Who knew canned baked beans could taste this good? With a few simple upgrades, these Cowboy Baked Beans transform into a sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy delight topped with crispy bacon. Perfect for barbecues, potlucks, or a cozy weeknight dinner, this easy recipe is packed with flavor and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. As a home cook who’s made these beans countless times, I’m excited to share my best tips for making them your new favorite side dish!
I’ve been making these Cowboy Baked Beans for decades, and they’re always a hit! Whether it’s a summer barbecue, a potluck, or a holiday feast, these beans never fail to impress. It’s the kind of recipe that people ask for again and again, and I’m thrilled to hear from readers who say they’ve become a staple at their family gatherings too!
“The most flavorful, delicious baked beans EVER. My family and I love the molasses-based sauce and all of that tasty bacon! Another brilliant recipe from The Fresh Cooky!” ~ Eliza
As someone who’s spent years refining this recipe, I can promise you it’s as simple as it is delicious. I love starting with canned baked beans because it saves time, but the real magic happens with a few easy add-ins—barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and, of course, lots of crispy bacon. It’s that perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and a touch of spice that keeps everyone coming back for more.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Reasons to ❤️ this Recipe for Cowboy Baked Beans
- Savory fusion: Cowboy baked beans with bacon combine smoky bacon and hearty beans for a rich and delicious flavor experience.
- Comfort Food: At it’s best! Because they are easy too!
- Versatile: Enjoy it as a side or main course; these beans with bacon are versatile and always satisfying.
I’ve had an ancient recipe for baked beans floating around my kitchen for decades, but when my friend featured Southern Style Baked Beans, I knew I had to dust off my recipe and introduce it to her recipe. Southern girl meets Western girl!
Cowboy Beans Ingredients
- Canned Pork & Beans | I chose B&M baked beans, because they are gluten-free and do not have high fructose corn syrup. But you choose whichever brand you love!
- Onion | gives it a lovely sweet bite!
- Bell Peppers | Use any color you like, I used yellow because it’s what I had, use green, red or orange too!
- Bacon | Would it be a Cowboy dish if it didn’t have crisp bacon on the top! Mmmmm!
- Tomato Sauce & Ketchup | These add depth, richness and definitely that rich tomato-y sauce flavor!
- Molasses | Again adds to the richness of the dish with a touch of sweet, helps balance out the acidity in the tomatoes.
- Apple Cider Vinegar | Gives it the perfect tang! You can certainly replace with another vinegar!
- Mustard | We used spicy brown AND yellow mustard!
- Worcestershire Sauce | I could seriously slather this on everything, well almost!
- Spices | Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper! All-the-FLAVOR!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
If you are looking some fabulous potluck or barbecue side dishes, try these fan faves: Corn Casserole (without Jiffy), keep the bacon going with this creamy Bacon Balsamic Macaroni Salad or my personal favorite; Asian Ramen Salad – this one’s all natural!
How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, I probably should have used larger than a 2 qt mixing bowl, but I managed somehow!
So combine all sauce ingredients in the larger mixing bowl and whisk well. Remember if making gluten-free make sure ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses and Worcestershire sauce are all gluten-free.
Open can(s) of beans (I still occasionally use an electric can opener) and pour beans over sauce, no draining, you want all those delectable juices.
Step 2
Toss in diced onion and bell pepper. I added about a half of a 15 oz can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Freeze the other half of the tomato sauce and use in my Spanish Rice, sometime when you are not making baked beans.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C). Pour baked beans into a casserole dish, I used my trusty Pyrex casserole dish because it fits into my trusty Pyrex carrier and I was taking these beans to a BBQ at a friends house.
But roughly any 9 x 13 casserole dish would work just fine, if you have a 12″ or larger cast iron skillet try that or go one better and try a nice hefty cast iron dutch oven! I bet you could even cook these over a campfire!!
Step 4
Here is where it gets fun or good or AMAZING! Dice a ½ lb of bacon into small (bite-ish sized) pieces and toss onto the top of the beans.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
No need to make it pretty, but spread it out so that bacon gets crispy…cause I don’t like limp bacon!
That’s it, bake (uncovered) for 1 ½ – 2 hours — until the beans are a bubblin‘ and the bacon is crispy.
Step 5
At the end of the baking process, placed mine under the broiler, on the middle rack, for about 3 minutes to really crisp the bacon!
Stir it all together or leave that showy, crisp bacon on top! Now get out there, and make up these amazing beans for Father’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th or any BBQ, potluck, picnic or game day that calls for crazy good, Best Ever Cowboy Baked Beans.
Success Tips for the Best Baked Beans
- Low and Slow: Let the beans simmer in the oven to thicken the sauce and allow the flavors to develop.
- All About the Bacon: Sprinkle all the cooked bacon over the top before baking. This way, it gets nice and crispy, allowing that delicious bacon flavor to infuse every bite of the beans.
- Make Ahead: These beans get even better the next day, so feel free to prep them in advance for maximum flavor.
Cowboy Beans Add Ins
Looking to put your own spin on these Cowboy Baked Beans? Here are some popular add-ins that take this recipe to new heights:
- Ground Beef or Sausage: Browned ground beef or sausage adds a hearty, meaty element, making these beans even more filling.
- Sauté Onions & Peppers: Add a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter to a skillet and sauté the onions and bell peppers for richer flavor.
- Jalapeños: For a kick of heat, dice up a jalapeño (or two) and mix it in for some spice!
- Maple Syrup: Don’t have or want to use molasses? Add 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup for a richer sweetness that isn’t overpowering.
- Liquid Smoke: Add a couple of splashes of liquid smoke to bring that “cooked over a campfire” vibe.
- BBQ Sauce Variations: Try different barbecue sauces like spicy, honey, or hickory for a unique flavor twist.
Cowboy Baked Beans FAQs
If you need to prep your beans the night before or the morning of your event, simply prep your beans directly, and only hold off on putting the bacon on until just prior to baking. When ready to bake, remove from fridge and let sit on counter for 1 hour, add your diced bacon while preheating your oven and bake as directed.
Do not freeze unbaked beans; doing so changes their texture and taste. However, if you must freeze them, bake them first, cool them, and then freeze them.
Allow them to cool completely, then place them in a BPA Free freezer container. Careful to leave about ½ – ¾ inch of room at the top for expansion when frozen. This Recipe for Cowboy Baked Beans are good up to 6 months frozen. Thaw overnight in the fridge, transfer to an oven-safe baking dish, and reheat in the 250-300°F oven until bubbly (about 30-45 minutes) or toss in crockpot on low until warmed.
I reheated these in a cast iron baking dish the next day for dinner. They were just.as.good!
This Cowboy Baked Beans recipe keep well as leftovers (if you have any), but unless you plan on eating them within a few days it’s best to freeze them in dinner sized portions! I love these 2-cup Souper Cubes.
What to Serve with Cowboy Baked Beans
These baked beans would be so great with these Smashburgers with grilled onions, and a side salad, like this Wedge Salad and finish with these Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Great Barbecue and Potluck Dishes:
- Easy Asian Pork Tenderloin
- Corn Pudding Casserole (so good!)
- Shish Kebabs
- Oven Baked Barbecue Beef Brisket
- Juicy Hamburger (using Bison, Beef, Chicken or Turkey) aka, best burgers ever!
- Coconut Lime Chicken
And for potluck or barbecue desserts…
- Award Winning Key Lime Pie
- Easy Chocolate Loaf or Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake or Chocolate Shortcake
- Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies (amazing!! Check out all the reviews)
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (the reason the blog was started!)
More from The Fresh Cooky
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Cowboy Bean Recipe
Click stars to rate now!
Print Pin RateEquipment
- Lodge 5 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 2 28 ounce cans baked beans I used B&M original baked beans
- ½ large sweet onion diced (Vidalia or other sweet onion is fine)
- 1 large bell pepper finely diced (I used yellow, use whatever color you like)
- ½ lb bacon uncooked, chopped into pieces (I prefer uncured, nitrate, nitrite free)
- 8 oz tomato sauce 1 cup or ½ -15 oz can. I used organic
- 1 cup Ketchup I used organic
- ½ cup molasses unsulphured
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or replace with white vinegar
- ⅛ cup spicy brown mustard heaping
- ⅛ cup yellow mustard heaping (making with only yellow mustard increase to rounded ⅓ cup)
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Dash Cayenne Pepper more if you like heat
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper a couple of grinds of fresh pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C). Add all of the sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine, whisking if needed.8 oz tomato sauce, 1 cup Ketchup, ½ cup molasses, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅛ cup spicy brown mustard, ⅛ cup yellow mustard, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, Dash Cayenne Pepper, Pinch Kosher Salt, Black Pepper
- Add pork and beans (undrained), above sauce, and diced onion and bell pepper. Using a large spoon or spatula stir to combine beans with sauce.2 28 ounce cans baked beans, ½ large sweet onion, 1 large bell pepper
- Pour into a 9×13 casserole baking dish. Dice a ½ lb of bacon into small (bite-ish sized) pieces and toss onto the top of the beans. No need to make it pretty, but spread it out so that the bacon gets crispy.½ lb bacon
- Bake uncovered for 1 ½ – 2 hours until bubbly and bacon is crispy. If crisper bacon is desired, with beans on middle rack, broil for 2-3 minutes until desired crispness is reached. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve warm.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Notes
Nutrition
Joyce
This dish looked so good had to try it and I was not disappointed it’s delicious.
Thank you so much, so glad you loved them!
Mark A Pilarowski
Delicious every time
Thank you so much Mark, so appreciate your kind word!
Nikki Lee
These are so very tasty! I love making these in the fall and roasted hot dogs over the fire. The family loves it.
Thank you! Perfect with hot dogs!
Chad
Wow!!!!!!
Agreed!!
Liz
We made these baked beans for a cookout and every last bean got eaten! Haha that’s always a good sign. So yummy!
Haha!! Love it, Liz!
Sara Welch
Baked beans are a summertime staple in our house and this recipe was no exception! Hearty, bold and delicious; easily, a new favorite dish!
Love reading this, Sara! Thank you!
Tayler
I made these baked beans for a cookout over the weekend and everyone loved them! They were delicious!
Thanks so much, Tayler!
Janie
These baked cowboy beans will be perfect for our summer gatherings. My guests love anything with bacon and I’m sure they’ll devour this!
Absolutely!
Elizabeth
Delicious baked bean dish with great flavors! Broiling the bacon to make it crispy brings this dish to the next level. Looking forward to trying it for the next cookout I have!
Glad you liked it, Elizabeth!
Neha
Oh I love beans and this looks like such a great recipe! I think the addition of pepper would be perfect here for us since we love it a little spicy in our home!
Spice it up, I love it!
Gina Abernathy
Love these cowboy baked beans. The bacon— you spoke to my heart!
Haha, I understand!
Chenée
These baked beans were so incredibly flavorful! They had everything you could want in a barbecue side dish.
Thank you so much!
Sharon
These hearty cowboy-baked beans are the perfect addition to any cookout! So good.
YAY! Perfect for a cookout!
Tayler
I’ve tried many cowboy baked beans, and this recipe is by far my favorite! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow, so glad to hear that, thank you!
Eliza
The most flavorful, delicious baked beans EVER. My family and I love the molasses-based sauce and all of that tasty bacon! Another brilliant recipe from The Fresh Cooky!
Aw, thank you my friend!
Dana
Looooove this recipe! The bigger chunks of bacon make all the difference. They don’t seem like an afterthought, they are there to be TASTED. Excellent dish.
Exactly! Thanks so much Dana!
Gina
I have made this several times for our summer BBQ’s and it always the first side dish to go! So tasty and easy to make!
So very tasty!! Thanks so much Gina!
Kristine
We loved this recipe! Very tasty. I had hoped to have some leftover to pop in the freezer for a quick side later one, but nope! I’ll make these again, thanks!
Oh darn, they are great leftovver!
Sandra Shaffer
Delicious. This is a keeper. Shared at a potluck and everyone went for seconds. So full of flavor!
sheilag
I have made a variation of this recipe for eons…well since I was young. 🙂 One suggestion for those of us getting up there in years. Dice the bacon and cook some of the fat out before you put it on top of the beans. It keeps the beans from swimming in fat and tastes just as good. It also means I can put the Tums away. Otherwise a great recipe
A great suggestion Sheila! I am just too lazy! LOL! Thank you for your kind words and hope you had a wonderful Memorial day weekend!
Summer Yule
The perfect baked bean to enjoy with burgers! Thanks for the delicious recipe, we all liked it!
Thanks so much Summer, love hearing this! Appreciate the kind comment, have a great week!
Kathleen
Summer Yule
The perfect thing to bring to a Labor Day cookout!
Deb Clark
Great side for a bbq – everyone loved these beans!
Miz Helen
This is a delicious recipe and worth trying! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,447 this week. Hope you have a great Labor Day Weekend and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Miz Helen
Your Cowboy Baked Beans truly will be the best ever and the recipe is just in time for the season! Thank so much for sharing this awesome recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
You are such a pleasure Miz Helen. Thank you!!
Tasia ~ TwoSugarBugs
Hahaha Kathleen! You and I share so many “weirdnesses”, but not this one. I LOVE beans and this recipe looks INSANE!! I’m going to have to try it and see if I can lure the SugarBugs to eating beans too….
I love many beans too, guess just not so much a navy or white bean fan!! And thank you Tasia!!! This might be the recipe to try on your SugarBugs!
rosesandwhiskers1
Baked beans aren’t always my favorite but these do look delicious!!
Haha!! I hear you only 3 of the 4 of us in our family like baked beans!!