Bity
These cowboy baked beans are what happens when a humble tin of beans meets browned beef, crisp bacon and a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce, then spends an hour in the oven until thick, sticky and caramelised at the edges. They are hearty enough to be dinner, yet they are happiest sitting beside something off the grill.
In short, cowboy beans are canned baked beans mixed with browned ground beef, crisp bacon, onion, barbecue sauce, ketchup and brown sugar, then baked uncovered at 350°F (180°C) until thick. They take 90 minutes in total, including 15 minutes of prep, serve 12 as a side and come to about 300 calories per serving.
I take a pan of these to nearly every cookout I am invited to, mostly because they travel well and partly because I enjoy watching the dish come back scraped clean. Better yet, the work is done in fifteen minutes. After that, the oven takes over while you get on with everything else.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love These Cowboy Baked Beans
- Canned beans, homemade taste. Starting with two big cans means no soaking, yet the long bake makes them taste slow cooked.
- Meaty and filling. A pound of ground beef and plenty of bacon turn a side dish into something that could carry a meal.
- Sweet, tangy and smoky. Barbecue sauce, ketchup and brown sugar bring sweetness, while mustard, Worcestershire and smoked paprika keep it balanced.
- Made for a crowd. One 9×13 dish gives 10 to 12 servings, which is ideal for potlucks and game days.
- Hands-off cooking. Once it is in the oven, there is nothing to stir or watch.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef. 1 pound (450 g). I use 80/20 or 85/15; anything leaner can cook up dry.
- Bacon. 6 to 8 slices, chopped. Thick-cut holds its texture best through the long bake.
- Onion. 1 medium, diced.
- Canned baked beans. 2 cans of 28 ounces each. Do not drain them, because their sauce becomes the base of the dish.
- Barbecue sauce. 1/2 cup. A smoky, not too sweet sauce works best, since sugar is coming from elsewhere.
- Ketchup. 1/3 cup, for tang and body.
- Brown sugar. 1/4 cup, which helps the top caramelise.
- Yellow mustard and Worcestershire sauce. 1 tablespoon of each. They cut through the sweetness and deepen the savoury flavour.
- Garlic powder and smoked paprika. 1 teaspoon of each. The paprika gives a gentle campfire note.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste. Go easy on the salt at first, as the bacon and canned beans are already seasoned.
Beans are a clever thing to build a side dish around. The Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter points out that beans of every kind deliver plant protein and fibre in each half-cup serving, so there is some goodness under all that bacon.
What Are Cowboy Beans?
Cowboy baked beans, often shortened to cowboy beans, are a Southwestern style dish of beans simmered or baked with ground beef, bacon and a sweet, tangy barbecue-style sauce. The name nods to chuckwagon cooking, where a pot of beans and whatever meat was on hand fed a hungry crew. You will also hear them called ranch beans, hobo beans or simply beans with hamburger.
How Are They Different From Regular Baked Beans?
Classic baked beans are mostly beans in a sweet molasses or tomato sauce, sometimes with a little pork for flavour. Cowboy beans, on the other hand, are loaded with meat and taste smokier and bolder. In other words, one is a side dish and the other is halfway to a chilli. If you would rather make the classic kind, I have a recipe for homemade baked beans too.
How To Make Cowboy Baked Beans
Cook the Bacon and Beef
1. Crisp the bacon. First, cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. Pour off most of the fat, leaving just a thin film of drippings in the pan.
2. Brown the beef and onion. Next, add the ground beef and diced onion to the same skillet. Cook, breaking the meat up as you go, until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain off any excess grease. ThermoWorks explains why store-bought ground beef should reach 160°F (71°C), and it will pass that comfortably here.
Mix and Bake
3. Combine everything. Then, in a large bowl or a Dutch oven, combine the canned beans, the beef mixture, the bacon, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Stir and transfer. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. After that, either tip it into a greased 9×13 baking dish or leave it in the Dutch oven.
5. Bake uncovered. Bake at 350°F (180°C), uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until thick, bubbling and slightly caramelised on top.
6. Rest. Finally, let the dish rest for about 10 minutes before serving, so the sauce can thicken.
Why Are My Beans Runny (or Dry)?
Runny cowboy beans need more time uncovered in the oven, and the sauce keeps thickening during the 10 minute rest. Dry beans usually come from a dish that is too shallow or an oven that runs hot. Here is how to fix each problem:
- Runny. They simply need longer. Leave the dish uncovered so the liquid can evaporate, and remember the sauce tightens as it rests.
- Greasy. Too much bacon fat or beef fat stayed in the pan. Drain both well before mixing.
- Dry or scorched at the edges. The dish was too shallow or the oven runs hot. Stir once halfway, or cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Too sweet. Stir in an extra teaspoon of mustard or a splash of cider vinegar.
- Too salty. Brands of beans and bacon vary a great deal, so always taste before adding salt.
Tips for the Best Cowboy Baked Beans
- Cut the bacon while it is very cold, or snip it with kitchen scissors. It is far easier than chasing warm, slippery rashers around the board.
- Cook the beef in the bacon drippings. That thin film of fat seasons the meat and the onion from the start.
- Do not cover the dish. The open bake is what reduces the sauce and gives you those sticky, dark edges.
- Mixing straight in an oven-safe Dutch oven saves a bowl and keeps the beans hot for longer on the table.
- For extra smokiness, use a hickory or mesquite barbecue sauce.
Slow Cooker and Make-Ahead Options
Slow cooker. Because the bacon and beef are already cooked, the slow cooker only has to heat everything through and thicken the sauce. Brown the meats as above, stir everything together in the crock and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Leave the lid ajar for the final 30 minutes if you want a thicker sauce. I have not timed this as precisely as the oven version, so treat it as a guide.
Make ahead. Assemble the cowboy baked beans up to a day in advance, cover and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, allowing 10 to 15 extra minutes. For potlucks, I bake it at home and carry it hot in an insulated casserole carrier.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge. Cool, cover and refrigerate cowboy baked beans for 3 to 4 days. Honestly, they taste even better the next day.
- Freezer. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Warm in a covered dish in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes, or in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water.
Variations and Substitutions
- Mixed beans. Swap one can for drained kidney, pinto or butter beans for more colour and texture.
- Different meat. Ground turkey or sliced smoked sausage can replace the beef. Leftover slow cooker pulled pork is wonderful stirred in as well.
- Spicy. Add a diced jalapeño with the onion or a pinch of cayenne.
- Peppers. A diced green bell pepper, cooked with the onion, is a classic addition.
- Less sweet. Halve the brown sugar and choose a tangy barbecue sauce.
- No Worcestershire? Use soy sauce instead.
What to Serve With Cowboy Baked Beans
Cowboy baked beans were made for cookout food. Spoon them next to grilled burgers, hot dogs or ribs, with a bowl of creamy coleslaw to cool things down. A wedge of skillet cornbread is the best tool I know for chasing the last of the sauce around the plate.
If this style of cooking is your thing, try my cowboy casserole or a pot of Texas cowboy stew next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients and Method
Should you drain the canned beans for cowboy beans?
No. Use both 28 ounce cans undrained. The sauce in the can is part of the recipe, and it thickens and caramelises as the dish bakes uncovered.
Which canned beans are best for cowboy beans?
Any brand of baked beans or pork and beans in a tomato-based sauce works. Original or plain varieties let the barbecue flavours shine.
Can you make cowboy beans without bacon?
Yes. Instead, brown the beef in a little oil and add an extra half teaspoon of smoked paprika to make up for the lost smokiness.
Can you make cowboy beans on the hob instead of baking them?
Yes. Simmer everything in a Dutch oven over low heat, stirring often, until thick. Baking uncovered at 350°F (180°C) still gives the best caramelised top.
Serving and Storing
How many servings does a pan of cowboy beans make?
This pan of cowboy baked beans makes 10 to 12 side servings. As a main course with cornbread, it feeds about six.
Can you halve a cowboy beans recipe?
Yes. Use one can of beans and half of everything else, bake it in an 8 inch square dish and start checking after 45 minutes.
How do you keep cowboy beans warm at a party?
Transfer the baked beans to a slow cooker on the warm setting and stir now and then. Add a splash of water if they thicken too much.
How long do cowboy beans last in the fridge?
3 to 4 days in a covered container. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of baking and reheat until steaming hot, about 20 minutes covered in a 350°F (180°C) oven.
Can you freeze cowboy beans?
Yes, for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a covered dish or a saucepan with a splash of water.
How many calories are in cowboy beans?
About 300 calories per serving when the dish is split into 12 portions, with roughly 15 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre and 8 g fat. These are estimates and vary with the beans and bacon you buy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 6-8 slices bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 (28 oz) cans baked beans undrained
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, leaving a small amount of drippings in the pan.
- Add the ground beef and diced onion to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.
- In a large bowl or Dutch oven, combine the baked beans, beef mixture, bacon, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Stir until evenly mixed, then transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish or keep in the Dutch oven.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until thick, bubbly and slightly caramelised on top.
- Rest for about 10 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.
