BBQ Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Bacon

4.94 from 32 votes

Sweet, smoky BBQ baked beans with ground beef, crispy bacon, and three types of beans — baked at 350°F for 1 hour or slow-cooked on high for 4 hours.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: dinner, Main Dish

Keyword: comfort food, hearty, oven, slow cooker

Servings: servings

Author: Courtney O'Dell

Cost: 20

In a large pan, cook bacon until crunchy and brown.
Remove bacon and set aside, do not drain fat from pan.
Cook onion and ground beef, crumbling beef as it browns, until no longer pink.
In a slow cooker or casserole dish, add cans of beans.
Add bacon and cooked ground beef and stir.
Stir in molasses, bbq sauce, mustard, sugar, and ketchup.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes - 1 hour, until bubbling hot and lightly browned on edges. If cooking in slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours.

Make-ahead: these beans taste even better the next day as the flavors meld. Make up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate, and reheat at 325°F covered for 20 minutes.
Mustard note: Courtney is allergic to mustard and skips it entirely when she makes her batch — the beans are still excellent without it.
BBQ sauce: a smoky hickory-style BBQ sauce gives the most depth. Sweet Baby Ray's or your favorite homemade sauce both work.
The 3-bean mix matters: kidney beans add earthy heartiness, butter beans add creamy texture, and pork & beans carry that classic sweet baked bean base. Don't skip the mix.
Freezer-friendly: cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the oven.

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