Is there anything better than a side dish that accidentally steals the spotlight at a barbecue? Cowboy Beans Recipe! I distinctly remember the first time I brought a pot of these to a summer potluck. I was worried they might be too hearty compared to the usual coleslaw, but the pot was scraped clean before the burgers even hit the buns.
If you are looking for a Cowboy Beans Recipe that is hearty, loaded with bacon and beef, and easy to make, you have found the right place. While standard baked beans are great, sometimes you need something with a bit more “oomph” to complement grilled meats. This one-pot cowboy beans dish is a total crowd-pleaser, and best of all, it’s incredibly make-ahead friendly. Whether you call them “chuckwagon beans” or just the best beans you’ve ever had, get ready to add a new favorite to your rotation.
Table of Contents
Cowboy Beans Recipe
Ingredients
The Meat Base
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20 or 85/15
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
The Bean Mixture
- 15- ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 15- ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 15- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 28- ounce can baked beans do not drain—keep the sauce!
The Sauce
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce your favorite brand
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy, about 7-9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot.
- Brown the Beef: Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef to the bacon drippings. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned and no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess grease if needed. Add the chili powder and smoked paprika, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer the beef to the plate with the bacon.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium and add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pot along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Combine Everything: Return the cooked bacon and ground beef to the pot. Add all four cans of beans (make sure to drain and rinse the pinto, kidney, and black beans, but keep the sauce from the baked beans). Stir everything together to combine.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using) until smooth. Pour the sauce mixture over the beans and meat, stirring well to ensure everything is evenly coated.
- Bake: Cover the Dutch oven with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the beans are hot, bubbly, and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Stir once halfway through baking.
- Finish & Serve: Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The beans will continue to thicken as they cool slightly. Serve hot alongside cornbread, coleslaw, potato salad, or your favorite barbecue mains. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or green onions if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
- Freezing: These beans freeze beautifully! Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Slow Cooker Variation: Brown the meats and sauté the veggies as directed, then add everything to a slow cooker. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours or High for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition
What Are Cowboy Beans?
If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, think of cowboy beans as the cooler, tougher cousin of regular baked beans. They are an amped-up version of baked beans featuring ground beef, bacon, multiple bean varieties, and a tangy BBQ sauce.
Historically, they are sometimes referred to as “chuckwagon beans,” a nod to the hearty meals prepared for cowboys on the trail. The mix of proteins makes them filling enough to be a meal on their own, but they truly shine as a side dish, bringing a savory, smoky depth to any plate.
Ingredients Overview
Achieving the right balance of flavors is crucial here. Each ingredient plays a specific role in building that complex flavor profile:
- Bacon: This provides the essential smokiness and fat to sauté the veggies.
- Ground Beef: Adds heartiness and transforms this from a simple side dish to a meaty main course.
- Bean Variety: We use a mix of pinto, kidney, black, and baked beans for their varying textures.
- BBQ Sauce & Ketchup: These create the tangy, rich base of the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Adds the necessary sweetness to balance the acidity of the vinegar and mustard.
- Spices: Chili powder and smoked paprika bring the heat and depth.
Ingredients List
- For the Meat Base:
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 or 85/15 recommended)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the Bean Mixture:
- 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 28-ounce can baked beans (do not drain, keep the sauce!)
- For the Sauce:
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite brand)
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for a little kick)
How to Make the Best Cowboy Beans Recipe
Get ready, because your kitchen is about to smell absolutely incredible. Here is how you whip up this easy cowboy beans recipe. I’ve broken this down into clear steps so you can easily follow them.
1. Crisp up that bacon. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grab your favorite large Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot and place it over medium heat. Toss in the diced bacon and cook until it’s perfectly crispy, which usually takes about 7-9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, and leave about one tablespoon of that liquid gold (bacon grease) in the pot.
2. Brown the beef base. Crank the heat up to medium-high and add the ground beef directly into the bacon drippings. Season it generously with salt and pepper. You want to cook this while breaking up the meat with a spatula until it’s browned and no longer pink, roughly 6-8 minutes. If it looks a bit too oily, feel free to drain the excess grease. Before you take it out, stir in the chili powder and smoked paprika for 30 seconds to wake up those spices. Transfer the beef to the plate with the bacon.
3. Sauté the veggies. Drop the heat back to medium. Add your diced onion and bell pepper, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté these, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and looking lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic at the very end and cook for just 1 minute more, want it’s fragrant, not burnt.
4. The big reunion. Now, return the cooked bacon and ground beef to the pot with the veggies. It’s time for the beans! Add all four cans. Remember: drain and rinse the pinto, kidney, and black beans, but pour the baked beans straight from the can, including the sauce. Please give it a big stir to combine everything.
5. Whip up the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using) until smooth and glossy. Pour this vibrant mixture over the beans and meat, stirring well to ensure every single bean is coated in that deliciousness.
6. Let the oven do the work. Cover your Dutch oven with a lid (or use aluminum foil if you don’t have a lid) and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes. You are looking for the beans to be hot, bubbly, and for the sauce to have thickened to a rich consistency. I recommend stirring it halfway through to keep the mixture evenly distributed.
7. Rest and serve. Remove the pot from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This pause enables the sauce to set up more as it cools. Serve it hot and watch it disappear!
Cooking Method Variations
While the oven is my go-to for that caramelized flavor, this Cowboy Beans Recipe is versatile! Here are a few other options for making it, depending on your schedule.
Slow Cooker / Crock-Pot Method
If you want to set it and forget it, this is perfect. Follow steps 1 through 3 (cooking the meats and veggies) in a skillet. Then, transfer that mixture into your slow cooker along with the beans and sauce ingredients.
- Cook on Low: 4–6 hours.
- Cook on High: 2–3 hours. This is ideal for winter months or when you need the oven space for other dishes.
Stovetop Method
Don’t want to heat the house? You can simulate the oven method on the burner. After step 5, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan.
Dutch Oven Campfire Method
If you are actually camping (how authentic!), you can cook this in a cast-iron Dutch oven over hot coals. It adds an extra layer of smokiness that is just unbeatable.
Tips & Variations
I’ve made this recipe a dozen different ways, and it is surprisingly forgiving. Here are some tips to make this Cowboy Beans Recipe your own :
- Adjust the Sweetness: If you prefer a more savory bean, cut the brown sugar to ¼ cup. If you prefer a “candy” sweet flavor, increase it to ½ cup.
- Spice it Up: For hearty cowboy beans with a kick, add a diced jalapeño to the mix with the onions and peppers. You can also swap the bacon for spicy chorizo.
- Bean Swaps: Don’t Have Kidney Beans? No problem. Great Northern beans or Navy beans work perfectly well here. The four-bean blend is merely a suggestion for optimal texture.
- Meat Lovers: Leftover brisket or pulled pork makes an incredible addition if you want to skip the ground beef.
Make-Ahead & Storage
These beans might even be better the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld. This makes them the ultimate champions of meal prep.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5–7 days.
- Freezer: Yes, you can freeze them! Place cooled beans in a freezer-safe container or bag. They will keep for 3–4 months.
- Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
What to Serve With Cowboy Beans
This dish is the perfect accompaniment to BBQ classics. Here is what I love to serve alongside my Cowboy Beans Recipe :
- Cornbread: You need something to sop up that sauce! A sweet, honey-buttered cornbread is the perfect contrast to the savory beans.
- Grilled Meats: Ribs, burgers, and hot dogs are natural companions.
- Coleslaw: A crisp, vinegar-based slaw cuts through the richness of the beans beautifully.
- BBQ Chicken: The sauce in the beans complements sticky BBQ chicken wings or thighs perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between cowboy beans and baked beans?
Great question! While baked beans are usually just beans stewed in a tomato and sugar sauce, Cowboy Beans are a much heartier dish. They typically include ground beef (or other meats), bacon, and a mix of different beans, making them more of a savory stew than a sweet side dish.
Can cowboy beans be made in a slow cooker?
Absolutely! Slow cooker cowboy beans are incredibly popular. First, brown your meat and veggies on the stove, then transfer everything to the Crock-Pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. It’s a great way to free up your oven.
Can you make cowboy beans ahead of time?
Yes, and I actually recommend it! Making them a day in advance allows the flavors to marry together beautifully. Just reheat them on the stove or in the oven before serving. They are sturdy enough to handle reheating without becoming mushy.
I really hope this Cowboy Beans Recipe becomes a staple at your family gatherings just like it has at mine. It is one of those low-effort, high-reward dishes that makes you look like a BBQ pro. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how you customized it. Leave a comment below!
