These hearty Southern baked beans or affectionately called “Cowboy Style Baked Beans “, are a holiday favorite made with ground beef, sweet onions, brown sugar, and tangy barbecue sauce. Whether you use Bush’s or Van Camp’s, this easy recipe is perfect for Fourth of July cookouts, potlucks, and family gatherings.

This is my mother’s recipe for baked beans, and it’s simply the best baked beans that I have EVER eaten! I promise it will be the biggest hit at your next summer cookout. So get ready because everyone will be asking for the recipe.

It’s deliciously rich and hearty. It’s like a meal-in-one.

Loaded with bites of ground beef, crispy bacon, onions, peppers, that’s all baked in a “Marvelous” sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. YUM!

I could eat a huge bowlful right now.

Why You’ll Love These Baked Beans:

Made with ground beef, sweet onions, and a rich, homemade barbecue sauce
Can be customized with Bush’s Baked Beans or pork and beans
Doubles as a main dish or hearty side—perfect for potlucks and cookouts
Easy to make ahead, and even better the next day
A family favorite passed down from my mama’s kitchen to yours

What You’ll need to make this delicious cowboy style baked beans

(Be sure to see the full printable recipe below this post.)

Ground beef
Sweet onion such as Vidalia
Green bell pepper, finely chopped
canned pork and beans or Bush’s original bake beans
Ketchup
Barbecue sauce
Light brown sugar
Yellow mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Bacon

How to make the Best Baked Beans

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. As the beef begins brown, add the onions and bell peppers to the skillet. Cook until meat is totally brown and onions and peppers are transparent. Drain the grease off the ground beef.
In a large bowl, combine the pork and beans, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Stir in the ground beef, onion, peppers into the bean mixture.
Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Place uncooked bacon strips on top of beans. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until bacon is done and baked beans are hot and bubbly. If cooking in a crockpot, pour cooked ground beef mixture and bean mixture into a crockpot and place uncooked bacon strips on top. Cook on low for 2 ½ hours to 3 hours stirring every 30 minutes.

You can bake these beans in the oven or cook them in a crockpot too. Whatever way is the most convenient for you. They are delicious cooked either way.

You can use Van Camps Pork-n-Beans or Bush’s Original Baked Beans. You may ask, what would be the difference? Van Camps is not already in a sweet sauce whereas Bush’s Bake Beans are already in a brown sugar sauce. We love the Bush bake beans in this recipe. If you use the Bush Beans, you might want to reduce the sugar amount just by ¼ cup because they are already packed in a brown sugar sauce. But if you are like me, the sweeter the better, don’t reduce the sugar.

If you have rather have a total vegetarian type bake bean, you can simply omit the ground beef and bacon all together. With or without the meat this recipe makes awesome bake bean dish.

Okay let get started! Brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add your onions and peppers just as the ground beef begins to brown.

I like to use sweet yellow onions. If possible, use Vidalia onions they are a mild super sweet tasting onion that is grown right here in Georgia actually Vidalia, GA. The onions are named after the town that they are grown in. I could go on and on about how much I love Vidalia onions! After browning your meat, drain off the grease. Next, in a medium size bowl, mix beans, 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together. Add the ground beef, onions and peppers to the barbecue mix and pour into a greased casserole dish.

Cut three slices of raw bacon in half and place them on top of beans. The bacon gives the beans a delicious flavor and your house will smell wonderful as the bacon cooks. You just got to have bacon in your baked beans. It’s one of those “Southern Things” for sure. Then bake at 350 degrees uncover for about 45 to 50 minutes until or the bacon is done.

If you are cooking the beans in a crockpot, simply pour the cooked hamburger/bean mixture into the crockpot. Add your raw bacon pieces on top. Cook on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Entertaining Tips:

Serve warm in a slow cooker or Dutch oven to keep them hot throughout your gathering
Garnish with fresh parsley or a sprinkle of crispy bacon for extra flair
Pair with grilled hot dogs, ribs, or pulled pork for the ultimate summer meal
Great for backyard barbecues, holiday potlucks, church suppers, or tailgates

Storage & Reheating Tips:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed
These beans freeze well! Just cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months
Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat low and slow

Enjoy!

Aletia

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Alan’s Backyard BBQ: Big Green Egg Pork Loin & Summer Grilling

Fall-Off-The-Bone Tender (spicy and sticky-delicious) BBQ Ribs

Watermelon Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing

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