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.
Hearty and Tasty Cowboy Beans
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.
Ingredients for Cowboy Beans
- Bacon – thick cut
- Ground beef – with some fat in it, like 85/15
- Garlic – fresh, please
- Pork and beans
- 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
- Light brown sugar
- 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.
What to serve with Cowboy Beans
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.
Try These Recipes Next
Cowboy Beans
Packed with ground beef, bacon, onion, garlic spices, and a hint of sweetness, these cowboy beans are a crowd-pleaser that are perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main meal
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: American
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 (see notes)
- 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.
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Karl
We love beans. This dish looks so delicious and simple to prepare. I am going to try it. I will report back, soon!
StarTraci
This was a delicious hearty recipe. It will be perfect for all those BBQs coming up. I can’t wait to share it with my friends and family.
AJ
I am glad I came across this recipe! This was SO tasty and easy to make. Great for my hearty eaters and even my picky toddler liked it. Thanks for the sharing the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine. AJ!
Mary
I’ve never made Cowboy beans, but I have heard a lot about them. Your recipe sounds delicious. Great way to enjoy beans, and easy to make! I am going to try them next weekend. I will report what the family thinks!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mary! Enjoy!
Susan M
These cowboy beans were absolutely delicious! It’s no wonder you and your hubby had to resort to rock-paper-scissors for the last spoonful. I love the versatility of this recipe – perfect for busy families with multiple cooking options. Thanks for so many flavorful recipes!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Susan!
Tammy L
This is a great recipe for the warm weather cookouts coming up! Love beans with my BBQs and breakfast picnics too!
Beth Pierce
I agree, Tammy!
Ree
I have always loved cowboy beans. This recipe is spot on. This is going on regular rotation ay my house. Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Willow
I never knew about draining the excess grease from the meats, but it makes such a difference in the final dish. Can’t wait to serve this again with some cornbread on the side!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Willow! Enjoy!
Jupiter
Great recipe! So tasty and easy to prepare! We will make this again and again!
Melody W
This is great for a warming supper by the fire. We enjoyed it with some cornbread. The pot was devoured. Next time I am going to double the recipe for leftovers.
Lily S
I have been wanting to make cowboy beans for a while now. I tried you recipe out and we all loved how moreish this is, I served ours with some nice thick crusty bread and I will definitely be making these again.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Lily!
Tricia E
So much flavor in these beans! And such a simple recipe! We loved it
Erica L
So yummy! I made this and everybody at our house loves it!
Ally Z
These beans are a staple at our house, they taste so good! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Ally!
Adalina
The Easy Cowboy Beans were a smash at our backyard BBQ! Such a hearty, flavorful dish that was super easy to prepare.
Sandy B
This was perfect dinner last night! So easy to make and so delicious!
Ricardo
This was such a tasty recipe! My boys and I loved it! We will definately make it again!
Joy
I had not made beans in ages. They were delicious and I remembered how much I loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!
Marilyn
This was a great bean recipe. I have never tried anything like this. I loved it. This recipe is a keeper!
Julie Dixon
Chili is a favorite in our house, and now your easy crockpot cowboy beans is in our rotation. So good and a great change-up from the usual.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Julie! So glad that you like them!
Cathy
I’ve always wanted to make these beans. I’m going to give this recipe a try! I will let you know what the family thinks.
Allison C
My partner loves homemade beans, and I haven’t made them in ages. Thank you for the delicious-sounding recipe! I’m on it probably this weekend! And I need to check out your cottage pie recipe next!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Allison! Enjoy!
Emily F
I had never heard of cowboy beans before, but these were amazing! So easy and so flavorful! These beans are perfect for large busy families.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Emily! We love them too!
Stephanie L
Yum, Yum! This is definitely not your standard beans out of a can. These Cowboy Beans are my new go-to recipe – easy to put together in my crock pot and taste delish.
Veronica Samos
I just found this and I am so happy to say that I will try to make it for family Sunday brunch! Looks not too difficult, so fingers crossed!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Veronica! Enjoy! You will do fine! It is very easy to make!
Claudia
These are absolutely delicious. I love the Tex Mex kick of flavors. Best BBQ Baked beans ever!
Vickie
Making this! We are super excited!
Thankyou for another yummy recipe ❤️
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Vickie!
Serena
Drain the tomatoes?
Beth Pierce
No do not drain the tomatoes
Dannii
This looks super comforting. Perfect for a cold day like today.
Alison
Hearty and flavorful chili with simple ingredients!
Aimee Mars
Now, this is a recipe I know my husband and I will fight over too! Any recipe that is good for busy families during the week is the kind of recipe I want to make so I’m saving this one for sure. It’s such a great side dish option.
Natalie
I just found this recipe and looks delicious. I have cans of beans that are unused for ages. I’m going to make this for dinner tomorrow. Can’t wait.
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!