Sweet & Spicy Cowboy Beans Are Our New BBQ Side Obsession

Brooke Caison
hearty, creamy beans are cooked with bacon, ground beef, aromatics, and pickled jalapenos in a sweet, slightly spicy, and tangy sauce
Cowboy BeansPHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: LIBERTY FENNELL

Baked beans are a backyard BBQ staple, but cowboy beans take this simple side to the next level. Hearty, creamy beans are cooked with bacon, ground beef, aromatics, and pickled jalapeños in a sweet, slightly spicy, and tangy sauce. Baked beans are usually thought of as a side dish, but the addition of meat and bacon makes this dish filling enough to eat as a main. If you bring this to the summer potluck, be prepared to have folks mob you for the recipe. 

Yields: 12-15 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 oz.

    bacon, chopped into 1/2" pieces

  • 1

    large yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 4

    cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1/2 c.

    chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers

  • 1/4 c.

    chopped pickled jalapeños

  • 1 lb.

    lean ground beef

  • 2 tsp.

    taco seasoning

  • Kosher salt

  • 2

    (14-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed

  • 1

    (14-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed

  • 1

    (14-oz.) can small red beans or dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed

  • 1 1/2 c.

    low-sodium beef broth or water

  • 1 c.

    store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce

  • 1/2 c.

    ketchup

  • 1/4 c.

    apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tbsp.

    Dijon or spicy brown mustard

  • 2 tbsp.

    molasses

  • 1 tbsp.

    hot sauce

Directions

  1. In a cold large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 9 to 11 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, roasted peppers, and jalapeños and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Push onion mixture to one side of pot. To the other side of the pot, add ground beef and taco seasoning; season with salt. Break up beef with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir to combine with onion mixture.

  3. Add black beans, kidney beans, broth, BBQ sauce, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and hot sauce. Stir to combine, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes more; season with more taco seasoning and salt, if needed.

You Might Also Like

Advertisement