Description
Hearty cowboy beans bring rustic Southwestern charm to your dinner table, delivering rich, smoky flavors that dance across your palate. Bold spices and tender beans create a comforting side dish you’ll crave at every backyard barbecue and family gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped
Beans:
- 1 (15 oz / 425 grams) can cannellini beans, drained
- 1 (15 oz / 425 grams) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 (15 oz / 425 grams) can pinto beans, drained
Other Ingredients:
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Render bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and golden. Transfer bacon to a paper towel, reserving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Sauté diced onions in the bacon drippings until translucent and softened, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Introduce minced garlic and ground beef to the onion mixture, breaking meat into small crumbles while cooking until completely browned.
- Eliminate excess grease from the meat mixture by carefully draining.
- Reincorporate crispy bacon pieces into the pot with the meat and onion blend.
- Pour in chili powder, assorted beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Thoroughly mix ingredients and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the bean mixture to a preheated 350°F oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and develop a rich caramelized surface.
Notes
- Bacon’s magic lies in rendering fat, which adds incredible depth to the bean’s flavor profile, so don’t discard that delicious grease.
- Opt for lean ground beef to reduce overall fat content without compromising taste, ensuring a healthier version of this hearty dish.
- Customize bean variety by mixing different types like pinto, black, and kidney beans for added texture and nutritional complexity.
- Make it vegetarian by substituting ground beef with plant-based crumbles and using smoked paprika to mimic the bacon’s smoky essence.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg