned out great and so tasty! Love how simple the recipe is!
Trang
So easy and bonus for it being very allergy friendly! My son is allergic to everything!
Anna
My family loved this dish! Perfect beans to go with BBQ pork!
April
OMG these were soooooooooo good. I’m drooling just thinking about them. They’re definitely going to be a staple around here!
Samantha
Such a yummy, hearty, sweet-and-savory one-pot meal…thank you for the recipe!
Lee Evers
~going to bring this to company, potluck,this week lookes easy~ thnx leelee
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! I hope they enjoy it. We love that recipe!