These baked beans with ground beef and bacon will be a show stopper at your next barbecue. Loaded with ground beef, peppers, and topped with crispy bacon. It's the perfect combination of smoky, sweet and tangy. Don't serve boring baked beans again.
Baked beans are a classic side dish that you can find at just about any BBQ or potluck. Have you ever been assigned to bring the baked beans? If so, bring this recipe to really surprise your friends and family.
This baked bean and ground beef recipe is a hearty side dish, bursting with BBQ flavor, and has the added surprise of crispy bacon on top. But be careful, once you bring this dish you will be asked to bring it every single time.
If you love ground beef and bacon together check out my Dutch Oven chili recipe.
Whether hot dogs, pork sandwiches, or burgers are on the menu, this is a great recipe that will accompany it all.
The best part is it can be made ahead of time and thrown in the oven right before serving. It can even be frozen to be saved for a later date. It really is an easy recipe and makes the perfect side dish.
This is my family's favorite baked bean dish and I'm confident it will be yours as well.
Need other sides for your next BBQ? Check out my watermelon fruit salad, or a fresh mango pineapple salsa.
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⭐️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Hearty Side Dish: What is not in this recipe. It's full of protein, some veggies and flavor.
- Can feed a crowd: Everyone at your next BBQ will not get enough of these.
- Can be made ahead of time: Make everything in advance and just bake right before serving.
- So much flavor: The BBQ sauce mix just gives these beans so much flavor.
- Freezes well: Store in a freezer safe container to save for a later date.
🫘Ingredients and Substitutions
Pork & Beans: This recipe uses canned pork & beans but white beans can be used in it's place.
Ground Beef: I like to use a lean ground beef for these baked beans. Some other options are ground turkey or chicken.
BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce. This is where you can get creative. Use a sweet version or spicy depending on your preference.
Red Bell Peppers: Red bell pepper could be used in place of the green without altering the flavors too much. The red bell pepper can give this dish a sweeter flavor.
Optional hot sauce: Add in your favorite hot sauce to make it even spicier.
See full information on ingredients and quantities in the recipe card.
🥘Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
💡Pro Tip: Use a dish that is stove top to oven friendly. That way you can cook on the stove and transfer right to the oven to finish it up.
Step 1: In a small saucepan add all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce and warm over medium-low heat until bubbly. Reduce to a low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes while the ground beef and bacon is cooking. (Image 1).
Step 2: Dice the bacon into bite size pieces and start cooking over medium heat on the stove in a large, heavy bottom pan. I like to use 15" cast iron or large braiser.
Step 3: Once bacon is fully cooked and crispy, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
Carefully remove the grease. Do to wipe the pan! The remaining grease will give this dish so much flavor.
Step 4: Once the bacon is removed from the pan, safely dump out the grease leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add yellow onions and sauté until soft and translucent. (Image 2)
Step 5: Add in green pepper and jalapeño and continue to sauté until soft. Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds. (Image 3)
Step 6: Add in the ground beef, break up with a wooden spoon, and cook until it is completely browned all the way through. (Image 4)
Step 7: Add the BBQ sauce mix and beans to the ground beef. (Image 5)
Step 8: Stir everything together. Bring to a light boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. (Image 6).
💡Tip: If it is not an oven-safe skillet transfer to a 9"x13" baking dish, top with the bacon, cover with foil, and place in the oven.
Step 9: Spread the bacon pieces over the beans, cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes! This BBQ baked bean dish is great to make ahead of time and then reheat in the oven right before serving.
This baked bean with ground beef dish freezes really well. Store in a freezer safe dish. To reheat, take it out the day before and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. Then transfer to an oven safe dish and warm up at 350 degrees until bubbly.
All kinds of meat are great served with a baked bean side dish. Burgers, steaks, chicken, or pork are great options.
There are so many great ways to elevate baked beans. Some good options are bacon, ground beef, peppers, jalapeños, spicy brown mustard, and onions.
☀️Other Summer Side Dishes
There is no more perfect side dish than baked beans, but here are a few other things you could add to your next barbecue.
📋Recipe
Baked Beans with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 8-12 Slices of Bacon - Diced
- 1 medium Yellow Onion - Diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper - Diced
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper, or other hot pepper of your choice - Diced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves - Minced or pressed.
- 1.5 pounds Ground Beef
- 2 28 oz Cans of Pork and Beans - Drained
Sauce
- ¾ Cup Barbecue Sauce
- ½ Cup Ketschup
- 2 Tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1 Tablespoon Honey - or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the Sauce
- In a small saucepan add all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce and warm over medium-low heat until bubbly. Reduce to a low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes while the ground beef is cooking.
Making the Meat and Beans
- Dice the bacon into bite size pieces and start cooking over medium heat on the stove in a large, heavy bottom pan.
- Once bacon is fully cooked and crispy, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
- Carefully remove the grease. Do to wipe the pan! The remaining grease will give this dish so much flavor.
- Once the bacon is removed from the pan, safely dump out the grease leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add yellow onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add in green pepper and jalapeño and continue to sauté until soft. Add in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add in the ground beef, break up with a wooden spoon, and cook until it is completely browned and fully cooked.
- Add the BBQ sauce mix and beans to the ground beef.
- Stir everything together. Bring to a light boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spread the bacon over the beans, cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Notes
- Black Beans: Black beans could be used in place of pork and beans but you will not get the same classic BBQ baked beans flavor.
- Red Bell Peppers: Red bell pepper could be used in place of the green without altering the flavors too much. The red bell pepper can give this dish a sweet flavor.
- Ground Turkey: Use ground turkey instead of ground beef
Hello, in the directions it mentions garlic but it’s not in the ingredients list. How much garlic?
Thank you Rebecca I will update that! I typically use 2-3 cloves.