These Slow Cooker Cowboy Baked Beans are a delicious option for your next potluck. Packed with ground beef, bacon and three different beans, they are super simple to prepare.
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Have you ever had cowboy beans? You may also know them as calico beans or hamburger beans.
Basically, we have a trio of beans combined with ground beef, bacon and a delicious barbecue-esque sauce. The combination of sweet and smoky ingredients creates so much delicious flavor.
They make for a hearty, filling side dish or even a main dish with a side of cornbread.
Ingredients for Cowboy Baked Beans
Here’s what you are going to need for these beans:
Cook the Bacon and Ground Beef
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. While it’s heating, cut the bacon into small pieces. This makes cooking the bacon way easier and quicker too.
Add the bacon to the hot skillet and cook until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Leave about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet then add the ground beef and chopped onion. Break up the beef and cook until no longer pink.
Prepare Cowboy Baked Beans
Using a slotted spoon, add the ground beef and onion mixture to your slow cooker. Add the bacon on top.
Drain and rinse the pinto beans and great northern white beans. Add to the slow cooker along with the can of pork and beans. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
Slow Cook or Bake
You can cook these beans on low for 4 hours or on high for about 2 hours.
If you need them done quicker, you can also bake them in the oven. Follow the directions above except add the ingredients to a roasting pan instead. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
More Potluck Recipes:
Slow Cooker Cowboy Baked Beans
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 30 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can white northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can pork and beans
- 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef and onions to the skillet. Break up the beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Using a slotted spoon, add the ground beef and onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add bacon and all remaining ingredients. Stir until combined. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Or bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
