Our cowboy baked beans are a delicious stovetop side dish that includes ground beef and bacon for a quick and easy recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
If you are looking for the perfect dish to pass at your next BBQ, you need to make our cowboy baked beans for a crowd. Everyone will dig in and enjoy every last bite of these cowboy style baked beans.
You can make these loaded baked beans the same day you need them, or make them the night before and heat them back up the day of. Either way, they are seriously to die for.
When you bring these to a get together, they will easily be the star of the show against any of the other sides. The flavor you get between the bacon, ground beef, onion and the other ingredients is wonderful.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our cowboy baked beans, you need the following ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Onion, chopped
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Pork and beans cans
- Kidney beans
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Liquid smoke
- Salt
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans
- Start by browning the ground beef in a large skillet with the diced onion until it is cooked all the way through over medium high heat.
- Then after the beef is cooked, be sure to drain the grease otherwise it will pool when everything is combined.
- In another frying pan, cook your bacon and crumble it into small bite sized pieces and then add it into the pan with the ground beef. NOTE: Be sure to have your bacon cooked it will not cook all the way through and have that wonderful crispy taste if you skip this step.
- Now it is time to add in the cans of pork and beans, drained kidney beans, ketchup, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and a little salt to taste.
- Mix everything together and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes to be sure that everything is cooked through and the flavors can marinate together a bit.
- Once it is done simmer, feel free to serve it then, or let it cool down and store it for when you need it.
Recipe Notes
- Slow Cooker Directions: After you cook your meat, bacon, and onions, and throw all of the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook for 3 to 4 hours on low.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top.
- Liquid Smoke does add great flavor to this dish. If you can’t find it in your local grocery store, you can either get it on Amazon HERE.
- Tastylicious has a wonderful list of 9 of the best substitutes for liquid smoke. So, if you don’t have any, see if you have one of the substitutes on hand.
Enjoy More Delicious Bean Side Dishes
Need the perfect compliment to your main dish? You’ll want to try these delicious side dishes. Browse our comprehensive collection of simple side dish recipes.
Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe
Our cowboy baked beans are a delicious stovetop side dish that includes ground beef and bacon for a quick and easy recipe.
Serving servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ pound bacon, (cooked and crumbled)
- 40 ounces pork and beans, 2 (20 ounce cans)
- 16 ounces kidney beans, (drain well)
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Brown meat and saute onion together on medium high heat in a frying pan.
- After the ground beef is cooked through, drain the grease well.
- In another pan cook bacon and crumble into small pieces and add to the meat and onion mixture.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients into the large pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Directions: After you cook your meat, bacon, and onions, and throw all of the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook for 3 to 4 hours on low.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top.
- Liquid Smoke does add great flavor to this dish. If you can’t find it in your local grocery store, you can either get it on Amazon HERE.
- Tastylicious has awonderful list of 9 of the best substitutes for liquid smoke. So, if you don’t have any, see if you have one of the substitutes on hand.
Nutrition
Calories: 773 kcal · Carbohydrates: 64 g · Protein: 25 g · Fat: 48 g · Saturated Fat: 19 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 85 mg · Sodium: 974 mg · Potassium: 996 mg · Fiber: 12 g · Sugar: 21 g · Vitamin A: 154 IU · Vitamin C: 6 mg · Calcium: 115 mg · Iron: 6 mg
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Loving that this recipe ground beef AND bacon in it! Score!
This is my go-to dish for picnics. I don’t use the liquid smoke & instead of 2 cans of Pork & Beans, I use one, then one can of Butter Beans. And since you can never have too much bacon, I usually put the whole pound in.
Thank you
Would I be able to use sausage instead of ground beef.
Sausage would be amazing in these beans!
Delicious! Do these freeze well if I make extra next time for a later meal?
They will freeze great.