Cowboy Beans

This cowboy beans recipe is exactly what you need for all of your summer barbecues! 

I have a confession to make.

When I was a child, I did not like beans. I mean, let’s be honest. It’s not that I disliked the taste of them. I actually had never tasted them. They just looked kinda gross, if you asked me.

So, I didn’t try them. I just decided I hated them and I lived a sad life without beans.

The one exception was baked beans. I mean, you literally can’t go wrong with baked beans when you’re a kid. They’re sweet deliciousness. Like dessert for dinner!

My dad loves cowboy beans and I’d eat those anytime he made them. Cowboy beans are basically just baked beans with the addition of MEAT. Because cowboys like meat. Obviously.

So, as part of my partnership with Hurst’s Beans this year, I wanted to bring you a recipe for cowboy beans! This is a stovetop version and it’s seriously simple to make.

I used Hurst’s Slow Cooker Bacon & Beans for this one. It’s a mix of pinto beans and Great Northern beans, which is a great combo. The seasoning packet that comes with the beans give these a great boost of flavor. I know these are called slow cooker beans, but I like to make this one on the stove top.

If you’ve never cooked with dried beans or just believe that canned are as good, please give this recipe a try!

Dried beans are so economical and they really just taste better than canned, in my opinion. I mean, canned is fine when you need a shortcut. I’m not hatin’. But I do love dried beans when I have the time to let them cook. The flavor is always phenomenal and I feel very accomplished turning hard little rocks into tender perfection. 😉

You’re going to love this hearty cowboy beans recipe!

I have experimented a lot with soaking beans vs. not soaking beans. Both work, and I’d never hesitate to cook unsoaked beans when I’m in a pinch and decide that I absolutely must have some taco chili or pulled pork and pinto beans. If I know I’m making beans, though, I like to give them a soak overnight. It just helps ensure they’ll come out extra creamy and perfect.

This recipe calls for soaking and it’s totally worth it for the creamy goodness you’ll get.

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Recipe

Cowboy Beans

These cowboy beans make for a hearty dinner that any hungry cowboy or cowgirl would love. Loaded with beef and beans in a sweet and savory sauce, it's hard to go wrong here.

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Prep10 minutes minutes

Cook2 hours hours

Total2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Serves 12

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 package Hurst's Slow Cooker Bacon & Beans
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 pound bacon
• ▢ 1 sweet onion diced
• ▢ 1 jalapeno diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 7 cups water
• ▢ 1 cup ketchup
• ▢ 3/4 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons molasses
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Rinse and sort through the beans, discarding any debris. Place in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for 8 hours.
• Add the ground beef to a 5.5 quart dutch oven and brown, crumbling as it cooks. Remove from the pan and drain the grease.
• Dice the bacon and add to the dutch oven. Cook, stirring often, until crisp.
• Add the onion and jalapeno the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Return the ground beef to the pan with the bacon and vegetables.
• Drain the beans and add to the pan. Cover with 7 cups of water.
• Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stir every 30 minutes.
• Stir in the seasoning packet that came with the beans along with the the salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes more, uncovered.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 348kcal (17%)| Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)| Protein: 11g (22%)| Fat: 22g (34%)| Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)| Cholesterol: 51mg (17%)| Sodium: 859mg (37%)| Potassium: 339mg (10%)| Sugar: 21g (23%)| Vitamin A: 130IU (3%)| Vitamin C: 3.7mg (4%)| Calcium: 41mg (4%)| Iron: 1.3mg (7%)

Author: Karly Campbell

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Keyword:beans, easy side dish recipes

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