Last updated on September 9th, 2023
These baked beans with ground beef and bacon could be a meal by themselves! Bring them to your next backyard barbecue and everyone will rave.
A couple years ago I was asked to bring baked beans to a family function. It was then that The Husband’s cousin shared with me that baked beans – good baked beans – must contain three ingredients: ground beef, bell pepper, and bacon.
I consulted a friend from church, who is a prolific grill master and makes some of the best dang baked beans I had ever had. He emailed me his recipe, which turns out wasn’t really a recipe at all. More of “a little bit of this, a little bit of that.” It took me a few times, but I managed to get the measurements just right.
Ingredients and tools you’ll need
This recipe uses canned beans as its base. If you feel so inclined to cook yours from scratch, go right ahead. But trust me, these beans have all the flavor of slow cooked homemade. Before you get started, make sure you have these ingredients on hand:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 2 (28 oz. each) cans original flavored baked beans
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup pancake syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 7 strips uncooked bacon
- 3 quart baking dish – this is the equivalent to a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Any shape will do.
Brown the ground beef and veggies
First, brown the ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Be sure to break the meat up into bite sized chunks with a wooden spoon while you’re at it. Once you’ve cook your meat, strain it from the pan to a paper towel lined plate. But don’t drain all the leftover grease in the pan. Keep at least two tablespoons and discard the rest.
Use that remaining grease to sauté one diced onion and a diced green bell pepper. Sauté it just until it’s tender. Then add your hamburger meat back into the pan.
Add the beans
Next, add the canned baked beans along with the mustard, bbq sauce, pancake syrup, mustard, and brown sugar. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Transfer to a casserole dish and bake
Spread the beans into the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer the bacon strips over the top. Place the beans in a 350 degree oven and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes. When you remove the beans from the oven, they will be PIPING HOT! Allow them to cool for at least five minutes before diving right in.
Storage, freezing and reheating:
Storage. Allow baked beans to cool completely, then cover with a lid or plastic wrap before placing them in the refrigerator. Consume within four days.
Freezing. These bean freeze beautifully! I usually freeze them unbaked, but you can just as easily freeze them baked. If I know I’m going to freeze them, I assemble the beans in a disposable casserole dish so I’m not tying up one of my good dishes indefinitely. Cover the beans with aluminum foil. Write the cooking instructions on the top so you’re not having to look for the recipe. Consume within three months.
Reheating. If frozen, you will need to allow the beans the thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Simply remove the foil or plastic wrap from the top and follow the cooking instructions listed in the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this recipe can be made up to two days in advance. Follow the recipe right up until you bake them.
Can these beans be frozen?
Yes, please refer to the above section for freezing instructions.
Can I used a different type of bean?
I used Bush’s Baked Beans for my recipe, which are navy beans. You could also use canned cannellini beans or Great Northern beans. If you use a different type of bean, please keep in mind that your baked beans may turn out slightly different than mine.
Can I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon?
Yes, but keep in mind turkey bacon does not release fat as it cooks like pork bacon and can dry out and turn leathery much quicker. I recommend cooking the beans covered for 20 minutes. Check the beans after that to see if they are heated through. You may need to return the beans to the oven uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes if the bacon hasn’t started to crisp up.
Can I used ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Absolutely! You should be able to replace all of the ground beef with the same amount of ground turkey with no problem.
Serve Baked Beans With:
Barbecue Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hamburger meat
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 2 (28 ounces each) cans original flavor baked beans
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup pancake syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 7 strips uncooked bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown the hamburger meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Break meat into pieces using a wooden spoon and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove hamburger from the pan and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the grease and return the skillet to the heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté, stirring often, until onion and bell pepper are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Return the hamburger meat back to the skillet. Add the can of baked beans, mustard, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, pancake syrup, salt and pepper. Stir until ingredients are combined and mixture is heated through.
- Pour beans into a 9 x 12 x 2 inch baking dish. Lay the bacon strips over the top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bacon is browned and the beans are bubbling.
