Smoky · Hearty · Feeds a Crowd
Comforting Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe: Best Ever Crowd Pleaser
Three kinds of beans and browned ground beef, baked low and slow in a smoky, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. The potluck dish everyone asks you to bring.
- About 1 hour 15 min
- Serves 12
- Make-ahead
- Printable card
Straight from the oven: thick, glossy and bubbling at the edges.
This cowboy baked beans recipe turns a few cans of beans into the most requested dish at any cookout. Kidney, pinto and butter beans bake with browned ground beef, onion and pepper in a sauce that is sweet, smoky and tangy all at once.
It is made with lean ground beef and optional crispy beef bacon, it feeds a crowd of 12 from one skillet, and it tastes even better made a day ahead. Below you will find the recipe scaled from 6 to 36 servings, a table for up to 100 people, a slow cooker version and what to serve alongside.
Save the pin for your next cookout or potluck.
What Makes Cowboy Baked Beans the Best Ever
Cowboy beans take everything good about baked beans and make it heartier. Four things set this version apart.
Three kinds of beans
Kidney beans hold their shape, pinto beans turn creamy and butter beans stay soft and buttery. Together they give every spoonful a different texture, which is what makes cowboy beans taste homemade rather than straight from a can.
Ground beef makes it a meal
Plain baked beans are a side dish. Add a pound of browned ground beef and it becomes a main — hearty enough to serve over rice or a baked potato with nothing else.
A sauce with four flavours
Sweet from the brown sugar, tangy from the mustard and vinegar, smoky from the paprika and savoury from the Worcestershire. Each one balances the others, so the beans never taste sugary.
Baked, not simmered
An hour in the oven, uncovered, thickens the sauce and caramelises the top. That sticky edge around the pan is the best part.
Not the same as plain baked beans. If you want a simple molasses side dish without the meat, our baked beans from canned beans is the one to make.
Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe
Cowboy Baked Beans
Three kinds of beans and browned ground beef, baked in a smoky, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.
How many are you feeding?
Ingredients
- ½ lb (225 g)1 lb (450 g)2 lb (900 g)3 lb (1.36 kg) lean ground beef
- 3 oz (85 g)6 oz (170 g)12 oz (340 g)1 lb 2 oz (510 g) beef bacon, chopped (optional)
- ½ large1 large2 large3 large yellow onion, diced
- ½123 green bell pepper, diced
- 2369 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ can1 can2 cans3 cans vegetarian baked beans in sauce, 28 oz can
- ½ can1 can2 cans3 cans kidney beans, 15 oz can, drained
- ½ can1 can2 cans3 cans pinto beans, 15 oz can, drained
- ½ can1 can2 cans3 cans butter beans, 15 oz can, drained
- 6 tbsp¾ cup1½ cups2¼ cups barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup½ cup1 cup1½ cups ketchup
- 3 tbsp⅓ cup⅔ cup1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp2 tbsp¼ cup6 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1½ tsp1 tbsp2 tbsp3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp1 tbsp2 tbsp3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp chili powder
- to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). If you are baking in cast iron, you will start in the same skillet on the stove.
Crisp the beef bacon
Cook the chopped beef bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until crisp, then lift it out with a slotted spoon. If you are leaving it out, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan instead.
Brown the beef with the onion and pepper
Add the ground beef, onion and green pepper and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking up the beef, until no pink remains and the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic for the last minute, then spoon off any excess fat.
Whisk the sauce
In a bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, smoked paprika, chili powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Combine gently
Add the baked beans with their sauce and the drained kidney, pinto and butter beans to the skillet. Pour over the sauce, add most of the beef bacon and fold everything together gently so the beans stay whole.
Bake until thick
Bake uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, until the sauce is thick, bubbling at the edges and lightly caramelised on top. Scatter the rest of the beef bacon over for the last 5 minutes.
Rest, then serve
Let the beans stand for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce keeps thickening as it cools slightly, and the flavours settle.
Roughly, per serving
Calculated from the 12-serving quantities with lean ground beef and beef bacon, as a side-dish portion of about ¾ cup.
This is an estimate, not a lab analysis. Leaving out the beef bacon or using less brown sugar brings it down.
What You Need
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How to Make Cowboy Beans (and Get Them Thick)
Beef browned with onion and pepper, beans drained, sauce ingredients measured. From here it is into the oven.
The recipe card has every step. These are the four moments that decide whether your beans come out thick and glossy or thin and sweet.
Brown the beef properly
Let the beef sit for a minute before you stir it so it catches a brown crust. Grey beef means flat beans; browned beef means depth.
Drain the right cans
Drain and rinse the kidney, pinto and butter beans, but keep the sauce in the can of baked beans — that sauce is the base for everything else.
Fold, do not stir hard
Butter beans break easily. Fold with a wide spoon from the bottom up so the beans stay whole and the sauce coats them evenly.
Judge by the sauce, not the clock
They are ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and bubbles thickly at the edges. Runny after an hour? Give them 10 to 15 minutes more.
Leaving out the beef bacon? Add one extra teaspoon of smoked paprika. The ground beef already brings plenty of savoury depth, and the paprika replaces the smokiness.
How to Make Cowboy Beans for a Crowd
One batch fills a 9×13 dish and disappears at any potluck.
This recipe scales without any changes to the method. These amounts give each guest about a ¾-cup side serving.
| Serves | Ground beef | 28 oz baked beans | 15 oz cans (kidney, pinto, butter) | Barbecue sauce | Bake in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serves12 people | Ground beef1 lb | 28 oz baked beans1 | 15 oz cans (kidney, pinto, butter)1 of each | Barbecue sauce¾ cup | Bake in12-inch skillet or 9×13 |
| Serves25 people | Ground beef2 lb | 28 oz baked beans2 | 15 oz cans (kidney, pinto, butter)2 of each | Barbecue sauce1½ cups | Bake inTwo 9×13 dishes |
| Serves50 people | Ground beef4 lb | 28 oz baked beans4 | 15 oz cans (kidney, pinto, butter)4 of each | Barbecue sauce3 cups | Bake inFour 9×13 dishes or a large roaster |
| Serves100 people | Ground beef8 lb | 28 oz baked beans8 | 15 oz cans (kidney, pinto, butter)8 of each | Barbecue sauce6 cups | Bake inTwo large roasting pans |
Each row also needs the sauce scaled the same way: multiply the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and spices by the same number as the ground beef.
Bake in several dishes
One deep roaster takes much longer to thicken than two shallow dishes. Several 9×13 dishes bake in the same hour and fit in most ovens.
Brown the beef in batches
No more than 2 lb per large skillet, or it steams instead of browning. Combine everything in a big bowl before dividing into dishes.
Keep it hot on the day
Hold the beans at 140°F or above in slow cookers or chafing dishes, or carry them in an insulated carrier straight from the oven.
Slow Cooker and Make-Ahead Cowboy Beans
Pick the method that suits your day:
Slow cooker cowboy beans
Brown the beef bacon, ground beef, onion and pepper on the stove first — this step cannot be skipped. Put everything in a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Take the lid off for the last 30 minutes so the sauce thickens.
Make them a day or two ahead
Bake as normal, cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat covered at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes, then uncover for the last 10 minutes. The flavour is even better on day two.
Cook them on the grill
Assemble in a cast iron skillet or a disposable foil pan and set it over indirect medium heat, about 350°F, with the lid closed. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once. The smoke from the grill gives them an even deeper flavour.
Quick stovetop version
Short on time? After adding the beans and sauce, simmer uncovered over medium-low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until thick. You lose the caramelised top but gain half an hour.
What to Serve with Cowboy Baked Beans
Cowboy beans belong next to anything off the grill. They are also hearty enough to be the main event.
Cornbread
Golden, slightly sweet and perfect for mopping up the sauce. Bake it while the beans are in the oven.
Grilled or roast chicken
Chicken thighs or drumsticks off the grill are the classic cookout partner.
Beef burgers
Cowboy beans and a burger on the same plate is backyard food at its best.
Creamy coleslaw
Something cold, crisp and tangy balances the rich, smoky beans.
Corn on the cob
Buttered and salted. Sweet corn and smoky beans were made for each other.
As a main
Spoon them over rice, a baked potato or a split cornbread muffin and call it dinner.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
| How | How long | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| HowIn the refrigerator | How long3 to 4 days | What to knowCool completely and store in an airtight container. They taste even better the next day. |
| HowIn the freezer | How longUp to 3 months | What to knowFreeze in portions with a little headspace. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. |
| HowReheating | How longUntil steaming | What to knowWarm on the stove over medium-low with a splash of water, stirring, or in a covered dish at 325°F. Heat to 165°F. |
| HowMaking ahead | How longUp to 2 days | What to knowBake, cool and refrigerate. Reheat covered, then uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken the sauce again. |
Cowboy Baked Beans FAQs
What is the difference between cowboy beans and baked beans?
Cowboy beans are baked beans turned into a hearty main. They use several kinds of beans instead of one, and they are cooked with browned ground beef, onion and pepper in a smoky, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Plain baked beans are usually one type of bean in a molasses or tomato sauce.
Can I make cowboy baked beans without meat?
Yes. Leave out the ground beef and beef bacon, cook the onion and pepper in a tablespoon of oil, and add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika for the smoky flavour. A can of black beans in place of the beef keeps them hearty.
Can I make cowboy beans in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef, onion and pepper on the stove first, then put everything in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Take the lid off for the last 30 minutes so the sauce thickens.
How many people does a batch of cowboy beans feed?
The standard batch feeds about 12 people as a side dish, or 6 to 8 as a main. For 25 people, double it; for 50, make it four times and bake in four 9×13 dishes or a large roaster.
Can I make cowboy baked beans ahead of time?
Yes, up to 2 days ahead. Bake them, cool them and refrigerate. Reheat covered at 325°F until hot, then uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Can I use dried beans instead of canned?
Yes. About 1 1/2 cups of dried beans, soaked and cooked until tender, replaces the three drained 15 oz cans. Keep the can of vegetarian baked beans for the sauce, or add an extra 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.
Why are my cowboy beans runny?
They need more time uncovered in the oven. Bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes, and remember the sauce thickens as it stands. Using undrained kidney, pinto or butter beans also makes them watery.
Can you freeze cowboy baked beans?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze in airtight containers, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat on the stove with a splash of water until steaming.
What is a good substitute for beef bacon?
Smoked turkey bacon works, or leave it out and add 1 extra teaspoon of smoked paprika. The ground beef already gives the beans plenty of savoury depth.
More Crowd-Pleasing Recipes
Planning a cookout? These go on the same table.
Brown the beef properly, drain every can except the baked beans, fold gently and bake until the sauce is thick and sticky at the edges. That is all it takes to make the dish everyone remembers.
Pin this cowboy baked beans recipe so it is ready for your next cookout, potluck or family dinner.
