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These Beef & Bacon Baked Beans, also known as Cowboy Beans, are a hearty and flavorful dish made with ground beef, smoky bacon, and tender beans simmered in a rich BBQ sauce. Whether you serve them as a side dish, main course, or appetizer, they’re always a hit.
Try This Next: My Slow Cooker Baked Beans or Cheesy BBQ Chicken Sliders are awesome options if you’re looking for more hearty crowd-pleasers.
Why I Love This Recipe
- One-pot dish that feeds a crowd!
- Combines sweet, smoky, and savory flavors.
- Uses simple pantry staples that you probably have on hand right now!
- Great for potlucks, cookouts, or weeknight dinners.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Before You Begin
Assemble all of your ingredients and any bowls, spoons, or measuring equipment you need. It speeds up the whole process substantially!
Ingredients
- Pork & Beans: Do not drain; they add a flavorful base.
- Liquid Smoke: Adds deep, smoky flavor without needing a smoker.
- Barbecue Sauce: Use your favorite brand to personalize the flavor.
How To Make Cowboy Beans
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add ground beef, diced bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain most of the grease.
Stir in the pork & beans (undrained), drained and rinsed beans of your choice, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, BBQ sauce, and garlic powder. Mix well.
Cover the pot and bake for 45 minutes, until bubbling and thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, these beans reheat well and taste even better the next day. Make them a day in advance and reheat before serving.
Can I cook this in a slow cooker?
Absolutely. Brown the meat and bacon first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
What other beans can I use?
You can mix in kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, or navy beans for variety.
Is liquid smoke necessary?
It’s optional, but it adds a nice smoky depth. If you skip it, consider using a smoky BBQ sauce instead.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these beans with cornbread, coleslaw, or over rice.
For a spicier version, add diced jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce.
To make it a complete meal, serve with a green salad or grilled veggies.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Storage: Leftover cowboy beans should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave for individual portions or the oven or stovetop for larger portions.
Freezer Storage: They can be frozen in a plastic freezer bag or storage container for up to 4 months. Be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the bacon and beef together to save time and build flavor.
- Use a mix of beans for texture variety—kidney, black, or pinto work well.
- Let the beans rest for 10 minutes after baking to thicken the sauce.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- 27 Simple Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef Enchilada Dip
- Smoky Vegetable Beef Soup
- Crockpot Spaghetti
- Tex Mex Ground Beef and Rice Skillet
Cowboy Beans)
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 pound Bacon diced
- 1 Medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
- 28 ounce Can Van Kamps Pork & Beans Do not drain.
- 15 ounce Can Beans Any kind, or a blend. Drain and rinse.
- 1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 18 ounce Bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a 5 quart dutch oven or other oven safe, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat for one minute. Add ground beef, bacon, garlic and onion. Stir, cooking until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain most of the liquid from the pan.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover dutch oven and bake beans in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Made this very good
That’s awesome John! Thanks for stopping by.
Great recipe with some notes. I used 12 ounces of thick cut bacon. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes as it cuts better when par frozen. Cut across the slices about 3/8 to 1/2 inch wide. Render down until it’s crispy then toss in the onions to cook them. Don’t drain that bacon fat! I used 80/20 ground beef browned in a separate pan then drained well. Pinto beans rinsed well and thoroughly drained. KC Masterpiece original sauce (no garbage ingredients in it). No garlic powder, up the minced garlic to 3 tablespoons. Best beans I ever tasted. Do it.
Awesome feedback Glen! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Made double the amount for a party and ran out with people asking wear the beans went . I have to say I myself enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome Ray! Thanks for stopping by.
Everyone who eats these beans love them. Making them again for a cookout tomorrow. We always use the smoker and omit the liquid smoke.
Delish.
Awesome feedback Steph! Thanks for stopping by.
The recipe looks very nice and I intend to try it. What would you think about adding a couple of tablespoons of molasses to the it?
hi Alan, I think it would be a nice flavor.
Kristen, I actually made the cowboy beans yesterday and I totally forgot I was going to add the molasses, but the dish was wonderful without it. The recipe is a keeper, so next time I’ll try to remember to add the molasses.
I’m getting ready to put these on the smoker right now! I’m pretty excited!
Nice! Let us know here in the comments how well it turned out, thanks for stopping by Riki.
Well since May 13th when I posted this, this is the third time I’ve made them in the smoker. This is definitely a keeper for a recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it!
You are so welcome Riki! Thanks for stopping by.
This is very good! I hate onions so I left them out, but it was really good. We just love beans, and this was yummy. Thank you.
You are so welcome Cheryl! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I made this as a side dish for Sunday dinner, but it could have been the main course. I added one more can of beans ( as we like beans ) and I used a no sugar added BBQ sauce. The flavor was tremendous. Everybody loved them! Will definitely be making them again!
Love the feedback Preston! Thanks for stopping by.
Recipe was well received at our weekly Pot Luck. In future, I would use less sugar or no sugar. It was too sweet for our tastes but the sweetness did balance out a bit better after baking time finished. The brands of beans and BBQ sauce used will also play into the amount of brown sugar needed.
Love your feedback Linda! Thanks for sharing.
Love these beans! But definitely cook the bacon first. I ended up picking out bacon and putting it in the microwave. It was way too undercooked otherwise. Otherwise perfect!
Love the feedback Deb! Thanks for stopping by.
I do the same thing Deb but other than that, I make them exactly like it says. They are so good!
This was the bomb, I’m going to try adding some sausage and hamburger next time, and a little more smoke
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Jim.
What would be the recipe if I use a #10 can of van kamps ????
hi Fred, you can use the slider bar for the servings to adjust the amount.
I know you said you pour the juice and all the beans from the baked beans into the pot, but would you do the same with the black and white beans I’m going to add also?
Thank you.
Any other beans should be drained.
as of now have not made them ut I love beans so hope to try them. when you say any kind of beans what kind or type do you .Ean? what kind do you use. please reply to email I am ase iir and get confused. thankyou
You can use any variety of canned beans.
I am looking for a western bean recipe, but my husband doesn’t like sweet beans! I see that these beans have brown sugar in them…would it be OK to leave it out? Can you taste sweetness in this recipe?
The brown sugar can be left out. It may have a slightly heavy tomato taste, but will be fine.
I tried this recipe for a family gathering and everyone went back for seconds. My host asked if I would leave the leftovers for him. These beans are delicious and I have been asked to prepare them again for the hosts birthday party. Only change is I used a different BBQ sauce, Show-Me Bar-B-Q Sauce.
Fantastic feedback Charlotte! Thanks for stopping by.
This is my first attempt at Cowboy beans and the recipe is spot on. My family said not to change a thing. The one thing I would do differently is to start the bacon before adding the beef and onion. I found the “undercooked” (according to me) bacon off putting. I ended up fishing out the bacon and crisping it up in the microwave. That was marginally successful. Next time I’ll cook the bacon, rendering most of the fat, and crisp it up just a bit. I’ll add it back in when I add the beans.
Fantastic feedback Deb! Thanks for stopping by.
So Good!
Has anyone ever tried this recipe and small pieces of potatos?
Do you mean adding potato to the mix? If you cook them separately that could work. I think it would be delicious stuffed into baked potatoes.
Absolutely, perfect. This is the recipe I was hoping to find. Seriously, thank you. I would not change a thing!
You are so welcome Trish. Thanks for stopping by.
I used my crockpot and cooked on low for 7 hours-delicious! My guests loved it!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Kathryn.
This recipe is awesome. It’s 7am on a Saturday morning and I’m up making them for a friend that has requested me to make them for his granddaughters birthday party today. Love love love this recipe!!!
Thank you for sharing the love Tammy.
I made this a few months ago for a church dinner, and they LOVED IT! I’ve just made it for another church dinner this weekend, along with a corn salad, stuffed eggs, crescent rolls, and orange fluff. One lady was very happy to hear that I’m bringing it again.
I use Bush’s Original Baked Beans, Colgin Mesquite Liquid Smoke, & Bullseye BBQ sauce.
Thank you so much for such a fantastic recipe!
You are so welcome Carolyn! Thank you for the awesome feedback.
Kristin
My Dad absolutely LOVES this recipe, and I make it for him all the time. This is BY FAR the best version.
Thank you Sandy!
My family loves this recipe!
Can I freeze half this ?
Yes! These beans will freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge then heat on the stove.
Can anyone tell me how many servings this makes?
It makes a generous amount, at least 8 servings.
Well now I know what I’m making for the block party. Thanks, Kristin!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Natalie.
Found this recipe last year and thought I would give it a try. Now my mom ask me to make them for every holiday event. Everyone loves them!!!
Hi Pamela, So happy that you and your family loved this recipe! thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your positive feedback.
These were perfect!! My boyfriends mother cooks EVERYTHING from scratch…(even noodles!!) So cooking for him can be a daunting task trying to compete with mamas cooking! He loves baked beans and anything with a lot of meat and BBQ really…and this got 5 stars from him. He begs me to make these for him regularly, and raves to everyone about how good of a cook his girlfriend is. So thank you for this great recipe!! It will come in handy around the holidays as well! Just a note: the ONLY changes I made were another 15 oz can of beans (i used light and dark kidney) and to my dismay I cant find your recommended brand of pork n beans, so I have to use Campbell’s brand instead.
Hi Amanda! Thank you so mush for sharing your positive experience.
how many servings does this make?
I just made these and they are so good!
I baked them in the oven for 1 hour in my cast iron Dutch oven. Yummm
Hi! I’m cooking your cowboy beans. Is the pound of diced bacon raw or cooked when u put it in the oil with the raw ground beef to brown?