Cowboy Baked Beans (Skillet or Slow Cooker)

These Cowboy Baked Beans are an EASY recipe that can be made with ground beef, sausage or venison.  Use the slow cooker or a skillet for a quick and easy meal with only a few basic ingredients.  We have friends that say this is one of the best recipes in their meal rotation!

What to Put in Baked Beans

Baked beans taste fine alone, but adding a few ingredients like meat, freshly chopped onions, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and vinegar can take a bean recipe from good to great.  My mom has the ultimate Meaty Baked Beans Recipe that is always popular as a side dish at parties.  The downside is that it takes a while to put together.  We love this recipe because it’s got great added flavors and it’s simple.

Baked beans are one of those classic American dishes that we all should have a recipe for.  I remember taking a 4-H project called “All American Foods”.  That was the first time I made baked beans.

In the same 4-H project, I made my first Goulash recipe.  For judging, I took this family Ham Ball Recipe and called the Rootin’ Tootin’ Hamballs and wore a denim dress with western accessories.  My table and place setting had a western style.  While I don’t recall the specific award I won I remember doing well and enjoying the project!

Easy Ground Venison Recipe Idea

Deer hunting is big in our area.  Although I don’t come from a family of hunters and have never really gone hunting myself, we know several people that hunt and have freezers full of venison that is the staple of their meals through the year.

Avid hunters are always looking for easy recipes that use ground venison.  Friends that shared this recipe and make it regularly typically use a pound of ground venison.  They use venison because that’s what they have and we use ground beef because that’s what we have.  Sausage would taste great too in this recipe.

As farmers, we raise corn and soybeans which deer love to eat.  We prefer the flavors of corn-fed beef, so I imagine some corn-fed venison would taste pretty good in these baked beans too.

How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans in a Skillet

1. Brown ground beef, venison or sausage in a large skillet.
2. Add chopped onion and stir until tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients.  Stir well.
4. Set to medium-high heat, cover and stir occasionally until warmed through which takes about 15 minutes.

How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker

1. Brown ground venison, beef or sausage.
2. Add all ingredients to a lined or greased crockpot and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low until warmed through about 3 hours.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Other All American Recipes:

• Loaded Smashed Potato Casserole
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• Farmhouse Style Chili
• Crock Pot Bacon Buffalo Cauliflower
• Red Potato Ranch Casserole
• Crock Pot Loaded Red Potatoes
• Farmhouse Loaded Potatoes
• Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Printable Cowboy Baked Beans Recipe