Cowboy Beans

Cowboy Beans are delicious! They go with just about everything. Hearty, and filling, you will want to try this recipe for sure!

Cowboy Beans

If you ever need a frugal recipe that’ll feed a lot of people ….. Consider this as an option! I will tell ya, there’s nothing pretty about this dish. It’s very hearty and filling though! I’m not really sure what cowboys ate on the trail …. but I’m pretty sure ol’ Lucky wasn’t toting around canned beans and ketchup. I would like to think that if they could have made their life easier, they definitely would have though!

I remember eating a version of this a few times growing up – probably when money was tight. You can use different varieties of beans too, if that’s more your style. You will want approximately 50-60 ounces of beans total. If you like pintos, lima, black beans ….. mix ’em up!

I will say – personal opinion here – but you have to have some sort of cornbread with these Cowboy Beans. It’s almost sacrilegious if you don’t!

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Cowboy Spaghetti
• Mexican Bean Salad
• Ham Bean Cabbage Soup
• Instant Pot Baked Beans
• Taco Soup

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Servings: 10 servings

Cowboy Beans

By Jamie Sherman

If you ever need a frugal recipe that’ll feed a lot of people ….. Consider this as an option! I will tell ya, there’s nothing pretty about this dish. It’s very hearty and filling though! I’m not really sure what cowboys ate on the trail …. but I’m pretty sure ol’ Lucky wasn’t toting around canned beans and ketchup. I would like to think that if they could have made their life easier, they definitely would have though!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 large onion, chopped
• ▢ 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• ▢ 2 cans baked beans, 28 oz. each
• ▢ ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup ketchup
• ▢ ¼ cup molasses
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ ½ cup barbecue sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 – 2 teaspoons pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, optional
• ▢ 1 pound bacon, fried and drained (optional)

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Instructions 

• Brown and crumble the ground beef in a skillet with the onion and jalapenos. Drain if necessary.
• Combine the beef mixture with the remaining ingredients. Put the mixture in a large casserole dish.
• Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until heated through and saucy.
• *Alternately, you could cook the beef with the onions and jalapenos, draining if necessary. Then combine all ingredients in a slow cooker coated with cooking spray and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Notes

• If you prefer a less saucy dish, drain most of the liquid off the beans and proceed as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 716kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 1597mg, Potassium: 1080mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 206IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on February 28, 2013. Updated on April 22, 2021.