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. 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 bean recipe is a hearty dinner 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. The addition of ground beef makes this a very hearty side dish.
It's simple to make and will feed a crowd. It's an easy side dish recipe that can be served at all bbq dinners.
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.
Ingredients
This recipe should be all about the baked beans but it is loaded with so much more. And the BBQ sauce mix adds the perfect combination of smokey, sweet, and tart. These meaty baked beans are bursting with BBQ flavors
Use your favorite hot pepper or hot sauce to give it a spicy kick.
Here is what you need to make this dish.
- Bacon
- Yellow Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Garlic
- Ground Beef
- Barbecue Sauce
- Ketchup
- Spicy Brown Mustard (or Dijon Mustard)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Honey (Or light brown sugar)
- Liquid Smoke
- Optional: Hot Sauce
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start off by placing a large skillet on the stove.
If baking in a 9"x13" prepare the dish by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
If using a large skillet that is stove to oven safe and you want to bake in it, you can skip the 9"x13" pan.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
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.
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 all the way through.
Add the BBQ sauce mix and beans to the hamburger meat and stir to incorporate. Bring to a light boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
How to bake in an oven-safe skillet: If using a skillet that can go from stove to oven, sprinkle the bacon on top, cover with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil, and place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for ad additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.
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.
Substitutions
This is one of the best baked beans you could make but it's also great because it can easily be adaptable to your preferences and needs. Different peppers and beans can easily be replaced.
- 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.
Variations
- Spicy - Even though this recipe has jalapeños it is still very mild. Make it spicier by using a spicy BBQ sauce or adding your favorite hot sauce to the BBQ mix.
- Double for a Crowd - This recipe can easily be doubled if you're serving more than 6-8 people. Double all the portions and use a larger casserole dish or even divide it into two.
Equipment
Large Skillet (oven-safe if possible): The best skillet to make these beans in is one that can be transferred from stove to oven. I prefer to use my Le Creuset braiser. A dutch oven could also be used. This dish can easily be made on the stovetop, place the lid on top, and then baked.
If you don't have a stove to oven safe dish it will need to be transferred from the skillet to a baking or casserole dish right before going into the oven.
Small - Medium Saucepan: A saucepan to warm up the BBQ sauce mix.
How to make it in a Slow Cooker: This hearty baked beans recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. Just cook the bacon and brown the meat first. Add cooked ground beef, peppers, garlic, and onion into the pot. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the top. Cook on low for 2-4 hours or until bubbly. Top with bacon right before serving.
Wooden Spoon - Wooden spoons work best in all kinds of cookware. Avoid using metal spoons or spatulas on most surfaces.
Storage
This baked bean dish will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To reheat add to a skillet or small pot and heat over medium-low heat until bubbly. Or place in a baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 until bubbly.
They can also be made a day or two ahead of time. Just skip the baking part and throw them in the oven right before serving.
How to Freeze:
These also freeze really well! Keep in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Do not do the final bake before freezing.
To cook from frozen: Remove from freezer for 1-2 days before and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. When ready to serve follow the baking instructions above.
Other Barbecue 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.
Did you make this recipe? If you enjoyed it, please leave a 5-🌟rating and a comment in the recipe card below.
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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 15 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.
- If baking in a 9"x13" prepare the dish by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
Prepare the Sauce
- While the bacon is cooking combine all the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan.
- Place over medium-low heat until bubbly. Reduce to a low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering prepare the meat mixture.
Making the Meat and Beans
- Once 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 all the way through.
- Add in the BBQ sauce mix and beans to the cooked ground beef and stir to incorporate. Bring to a light boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Baking in a Stove to Oven Skillet
- If using a skillet that can go from stove to oven, sprinkle the bacon on top, cover with oven safe lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid or foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Baking in a 9"x13" Dish
- 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 oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
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.
- Spicy - Even through this recipe has jalapeños it is still very mild. Make it spicier by using a spicy BBQ sauce or adding in your favorite hot sauce in the BBQ mix.
- Double for a Crowd - This recipe can easily be doubled if your serving more than 6-8 people. Double all the portions and use a larger casserole dish or even divide into two. Storage This baked bean dish will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To reheat add to a skillet or small pot and heat over medium-low heat until bubble. Or place in baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 until bubbly. They can also be made a day or two ahead of time. Just skip the baking part and throw them in the oven right before serving. How to Freeze These also freeze really well! Keep in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Do not do the final bake before freezing. To cook from frozen: Remove from freezer 1-2 days and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. When ready to serve follow the baking instructions above.
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.