The Best Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon
These hearty baked beans with ground beef and bacon are the best you’ll ever make!
These homemade baked beans are so good they’ll make your tongue slap your brains out. They’re sweet and savory with just a hint of heat. And super hearty. These beans are good anytime and easy to make. A meat lover’s dream.
You can serve them at just about any gathering, even holidays. Around here, we usually make smoked barbeque for Christmas dinner, and these beans are the perfect side!
Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. These guys are easy to make!
Ingredients
Use cans of navy beans for baked beans. They don’t need to be drained. The liquid will reduce and thicken while the beans are baking.
One pound of lean ground beef makes these beans robust and hearty. I like to use lean ground beef so the final product is not too greasy. If you use fattier ground beef, drain the grease off after browning it.
Green bell pepper, yellow onion, and green onions help build a savory base for the baked beans.
Ground mustard adds a tangy note and can help make the beans easier to digest.
Paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper add the perfect touch of spice to balance the sweetness.
Brown sugar and molasses add a complex sweetness to the sauce.
Ketchup and apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce build a rich and complex sauce for the beans.
Top the pan off with uncooked bacon before popping it in the oven. The bacon cooks while its fat renders into the sauce.
Equipment Notes
You need a big oven-safe pot or pan for these beans. They’re about 9 cups before they cook down in the oven. I recommend using a Dutch oven or a very large cast iron skillet.
If you don’t have an oven-safe pot or pan, you can make them in a large pot on the stovetop, then transfer the beans to a large baking dish to cook them in the oven.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Then, get out a very large oven-safe pot or deep skillet. I like to use a big cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven.
If you don’t have an oven safe pot or pan, you can do the stovetop portion in a pot. Then, transfer them to a large baking dish to bake the beans.
Brown the ground beef with the peppers and onions over medium high heat. Crumble the beef as it cooks.
If you used a fattier ground beef, go ahead and drain the grease before you start adding spices.
Next, everything but the beans and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Turn off the stove burner.
Add the cans of navy beans with their liquid. Don’t drain them. Stir to combine. Don’t over stir the beans!
Now, arrange the pieces of bacon on top.
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Bake the beans for 1.5 hours. They will get thick and saucy and the bacon will render into the sauce.
Oh my. Good Lord.
Storage and Reheating
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium low heat or in the microwave.
Serving Tips
These homemade baked beans with ground beef are a hearty and delicious side dish. Meat lovers will go wild for these beans!
They are guaranteed to disappear at any barbeque or potluck. They also fit into holiday dinners.
You can make them as a side for Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!
Meaty baked beans are so hearty that they can easily pass as a main dish. Try serving them with cornbread and seasonal veggies.
They’re also a great side dish for BBQ meats. Serve them with smoked meats or Dutch oven pulled pork and 5-minute coleslaw.
More Tasty Side Dishes
Did you love these baked beans with ground beef? Let me know in the comments below!
PrintThe Best Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon
These hearty and meaty beans are the best baked beans you’ll ever make!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (Louisiana, Texas Pete, Franks…)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 15.5–ounce cans of navy beans (don’t drain)
- 6 slices of uncooked bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Brown the ground beef, peppers, onion, and green onions over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven.*
- Drain excess grease if there is any.
- Then, stir in the dry spices and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add all the remaining ingredients except the bacon and beans and stir to combine.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the navy beans with their liquids.
- Arrange the pieces of bacon on top of the bean mixture.
- Then, transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered at 350℉ for 1.5 hours.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
Cook the beans in a large oven-safe skillet or pot with at least a 10-cup capacity. If you don’t have a big enough oven-safe pot or pan, make the stovetop parts in a large pot. Then, transfer them to a large baking dish before putting them in the oven.
If you don’t have mustard powder, use 1 tablespoon of yellow or Dijon mustard.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 510.7 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.5 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 11.9 g
- Cholesterol: 25.3 mg
