Pioneer Woman cowboy beans from The Pioneer Woman site bake four types of canned beans with bacon, ground beef, and a ketchup-based barbecue sauce in a Dutch oven at 350°F. And the pot serves 6 to 8 at approximately 540 calories per serving in about 1 hour and 20 minutes, since the oven thickens the sauce for 45 of those.
Where most baked bean recipes use one can of pinto or navy beans, this version mixes pinto, cannellini, kidney, and black beans for variety in every spoonful. So each bite has a different texture and color, and the mix of bean sizes means some hold their shape while others break down slightly and thicken the sauce.
Stirring the crispy bacon back into the pot before it goes into the oven is the step the source page warns you not to forget. And if you leave it out, the smoky flavor never infuses the sauce during the 45-minute bake, so the finished dish tastes flat even with all the spices.
Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com)
Pioneer Woman Cowboy Beans
Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes1
hour10
minutes540
kcalChopped bacon crisps in a Dutch oven before bell peppers and onion soften in the drippings, then ground beef and garlic brown with chili powder and paprika. Then four cans of drained beans, a ketchup-brown sugar barbecue sauce, and the reserved bacon stir in before 45 minutes covered at 350°F.
Ingredients
- For the meat base:
1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- For the beans and sauce:
1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Heat to 350°F.
- Cook the bacon: Then cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Remove the bacon: Once crispy, transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Sauté the vegetables: Then add the bell peppers and onion to the drippings and cook until tender and lightly golden, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Brown the beef: Once the vegetables are soft, add the ground beef and garlic and cook until the beef is no longer pink.
- Season the mixture: Then stir in the chili powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Add the beans and sauce: Once seasoned, stir in all four cans of drained beans, the ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce.
- Return the bacon: Then stir the reserved crispy bacon back into the pot.
- Bake covered: Once everything is combined, cover and bake for about 45 minutes until the liquid has thickened.
- Serve hot: Then remove from the oven and serve.
FAQs
Can I use different types of beans?
The source page says any combination works as long as it totals four 15-ounce cans. And great northern, navy, or even chickpeas swap in without changing the cook time, since all canned beans are already cooked and just need to heat through.
But keeping at least two different colors on the plate is part of what makes cowboy beans look distinct from regular baked beans. Since the visual contrast between black, red, and white beans makes the dish more appealing at a potluck, variety is worth the extra cans.
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of the oven?
After browning the bacon, vegetables, and beef on the stovetop, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. And the slower heat gives the barbecue sauce more time to soak into each bean, so the flavor actually deepens compared to the oven version.
The source page also mentions that cowboy beans do especially well warmed in a slow cooker for a potluck. Since the dish holds on warm for hours without drying out, it is one of the easiest sides to bring to a gathering.
Can I make cowboy beans ahead of time?
The source page says to make them the night before, and the flavors only get better after sitting overnight. Then reheat on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to loosen the sauce if it thickened too much in the fridge.
And the same ketchup-brown sugar base that drives this sauce appears in the pioneer woman sloppy joes, where make-ahead filling also improves after a night in the fridge. Since both recipes rely on a tangy-sweet tomato base, overnight resting lets the vinegar and sugar balance more evenly.
What main dishes pair well with cowboy beans?
The source page suggests smoked brisket, potato salad, and coleslaw for a full barbecue spread. And since the beans already have bacon and ground beef inside, they carry enough protein to work as a main course on their own with cornbread alongside.
For a Pioneer Woman cookout, serve these next to the pioneer woman pulled pork on pretzel rolls, because the smoky sweet beans complement the apple cider braised pork. But avoid pairing with another heavy meat side, since the bacon and ground beef in the beans already fill that role.
How should I store leftovers?
The beans keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and the sauce thickens further as the beans absorb liquid overnight. Then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of water to loosen, since the starch from four cans of beans continues to bind the sauce.
And they freeze well for up to 3 months, though the softer beans like cannellini may break down slightly after thawing. Since the heartier kidney and black beans hold their shape better frozen, the mix of textures actually survives storage well.
