Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans - seriously the BEST baked beans I've ever eaten!!! Loaded with beef and bacon. SO easy to make! Great for potlucks and cookouts. Ground beef, bacon, onion, baked beans, ketchup, mustard, beef broth, garlic, brown sugar. I took these to a cookout and everyone asked for the recipe. A new favorite!!
Cook ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain.
Cook bacon until crispy. Drain and chop.
Add cooked beef and bacon to a 6-qt slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Stir.
Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.
Notes:
I use Bush's baked beans. You can use any flavor that you enjoy,
Bush's uses navy beans in their canned beans.
Can substitute turkey bacon.
What can I add to baked beans?
bell pepper
chili powder
chopped onion
ham hock
liquid smoke for a smoky flavor
Can I cook these beans on the stove top? Yes! Cook the ground beef and bacon. Place all of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring the beans to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until the beans are hot and the sauce has thickened.
Can I cook the beans in the oven? Yes. Place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350ºF until warm.
To cut down on prep time, you can cook the ground beef and bacon a day or two in advance.
I cook the beans low and slow all day in the crockpot. If you are in a hurry, you can cook them on HIGH for a few hours and they will be good to go.
If you don't need to feed a crowd or have a smaller family, you can cut the recipe in half.
Store leftover cowboy beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator.