A hearty recipe made with pork n' beans, ground beef, brown sugar and barbeque sauce that's perfect for cookouts, barbeques and covered-dish affairs (made in the slow cooker or on the stove top).
I love, love, LOVE this recipe! I usually make it for a big weekend meal like a cookout or Sunday dinner and then have enough leftovers to serve again during the week as a side dish. And the best part? The kids LOVE it!
This is great to bring as a covered dish too because you can cook it in a crock pot and go! The recipe also has instructions for stove-top preparation as well.
Angel Baby actually made them this time. She’s 8 and is becoming quite the cook. The only thing I did to help with these was to open the cans and cut the onion. She did everything else!
Try these Cowboy Beans with one of these awesome main dishes:
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork – Perfectly seasoned, tender, juicy pulled pork cooked low and slow in a slow cooker.
- Sticky Chicken – Marinated slow-roasted chicken pieces braised in a slightly sweet, tangy sauce.
- Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby Back Ribs – Easy, oven-baked ribs cooked low and slow on a bed of onions.
- Perfect Pork Tenderloin – A no-fail recipe for perfectly cooked marinated pork tenderloin with a simple glaze.
- Barbequed Steaks – Thinly sliced grilled steaks marinated then basted in a homemade barbeque sauce.
Crock Pot Cowboy Beans

Yield: 10-12 Servings
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 H & 10 M
A hearty recipe made with pork n' beans, ground beef, brown sugar and barbeque sauce that's perfect for cookouts, barbeques and covered-dish affairs.
ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- Salt & pepper
- 2 28-oz. cans basic pork n’ beans (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
instructions:
How to cook Crock Pot Cowboy Beans
- Brown ground beef and onions with salt and pepper to taste until meat is cooked through. Drain fat then add meat mixture to a crock pot.
- Open cans of beans then pour off any liquid that’s settled at the top. Add beans and remaining ingredients to the meat mixture and stir to incorporate.
- For crock pot cooking, cook on low for 4-6 hours. For stove-top cooking, heat over medium-high heat until simmering then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour.
NOTES:
Look for plain pork 'n beans, not the fancier varieties that are already sauced/flavored. I usually use Van Camp's.
Images and text © South Your Mouth
This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck!
Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!
I have been making something very close to this for years! I only use the BBQ sauce - no ketchup or brown sugar, and add chopped bell pepper also. Everyone always loves them and they are very filling. It's so nice to be able to just carry them somewhere in the crockpot and plug them in.
ReplyDeleteLove your recipes! :)
Next time you make them substitute one pound of sausage for the beef....layer the top wth pre-cooked bacon and HOLD ON!
DeleteLooking forward to trying this recipe on the crew tonight. With our busy days, Cowboy Beans sounds like something we will add to the rotation. Thanks again Mandy, we love your recipes at our house.
ReplyDeleteI have been making a recipe very close to this for as long as I can remember~ My mom used to make it also! We called it Bean Hash:) Thanks for sharing this classic~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
ReplyDeleteI love recipes like that, too! I've made similar ones with vegetarian ingredients and they are always a big hit!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome recipe. I serve beans to over 200 folks on the street for a local Bean Days festival. This is the kind of dish folks gobble up (or down?=) Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck.
ReplyDeleteMy mom made a casserole like this when I was growing up and I loved it. I made these for supper tonight along with cheesy biscuits and french fries. It was like going back in time :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe...I have been looking for this recipe in print for a long time...
ReplyDeletedo you take the liquid from what's in crock pot or the cans of beans... I may try this :)
ReplyDeleteYou mean when I pour it off? From the cans :)
DeleteI do a version of Cowboy Beans that calls for Red Kidney Beans, Butter Beans & Northern White Beans. Also add in some cooked bacon pieces.
ReplyDeleteIt is delicious!
Awesome recipe! Cooking it right now and it tasted/smells/looks so good. Added some bacon as well because you can't go wrong with bacon. :)
ReplyDeleteFollowed word for word and served over rice, mmmmMMM !my dadsaid it is in his top 5.
ReplyDeleteMy family makes this all the time. It was something hubby and I grew up on and we love making it for our daughter, who also loves it. We follow the recipe step by step and it turns out great every time!
ReplyDeleteI have what may be a stupid question. . Do you brown the hamburger first?
ReplyDeleteyes
DeleteCan you freeze this? I'm gonna make this soon. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou could serve these beans over a buttered baked sweet potato for a "Hot Mess" like I do. I have saved so many of your recipes that I finally decided to sign up for your emails. I found you through "The Slow Cooker Chronicle". I have been doctoring pork n' beans for years and make a similar recipe to this called "Calico Beans." They are made like another commenter above mentioned. Keep the delish and easy recipes coming!
ReplyDeleteI usually add green & red pepper,onion,brown sugar,dark mustard,ketchup , soak hot dogs in bourbon over night,an beans!!!! Drunken Beans
ReplyDeleteAbout how many will this serve?
ReplyDeleteYou cant possibly be that stupid
DeleteBe nice.
DeleteAll the gloom as well as misfortune concerning cowboy a terrific way to earlier this holiday season will need to have experienced many providers thinking whenever they had been planning to take in their whole stock involving wholesale cowboy a terrific way to. Very first, quite a few manner reports explained cowboy a terrific way to had been complete. Future Equipment Journal happened to run their 2007 retail sales report that will mentioned the most severe performer throughout headwear pertaining to malls throughout 2007 seemed to be cowboy a terrific way to crosswrods solutions.
ReplyDeleteMy son calls these "Woody" beans ( toy story) and eats it in bulk served over rice . Awesome.
ReplyDeleteI love these and have been making them for decades. It wasn’t until 2005 when we moved to SC that I heard them referred to as “Cowboy Beans.” Every time I hear “Cowboy Beans,” I can’t help but think of the scene in Blazing Saddles with all the cowboys sitting around the campfire. :-D
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Hahaha
DeleteI'm going to made this as written and add 1 lb Little Smokies to the pot.
ReplyDeleteGood idea!
DeleteWhat kind of bbq sauce do you use
ReplyDeleteAny sort of ketchup based sauce... I am a fan of Kansas City BBQ sauces. I don't have a favorite brand.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I was looking for hamb and beans and found Cowboy beans, my neighbor requested it for her 3rd kids graduation this year. It's my go to take food. Everyone loves it. I make 4 batches at a time, take it to funerals, quilting at church in the winter.Now I have to try the other beans ones. Thank you for all your great recipes. When people ask for southyourmouth.com they don't believe me at first.
ReplyDelete