This cowboy beans recipe takes beans to a whole new level with ground beef, bacon, brown sugar and tangy barbecue sauce, a great side dish, for dinner parties or for cookouts! It's so easy to make!
Cowboy beans is a popular dish in the southwestern U.S. At its core, it is a collection of beans and ground meat in a tangy, sweet bbq-like sauce. Ground beef and pinto beans are traditionally used, though the recipe has certain variations with other meats and beans. It is quite adaptable.
I enjoy making a version with ground beef and bacon, and a mixture of beans, which you'll see below.
What Are Cowboy Beans?
In texture and appearance, Cowboy Beans is very much like a pot of chili, being primarily a big pot of beans and meat with sauce. Flavor-wise, I'd almost call it a BBQ Chili because of the tangy sauce and overall ingredients.
It goes by other names, like Campfire Beans, Texas Cowboy Beans or Chuck Wagon Beans.
Cowboy beans are quite hearty and filling. Total comfort food. It's a great side dish to pass around your backyard barbecue or summer cookout.
Personally, we think it is hugely delicious. It's easy to spice up with other peppers and seasonings, too.
Let's talk about how to make Cowboy Beans!
Cowboy Beans Ingredients
- Bacon.
- Vegetables. Onion, jalapenos, garlic
- Ground Beef. 80-20 ground beef. You can use other ground meats as well, such as ground sausage, ground pork, or even ground turkey. Or, use a combination of meats. It's GREAT with Mexican chorizo.
- Sauces/Flavors. Barbecue sauce, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, molasses, red wine vinegar, hot sauce to taste.
- Seasonings. Brown Sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
- Beans. Kidney beans, butter beans, pork and beans.
- FOR SERVING: Shredded cheese, if desired.
How to Make Cowboy Beans - the Recipe Method
Cook the Bacon. First, heat a large skillet or pot to medium heat. A Dutch oven is good for this. Cook the bacon in the pan about 5 minutes, or until it becomes nice and crispy.
Remove and drain on a paper towel. Remove any excess grease.
Pepper and Onions. Next, add the chopped onion and peppers. Cook them down 5 minutes to soften.
Ground Beef. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook it down about 5 minutes to brown it all over, stirring, until it is no longer pink in color.
Garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
Get Ready to Bake. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir in the Sauces and Seasonings. Add the bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt and pepper into the mix.
Remaining Ingredients. Next, add all of the beans and the reserved bacon. If you’d like a kicked up version, stir in some hot sauce as well.
Stir to Combine. Stir it all together, like so. Get it nicely mixed together for better flavor development.
Bake the Cowboy Beans. Set it into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove from Heat. Remove from heat when it is nice and bubbly. Looks great, doesn't it?
Top with cheese, if desired, or enjoy it as it! Serve with extra hot sauce!
BOOM! DONE! It is an easy recipe for sure.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Baked Cowboy Beans. This recipe is a baked version, though you can make it either as a stew in a large pot or Dutch oven, or in a slow cooker or crock pot. Either way will offer great results. Just cover and cook to develop all those wonderful flavors.
- Dutch Oven. In the Dutch oven, rather than baking it, simply simmer it on the stove top with the mostly covering it. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring every so often, until it thickens and the flavors develop.
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans. For the slow cooker or crock pot cowboy beans, transfer all of the ingredients to the slow cooker after you've cooked down the vegetables and ground meat. Cook on low for 4 hours, until the flavors develop. Slow cooker or crock pot version. Yes.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Cowboy Beans in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate them promptly.
Best Meats for Cowboy Beans
Most recipes call for ground beef, though you can (and should!) incorporate other meats. Consider ground turkey for a lighter version. Italian sausage or brats (ground pork) work great here. Feel free to use your favorites.
Try adding in sliced hot dogs. I love it with Mexican chorizo. Use a combination of meats for your preferred flavor.
Best Beans for Cowboy Beans
You can change up the kind of beans used to make cowboy baked beans. Pinto beans are normally used, but use a mix of different fresh or dried beans for variety. Some options include:
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Baked beans
- White beans
- Lima beans
- Butter beans
The list goes on.
Try making a smoked version in your smoker. Smoked Cowboy Beans! Yes! Or use liquid smoke for a smoky flavor.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Cowboy Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped (or use a bell pepper for a milder version)
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound ground beef 80-20
- ¼ cup bbq sauce use your favorite
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 16 ounce cans kidney beans (drained)
- 1 16 ounce can butter beans (drained)
- 1 16 ounce can pork and beans
- Hot sauce to taste
- FOR SERVING: Shredded cheese if desired
Instructions
- Heat a large pan or pot to medium heat. A Dutch oven is good for this.
- Cook the bacon in the pan about 5 minutes, or until it becomes nice and crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Remove any excess grease.
- Next, add the chopped onion and peppers. Cook them down 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook it down about 5 minutes to brown it all over, stirring.
- Stir in the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Stir the bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt and pepper into the mix.
- Stir in all of the beans and reserved bacon. If you’d like a kicked up version, stir in some hot sauce as well.
- Set it into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from heat. Top with cheese, if desired, or enjoy it as it! Serve with extra hot sauce!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 5/28/21 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 3/27/19.
Glenn says
would bake this with a lid on? and if I wanted could I simmer this on stove with a lidded cast iron Dutch oven.
Mike Hultquist says
Yep, all good, Glenn. Go for it. Just make sure any excess moisture reduces enough. I hope you enjoy it!
Mikey says
Almost every time you post a recipe I think I must make that and save it for later. This is one I finally made. I might change it a bit in the future but for the first time I wanted to make it exactly like your recipe. I was NOT disappointed.
Okay, this is one of those dishes you make and then you find yourself constantly getting into the fridge and sneaking more bites out of the container. Holy cow, I made this yesterday and, after I just heated up my supper with it, I have less than half the skillet left.
This is absolutely delicious. Now, the hot sauce I used is Tabasco Habanero Sauce. Honestly, I make a bunch of different sauces but I just LOVE this sauce for it's balance of flavor and heat. Dumped a bunch in there along with a few shakes of Dave's Ghost Pepper sauce (just a few). I'm the only one eating it so I can heat it up as much as I want!
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, thanks, Mikey! I know, this one is rather addictive. Very versatile! Glad you enjoyed it all to yourself! =)
Linda says
One of my favorite meals! Great for pot lucks also.
Thanks Mike for all your wonderful recipes!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Linda!
Ken says
Loved it! Thanks for the recipe. Full of flavor. Used chili beans, dark red kidney beans, and bush's brown sugar and bourbon baked beans.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Ken!!
Jennifer says
I would like to add a can of black beans and pinto beans to the original recipe. How should I adjust other ingredients? I can't wait to see how these turn out.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jennifer, yep, you can adjust the other ingredients to make sure it all fits. Enjoy!
Terri Konkel says
I was thinking the same thing. What I’m going to do is substitute one 16 ounce can of black beans and one 16 ounce can of pinto beans for the two 16 ounce cans of kidney beans, but for good measure I might also throw in a can of the small red kidney beans just because I like the color and texture variety. There really aren’t any rules.
Bill says
I've been making something like this for years--though not as spicy as your recipe, natch. My version is from the upper Midwest and goes by the name of "Calico Bean Bake". I'm trying your version soon--along with burgers or dogs. Thanks for the recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bill, yes, I believe they are pretty much the same thing, with very subtle differences depending on the cook. I hope you enjoy this one!
Jérémie says
Great recipe, Mike, love the video. I made it with kidney beans, butter beans and black eye peas, ancho powder, maple syrup, and topped it with shredded cheddar.
Wonderful flavors, here! Thanks!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice, Jérémie! I love the tweaks.
Mel says
Now this looks really yummy..Just checked out my store of dried beans,I got 4 types..
Reading this recipe. I couldn't help thinking about the campfire scene in "Blazing Saddles"
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, nice! Thanks, Mel!
Larry Demas says
If using canned beans would you recommend draining and rinsing or is it fresh all the way? Thanks
Recipe looks absolutely delicious.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Larry, yes, drain rinse any of the beans. You don't need to drain or rinse the pork and beans, though. Let me know how it turns out for you.
ADRIAAN says
HELLO MIKE, THIS IS A FANTASTIC RECIPE,BUNDLES OF FLAVOUR. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT IT HAS BECOME ALMOST AN ADDICTION ESPECIALLY FOR BREAKFAST WITH A COUPLE OF EGGS, YUMMY YUMMY I GOT LOVE IN MY TUMMY.
CHEERS ADRIAAN, FROM SUNNY NEW ZEALAND.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Cheers, Adriaan! I appreciate it. Yes, quite addictive, and tasty!