Cowboy Baked Beans (Skillet or Slow Cooker)
These Cowboy Baked Beans are an EASY recipe that can be made with hamburger, 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!
Our Lima Bean Bake or Big Batch of Baked Beans are perfect to make in a roaster for parties and cookouts!
Recipe For Cowboy Baked Beans
Our Cowboy Baked Beans recipe creates a good hearty meal that can double as a side or main dish. There’s a very sweet sauce than compliments the meaty flavor wonderfully.
The sauce blends perfectly with almost any ground meat. We like to use sausage, venison or ground beef as they are the most common meats in our home.
My mom has the ultimate Meaty Baked Beans Recipe that is always popular as a side dish at parties. We love this recipe for Cowboy Baked Beans because it’s got great added flavors and is simple to make in 15 minutes.
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!
Ingredients Needed
- One pound ground meat – we like ground beef, sausage or venison.
- Onion – white onion is most economical, but yellow, sweet or red work fine too.
- Large can of Bush’s Baked Beans
- Brown Sugar
- Ketchup
- Mustard – We use a basic yellow mustard or a sweet and spicy blend.
Venison Baked Beans
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.
Cowboy Beans in a Skillet
Brown ground beef, venison or sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Drain fat if necessary. We typically use lean meat so there’s not much draining.
Add chopped onion and stir until tender.
Then add brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. This is a simple variation of bbq sauce to coat the beans.
Finally pour in the entire can of baked beans. Stir well.
Set to medium-high heat, cover and stir occasionally until warmed through which takes about 10 minutes.
Excess liquid will cook off during this time.
Serve warm and enjoy!
How to Make Cowboy Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker
- Brown ground venison, beef or sausage.
- Add all ingredients to a lined or greased crockpot and stir well.
- Cover and cook on low until warmed through about 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Other All American Recipes:
- Cheesy Beef and Hashbrown Casserole
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Ambrosia Salad
- Chili with Tomato Juice
- Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy
- Green Goddess Salad
Cowboy Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef venison or sausage
- 28 ounce can Bush's Original Baked Beans undrained
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard optional
Instructions
Cowboy Baked Beans in a Skillet
- Brown ground beef, venison or sausage in a large skillet and drain fat.1 pound ground beef
- Add chopped onion and stir until tender.1 small onion
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir well.28 ounce can Bush's Original Baked Beans, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon mustard
- Set to medium-high heat, cover and stir occasionally until warmed through which takes about 15 minutes.
Cowboy Baked Beans in a Slow Cooker
- Brown ground venison, beef or sausage.
- Add all ingredients to a lined or greased crockpot and stir well.
- Cover and cook on low until warmed through about 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
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Rate This Recipe Pin This RecipeOriginally shared on November 3, 2019 with pictures updated on January 6, 2024.
Very easy and a crowd pleaser! We could eat this once a week year round. Sometimes I add chopped onion and green peppers, and sometimes I omit the barbecue sauce if I don’t have it in the fridge or pantry. The original recipe is reliably delicious; and it’s easy to play around with as desired.
Absolutely delicious!