Hearty Cowboy Beans (in the slow cooker)

These super delicious and hearty cowboy beans are a great way to spice up dinnertime. And bonus, they’re easily made in the slow cooker so they can be prepped ahead of time, making the dinner a breeze.

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Easy crock pot cowboy beans

These slow cooker beans are a definite must make recipe. My rancher husband (aka our real life cowboy) created this recipe for us one Sunday afternoon after church. It has been a repeat favorite ever since.

And who doesn’t love a good old fashioned comfort food recipe?

This cowboy favorite is like good old comforting pork & beans, but elevated!

Ingredients

This easy recipe uses these basic ingredients:

• ground beef
• bacon
• kidney beans
• black beans
• navy beans
• sweet bbq — use your favorite sauce! We’ve used honey, chipotle, sweet onion, each variety has been a great addition.
• red bell pepper
• green bell pepper
• yellow onion
• chilli powder
• cayenne pepper  (recommended, but skip if you don’t like spicy)
• cumin
• garlic powder
• salt
• Optional jalapeño for extra heat if desired.

Instructions

This recipe comes together really easily. Simply, cook the bacon, cool and crumble into small pieces. Drain the bacon drippings and then in the same pan, cook the ground beef over the drained bacon grease until no longer pink.

Layer all of the ingredients inside of the crockpot or favorite slow cooker. Give it a stir and cook on high for about 4-5 hours. Or on low for about 8 hours.

Cowboy beans are great on their own. But you can elevate them even more by serving for a crowd to pair with a few fixings.

Some serving ideas:

• serve with tortilla chips
• add shredded cheese over top
• pair with sour cream
• top with fresh chopped cilantro (my favorite addition!)

How to store & reheat leftover cowboy beans

Store leftover cowboy beans in an airtight container inside of the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over low-medium heat until warmed through.

More favorite recipes

Here’s a few of our favorite comfort food recipes that we think you’ll love too!

• roast italian chicken
• cheddar beer bread
• chicken bacon carbonara
• double meat chili

Hearty Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans Recipe

These slow-cooker beans are loaded with plenty of beef & bacon, making them a cowboy favorite here on the ranch. This delicious beans dish will be your family’s new favorite recipe for sure.

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Rate

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Author Mary Woita

Servings 8

Calories: 275kcal

Equipment

• Crock Pot
• Large Skillet
• Wooden Spoon
• Ladle

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef browned & drained of grease
• 6 slices bacon cooked & crumbled
• 2 15.5 oz kidney beans drained
• 2 15.5 oz black beans drained
• 1 15.5 oz navy beans drained
• 1 medium yellow onion about 1 cup diced
• 1 green bell pepper about 1 cup diced
• 1 red bell pepper about 1 cup diced
• 18 ounces barbecue sauce use your favorite sweet bbq flavor
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder recommended, but skip if you don’t like spicy
• ¼ teaspoon cumin ground

Instructions

• In a frying pan, cook the bacon and remove from pan. Drain the grease and crumble the bacon once it’s cool enough to handle.
• Use the same pan to brown the ground beef. Cook until no longer pink, drain grease if needed.
• Layer the cooked ground beef, bacon crumbles, onions, red & green bell peppers inside of a crock pot or slow cooker.
• Drain the cans of beans and add to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (bbq sauce, seasonings) and stir until combined.
• Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for up to 8 hours.
• Serve & enjoy!

Notes

The cayenne pepper really gives these beans heat, but skip if you don’t enjoy spicy. 

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