Serve up meaty delicious cowboy beans with ground beef at your next BBQ. They are a hearty and easy to make side dish that is made right in your slow cooker!
Nothing says summer BBQ like some slow cooked southern baked beans. These meaty cowboy beans have a thick sauce that has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
They feature ground beef and green peppers making them a delicious and hearty side dish. These beans are a perfect side for potlucks, BBQs and carry ins too!
MiMi has been making this easy recipe for years. In fact we have been saying we need to get pictures almost from the beginning of the blog.
The problem is she usually makes them when we are preparing for a crowd and it’s hard to slow down and take pictures.
So when I was thinking of sides to make for our 4th of July get together, these instantly came to mind. They are quick to throw together, they feed an army and the leftovers freeze well so they win on all fronts.
Email Me The Recipe
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
The original cowboy beans recipe was from South Your Mouth, but MiMi has adjusted it over the years to adapt for our large gatherings and we add black beans and green pepper for color and variety.
Cowboy beans are almost hearty enough to be a meal on their own, but we normally serve them with pulled pork or hamburgers and hot dogs.
So take it easy on yourself and make some cowboy beans for your next gathering!
Storage
Allow beans to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
I have also had great luck freezing these hearty baked beans. Portion them into containers the appropriate size for a meal later and freeze for up to six months.
To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight then microwave or reheat in a saucepan on the stove.
More Great Barbeque Side Dish Recipes
Baked Beans with Ground Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 pound ground beef*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 7 pound can of pork and beans large industrial can
- 2 15 ounce cans black beans
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard*
Instructions
- Dice the onion and pepper into small pieces.1 onion, 1 green bell pepper
- In a large skillet, brown the pound of ground beef, salt and pepper over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper until softened slightly.1 pound ground beef*, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Drain any free liquid off the top of the pork and beans and then pour into a 6 quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the pot.7 pound can of pork and beans, 2 15 ounce cans black beans
- Stir in the remaining ingredients including the cooked ground beef and veggies.½ teaspoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ cup barbecue sauce, 1 cup ketchup, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard*
- Cook on low for at least 4 hours, but as long as 8.
Notes
Email Me The Recipe
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
This is like dinner in a bowl…hand me a spoon! Thanks for joining Crockpot Monday today!
I think so too, I could definitely make a meal of them! Thank you!
I've been loving cowboy beans since the beginning of time! Glad to see a great slow cooker recipe for them.
They are so hearty and delicious, aren't they?
These beans sound so good Carlee. I love recipes for the slow cooker! Thanks so much for sharing with us at the Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party!
Me too! Especially for a party, making a side or two ahead in the slow cooker makes it easier to enjoy your guests!
I love these kind of bean dishes! I've never tried freezing them though, I might make them more often now knowing that it freezes well!
You definitely should give that a try! It's a lot to eat at once, but packaging the leftovers in meal sized portions makes it really easy to serve up sides later too!
I could definitely make a whole meal just out of these beans!! Yum!
I could too! I actually ate a bowlful for lunch the other day too 😉
I love slow cooker recipes and I love almost all beans. This recipe sounds perfect. Thank you for sharing.
I am sure you will love these then!
Hi Carlee, this sounds good and perfect for a winter warmer after one of our walks. I did dig the slowcooker out to cook some chickpeas for salads, but other than that it's on a summer break.
xx
I don't think to use the slow cooker as much during the summer either, but it really is a convenient way to cook without overheating the kitchen!
Oh yum Carlee. I've never had beans with beef like this!! Go Mimi, yet again.
Mollie
It makes for such a hearty and delicious side dish! Thanks 🙂
Cannot wait to cook up a big ole pot of these for my Crew! Happy Friday beautiful friend!
They are the perfect side for cookouts! Thanks, Andrea!