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Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon

These Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans are loaded with seasoned ground beef, smoky bacon, and three kinds of beans simmered in a rich, sweet, and tangy sauce. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this hearty Southwestern-style dish is perfect for BBQ gatherings, potlucks, family dinners, or an easy comfort food meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southwestern American
Calories: 471
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 8 ounces bacon chopped
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 1 28 ounce can baked beans with pork
  • 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can lima beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Method
 

  1. Gather the ingredients. Prepare all ingredients, chop the bacon and onions, and rinse and drain the kidney beans and lima beans.
  2. Cook the ground beef and bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped bacon. Cook for 7–10 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking the beef into small crumbles, until the ground beef is browned.
  3. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the cooked ground beef and bacon to the slow cooker.
  4. Add the beans and onions. Stir in the chopped onions, baked beans with pork, rinsed kidney beans, and drained lima beans.
  5. Mix in the sauce ingredients. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, and prepared mustard. Stir thoroughly until the beans and meat are evenly coated with the sauce.
  6. Slow cook. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for at least 3 hours, until the mixture is hot, bubbling, and thickened.
  7. Stir and serve. Gently stir the cowboy beans before serving. Spoon into bowls and serve warm as a hearty main dish or alongside your favorite barbecue foods.

Notes

  • Cowboy beans are also known as chuckwagon beans and are associated with Southwestern American cooking.
  • This recipe combines ground beef, bacon, baked beans, kidney beans, and lima beans in a sweet and tangy sauce.
  • Serve as a hearty barbecue side dish or as a main course with cornbread.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until thoroughly heated.
  • Cowboy beans can be frozen for up to 4 months.