Cowboy Baked Beans with Ground Beef

Everyone loves my cowboy baked baked beans with ground beef. Full of protein and fiber, BBQ baked beans and ground beef makes for a comforting and hearty meal.

I don’t know about you, but a dish of baked beans is one of my FAVORITE summer barbecue side dishes. There’s just something irresistible about that sticky-sweetness of baked beans alongside a salty hot dog or savory burger, right?

I’m bringing all that delicious flavor into a lightened-up and meal-prep friendly dish that I like to call “Cowboy Baked Beans with Ground Beef.”

By making a few simple swaps, like adding in some vegetables and lean protein, I’ve turned this summer favorite into a whole dang meal that even my kid craves!

What Makes this Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe Macro-Friendly?

Glad you asked! Traditional baked beans are typically packed with sugar. We’ll be lightening up this recipe by swapping ingredients for lower sugar versions, while also adding in some additional nutrition and protein with bell peppers, onions, and lean ground beef. Feel free to use your favorite lower sugar barbecue sauce and brand of lower sugar baked beans in this recipe.

I used Bush’s Zero Sugar Added Baked Beans and Ray’s No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce.

By swapping for lower sugar varieties, you can control the sweetness in your recipe and I found that I just needed to add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar for total barbecue baked beans with ground beef perfection. (Feel free to swap brown sugar for maple syrup or a brown sugar substitute, or leave it out of the recipe entirely if you prefer)

You can also swap ground turkey for the lean ground beef, or even a meat-alternative veggie crumble if you’d prefer.

Cowboy Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe Notes

This recipe is super easy, I promise! First we’ll heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. (I’m kind of obsessed with these HexClad skillets I recently got. If you’re looking to upgrade your cookware, I totally recommend them!) If you don’t have a large enough skillet, you can also use a large pot instead.

Once your skillet is hot, add in your finely diced onion and bell pepper and cook until soft.

Add your lean ground beef to the pan and crumble and cook until brown. Because we’re using lean beef, you shouldn’t have any extra fat to drain off. If your ground beef has a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off the additional liquid so your cowboy baked beans aren’t too greasy.

Next, add in your spices, mustard, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and baked beans and give everything a good stir.

Once everything is combined, I recommend giving the mixture a quick taste. Add in more barbecue sauce or mustard or even more brown sugar to your personal taste.

Pour the baked beans and ground beef mixture into a large baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Mixture will thicken and get bubbly.

What to Serve with BBQ Baked Beans with Ground Beef

My favorite way to serve these Cowboy bbq baked beans is with homemade cornbread and a crisp green salad. My daughter loves crumbling her cornbread directly into her bowl and eating it with a spoon, but I prefer mine on the side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about this recipe.

What to serve with baked beans and ground beef?

I love this cowboy baked beans with ground beef because it’s a complete macro-friendly meal in one. So you don’t really NEED to add anything. This recipe has protein, carbs, fiber, and even some veggies, and is hearty and comforting. That being said, it’s delicious with cornbread and a green side salad, or even alongside grilled sausages or hot dogs.

What beans should I use?

You’ll want to make sure you’re using canned beans that are labeled as “baked beans”. These beans will have alot of flavor and delicious sauce. Other than that, you can select from any of the flavors. I like to use zero sugar added baked beans so I have more control over the sugar, but you can choose whatever flavors your family loves best. I do not recommend substituting with dried beans or beans that aren’t labeled as “baked beans.

Can you freeze baked beans and ground beef?

Yes! You can either freeze the whole casserole before you bake it in the oven, or you can freeze leftovers. If freezing the whole dish in the oven, just cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and then foil. To serve, unwrap and bake in a 350 for 1 hour. No need to defrost first.

If you’d like to freeze leftovers, just place the baked beans with ground beef in a freezer-safe bag or container, and then thaw and microwave or bake until bubbly to eat.

If you love this recipe, let me know! Also try out my take on a Greek youvetsi!