So you’re making Cowboy baked beans, good, you’re in the right place. This one starts with a can of baked beans instead of a pot of dried ones soaking overnight, and it still tastes like it took all day. A homemade sauce and a full layer of bacon crisped on top do all the heavy lifting. I’ve made this exact recipe for decades, tweaked it more times than I can count, and it’s still the one people ask me for by name.
Why I Can’t Show Up to a Cookout Without These
I’ve hauled this same pot of beans to more barbecues and summer cookouts than I can count, and it still gets me every time, somebody’s asking for the recipe before I’ve even found a spot for the dish on the table. Decades in, and it’s still the one people request by name, it’s not your average traditional baked beans.
If you’re building out your potluck lineup, this is one of my regulars, right alongside my Cowboy Caviar. Keeping with the whole cowboy theme, try this Cowboy Crack Dip. Neither one ever comes home with leftovers either.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “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
Here’s the thing though, it’s not complicated. I start with canned baked beans because nobody’s got time to soak beans from scratch for a side dish; then the real work is just a handful of add-ins: barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and a whole lot of crispy bacon. Sweet, smoky, a little spice. That’s the whole secret.
Reasons to love this Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe
- 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.
What Are Cowboy Baked Beans?
Cowboy baked beans start with the same canned beans you’d use for any potluck side, then get built up with a sweet, smoky, tomato-based sauce and a whole lot of crispy bacon on top. The “cowboy” part comes from the Western, chuck-wagon style of cooking, hearty and a little smoky, made for feeding a crowd off simple pantry ingredients.
They’re not quite the same as regular baked beans (usually a simpler brown sugar and molasses sauce) or the beefier “cowboy beans” you’ll see elsewhere, which lean on browned ground beef instead of bacon. Mine keeps it simple: canned beans, a quick doctored-up sauce, and bacon. Want it heartier? Jump to the Ground Beef Variation below.
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 it off and introduce it to her. Southern girl meets Western girl!
Cowboy Bean Recipe Ingredients
Basically, you are making a quick homemade bbq sauce to doctor up the canned baked beans!
- 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 bell pepper, 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!
- Optional: Add browned ground meat, more on that below!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
If you are looking for 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, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk well. Remember if making gluten-free make sure ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and Worcesteershire 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 veggies, stirring with a wooden spoon. 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 handy 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 large 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 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 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, game day or your family gatherings that calls for crazy good, best ever cowboy baked beans.
Slow Cooker Method
Short on oven space, or trying to keep the kitchen cool? These beans adapt well to the crockpot, with one tradeoff worth knowing upfront: the bacon won’t crisp up the way it does under dry oven heat or the broiler or quite flavor the beans like they do in the oven. In a slow cooker it stays tender instead of crackly, since it’s cooking low and moist under a lid instead of getting direct heat.
To make it this way, combine the sauce ingredients, beans, onion, and bell pepper right in the slow cooker insert, no mixing bowl needed. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once or twice if you’re around. Cook the bacon separately in a skillet or the oven until crisp, then stir most of it in during the last 15 minutes and save a handful to scatter on top right before serving. You still get that crispy bite in every bowl; it’s just added at the end instead of baked in.
What you’ll lose going this route: the deeper, slightly caramelized flavor you get from baking uncovered, and some thickness in the sauce. A slow cooker holds more moisture than an open casserole dish, so the beans stay a bit saucier and won’t reduce as much. If you want it thicker, crack the lid for the last 30 to 45 minutes to let some steam out.
Cowboy Beans Recipe Tips
- 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.
Hearty Ground Beef Variation
Want to turn these into more of a main dish? Brown a pound of lean ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no pink remains, then drain it well, really well, before stirring it into the bean mixture along with the sauce.
One word of caution: between browned beef and bacon on top, this can get greasy fast if you don’t drain it well. Blot the cooked beef with a paper towel after draining, and you could try going a little lighter on the bacon than you would with the classic version; half a pound instead of a full pound is plenty once there’s beef in the mix.
Everything else, the sauce, the bake time, the bacon on top, stays exactly the same. Serve it with cornbread and call it dinner!
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!
How to store Cowboy Baked Beans
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat, warm it covered in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or on the stovetop over medium-low, stirring occasionally until hot through. Microwave works in a pinch, just cover it loosely so it doesn’t splatter.
Freezes well for up to 6 months (bake it first, never freeze it unbaked). I like portioning it into dinner-sized containers before freezing; these 2-cup Souper Cubes are my go-to. Full thaw and reheat steps are up in the FAQ if you’re planning that far ahead.
What to Serve with Cowboy Baked Beans
These baked beans would be so great with a potato salad, Smashburgers with grilled onions, and coleslaw or this Wedge Salad and finish with these Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Great Barbecue and Potluck Dishes:
- Easy Asian Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Chop Marinade
- 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!
Equipment
- 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
- â…› cup spicy brown mustard heaping
- â…› cup yellow mustard heaping (making with only yellow mustard increase to rounded â…“ 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, â…› cup spicy brown mustard, â…› 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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
Anonymous
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!
Anonymous
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!!