These Baked Beans with Ground Beef are the best Southern style baked beans. Spice up your baked beans with hamburger meat, bacon, BBQ sauce, bell pepper, onion, and spices.
Southern Baked Beans with Ground Beef
This baked bean and beef casserole is so delicious. It’s one of those recipes that totally brings me back to my childhood, and I’m pretty happy about it.
The homemade sauce gives the beans a wonderful, sweet, and zippy flavor boost.
Adding the beef, red bell peppers, and onions, then covering the dish in bacon makes it feel like it could be a meal all on its own. Just add a little toast and butter, or some of this Moist Jiffy Cornbread, and you’ve got a full meal.
Try serving it at a cook-out with a juicy hamburger, some grilled chicken, alongside a pulled pork sandwich, or with grilled hot dogs.
It would also be wonderful as a side dish for a holiday dinner, or really any family dinner.
It’s one of those dishes that’ll always leave you wanting just want one more spoonful.
What Can I Add To My Baked Beans?
Sweet BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce are my favorite baked bean flavor additions.
What Meat Goes With Baked Beans?
Bacon and ground beef are my favorite meats to add to baked beans. Some other popular options are breakfast sausage, spicy sausage, and hot dogs. Feel free to play around with it and make it your own!
How Do I Make Baked Beans Thicker?
First, let the beans rest before you serve them. It’s pretty common for the beans to look too runny right when they come out of the oven. If you let them rest for anywhere from 10 – 30 minutes, there’s a good chance they’ll thicken up enough.
If the beans are still too runny, you can try baking the beans a bit longer. A faster solution is to remove 1 cup of the beans, mash them with a fork, and then mix them back into the baked beans. Since beans are starchy, the mashed beans can act as a natural thickener.
Ingredients
To make this easy baked beans recipe, you’ll need bacon, lean ground beef, yellow onion, red bell pepper, canned pork and beans (I used Bush’s Original Baked Beans), sweet BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce), ketchup, light brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce.
How To Make Baked Beans With Ground Beef
Start by cutting the bacon into 1 1/2″ pieces, then sauté them until they’re crispy. Once they’re cooked, remove them from the skillet and wipe out any remaining grease. (See the recipe card below for the full printable recipe.)
Add the ground beef and cook for a few minutes, then add in the diced bell pepper and onion. Sauté it until the ground beef is browned and onions are translucent.
Add in the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Mix to combine.
Add in the canned baked pork and beans, and mix to combine.
Transfer the bean and beef mixture to a greased casserole dish, then top it with the cooked bacon pieces.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, and then bake the beans in the preheated oven. Once the beans are finished baking, let them rest for at least 10 minutes to thicken up before serving them. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
How Long Can Baked Beans Last In The Fridge?
Assuming all the ingredients you’re using were fresh and not approaching their expiration date, baked beans will last about 3 to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To store them, let them cool after baking. As soon as they’ve cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
Optional Adaptations
Try making it spicy by adding in some crushed red pepper flakes or some diced jalapeños.
If you like it cheesy, skip the bacon and top the beans with some shredded cheese.
Use a mixture of beans if you’d rather have something closer to a 3 bean casserole.
You can add a bit of molasses if you really want to lean into the flavor in the brown sugar.
Try using green pepper instead of red bell pepper if that’s what you have on hand.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Click here to pin this recipe for later!
Casserole Recipes With Ground Beef
Looking for more ground beef casserole recipes? Be sure to check out these popular ones!
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Hamburger Potato Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
Side Dish Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire side dish recipe section! We’ve got tons of recipes to choose from. Some reader favorites are:
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Green Bean Casserole
- Southern Green Beans
- Crockpot Green Beans with Bacon
- Carrot Salad
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
BEST Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe
These Baked Beans with Ground Beef are the best Southern style baked beans. Spice up your canned baked beans with hamburger, bacon, & spices!
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon (cut into 1 1/2” pieces)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced, about 1 cup)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (diced, about 1 cup)
- 3 (15 ounce) cans pork and beans (I used Bush's Original Baked Beans)
- 1/2 cup sweet BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce)
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C). Lightly grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until it’s crispy (about 8 minutes). Remove the bacon from the skillet and discard any grease.
- Return the nonstick skillet to the stove over medium heat. Cook the ground beef for 3 minutes and then drain away any grease. Add in the onions and red bell pepper and stir. Continue to cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Then mix in the pork and beans. After everything is combined, pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish.
- Place the cooked bacon pieces evenly over the beans. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes (to allow the beans to set and thicken up).
Notes
The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. You could even let it rest for 15 minutes and it will still be hot when you serve it.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 7.2gCarbohydrates: 37.2gFiber: 4.5gSugar: 21.6gProtein: 17.4g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Try making the best baked beans ever! These baked beans with ground beef are the ultimate baked beans recipe.
23 thoughts on “Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe”
Many, many years ago my son, who is now 40😮, suggested; Since we always have baked beans with our sloppy joes, why don’t we cook them both in the same pot and call them “Bean Joes.” My son still asks me, at least several times a year, to make this dish😋 It is very good served with coleslaw or corn bread instead of buns.
Thank you for sharin
Warning: Once anyone makes these “Bean Joes”, be prepared to make it a part of your regular meal rotation because it will be requested at least once a month❣️
Cottage cheese is like the best to have on the side with sloppy joe and get a lil on each fork full that goes into ur mouth sooo good
I totally agree, I mixed them by accident and I actually loved it.
Just reviewed the recipe ingredients because of course it sounds tasty. I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say this tastes like a sloppy joe with beans and bacon which sounds very tasty. Going to have to get some buns and cook this up this weekend. Probably would go well on a baked potato. Thanks for sharing.
Very good with white rice. I have eaten a similar version since I was a child….now 73.
Hi, my name is Chris Brownlee will it be okay after I’m done with my ingredients for the BBQ beans can I put them on the grill to get that smoke flavor.
Hi Chris, I haven’t tested this, but I’d imagine it would work if you did all the steps on the stovetop and then transferred it to a smoker safe dish on the smoker instead of to the oven. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! -Alexa
I made this recipe, but I haven’t gotten any comments because I don’t take them until tomorrow, but for me the sample tasting is unbelievable. I am sure they will be a hit. Enjoyed making them, very easy to follow instructions, also pictures to help. I will definitely try other recipes from you. Thanks.
Hi Kathy, So happy to hear you liked the baked beans with ground beef, and I hope everyone else enjoyed them, too! Thanks for the feedback about the site – it’s great to hear that the layout, photos, and instructions are helpful. -Alexa
Hi Kathy I’m baking as I reply… minus the bacon, plus some smoke…. it’s smelling heavenly. I taste tested, before putting in the oven (my my my) 25 minutes and counting!!!! Thanks
I have made these 3 times and my family just loves it, making it again fir the 4th of july.I have not had one person say they didn’t enjoy thank for the recipe.
Hi Brian, So happy you have all enjoyed these baked beans with ground beef so much! Thanks for leaving feedback. -Alexa
I need to increase the servings to double (24), do I leave the oven temperature the same? Bake time?
Hi Christina, I haven’t tried doubling the recipe, so I can’t say for sure. I would leave the temperature the same, and the baking time would depend on the size baking dish you’re using. -Alexa
Sounds delicious. I’m making this for our mother’s 99th birthday celebration. When you said you use Bush’s baked beans and Sweet Baby Ray’s I knew we had the same taste and it’d be good. Showing the photo of the ingredients is very helpful. Thanks!
Hi Carol, Glad to hear the photo was helpful and I hope you and your mother enjoy the recipe. I hope she has a very happy birthday! -Alexa
First time making these beans yesterday for our first barbecue of the season and mother’s day. I made them exactly as the recipe state except used two cans of beans and had two minced serrano peppers. The peppers added a nice kick and complimented the sweet very well. They were delicious!
Our family version of this as a side dish includes a tsp or so of dried thyme, depending on the amount you make. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
This was really really fantastic! I live in Germany so didn’t have pork and beans, so made a pork free version by starting with frying the bacon, then cooking onion in the bacon fat, then threw in the beans, added some tomato paste and salt & pepper to taste. Simmered that for a bit and then put it together with the rest. (that was the bacon and onion from the recipe). Added a little extra BBQ sauce to make up the difference. it was incredible!!
Alexa,
How much molasses should be added to enrich the flavor profile?
Planning on making this for my son’s birthday party
Hi Sean, I’d mix together the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce and taste it without the molasses first. Then start with 1/2 Tablespoon and adjust up from there. I think 1-2 Tablespoons would probably work without overwhelming the other flavors too much. It’s such a strong flavor, so I’d definitely add only a little at a time until you get the flavor you’re hoping for. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Has anyone tried freezing left overs?
A keeper recipe! It’s tasty as is, but I’ve also made a few minor changes per my tastes: adding 2 garlic cloves, 1 large celery rib, and 1 jalapeno pepper. I’ve successfully used green bell pepper and substituted pinto (or whatever) beans for 1 can of baked beans. To reduce sodium without losing the “tang,” I substituted apple cider vinegar for the soy sauce.
To speed up the baking, one could try making this in an oven proof skillet or Dutch oven and bringing the mixture to a boil before it goes into a 400 degree F oven. Similar recipes bake it uncovered for an overall time of 10-15 minutes. Of course, this casserole can also be made on the stove, especially in the summertime, but it needs to be stirred regularly and watched so the bottom doesn’t scorch!