Baked Beans and Ground Beef

These Baked Beans and Ground Beef are the ultimate summer side dish recipe for a bbq or potluck. Canned baked beans are enhanced with bacon, hamburger meat, ketchup, and delicious spices. It's easy to prep in 30 minutes and guaranteed to be a hit.

When summer comes around, my favorite thing to do on the weekends is host a backyard bbq or picnic with friends and family. Being born and raised in the south, we know how to have a barbecue, we're experts in it! These Baked Beans and Ground Beef are the perfect side dish addition to your menu and they're sure to be a guest favorite.

These hamburger beans use canned baked beans for ease plus bacon and ground beef for a meaty flavor that's just too delicious. Sweetened with brown sugar and enhanced with spices, these truly are some of the most flavor baked beans you'll ever have!

With a prep time of just 30 minutes and the ideal make ahead recipe, we can truly say these are great to bring to any celebration. We love to serve them with our Macaroni and Cheese, Bacon Cheddar Barbecue Chicken, or BBQ Chicken Sliders.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Uses store-bought ingredients for ease. We use canned baked beans in this recipe and enhance them with ground beef, bacon and spices. It keeps this side dish recipe super simple to prepare.
• Crowd-winning side dish. We all love baked beans, but these with hamburger meat are truly on another level of flavor! They're always requested at our backyard barbecues.
• Great make-ahead recipe. Make these beans a day in advance for a big party to make prep a breeze.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

• Ground beef: We like to use a 90% fat ground beef here, it pairs perfectly with the beans.
• Bacon: Adds the smokiness everyone loves.
• Baked beans: We keep this recipe simple and foolproof, plus cut down on cook time by using canned baked beans as the base.
• Ketchup: Adds that tomato-sweetness.
• Granulated sugar or sugar substitute: A hint of extra sugar is added, you can omit if desired or use honey.
• Brown sugar or brown sugar substitute: We add extra to balance the beef and the bacon, it adds that classic molasses flavor.
• Dijon or yellow mustard: Just a spoonful adds the tang and acidity the beans need.
• Apple cider vinegar: Also used to round out the flavors with a splash of acid.
• Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika enhance the beans and give them that delicious hamburger flavor.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Medium Skillet
• Meat Chopper
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Cutting Board
• Chef's Knife

How to Make Baked Beans and Ground Beef

1. Cook bacon until crispy in a skillet or in the oven (see oven method) and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Chop cooled bacon slices into small pieces.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble and cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease using a paper towel in the skillet or drain in a colander and return to the pan.

4. To the cooked beef, add drained and undrained beans (see note), granulated sugar, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and bacon. Stir the mixture until well combined. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.

5. Pour the mixture into a 13"x9" pan or 3-quart baking dish. Bake 45-50 minutes or until thickened and set.

Recipe Tips for Success

• Swap the beans. Now you can use regular canned beans like pinto, or kidney and add sugar to taste, but we think it's easiest to add the already canned baked beans as the base for a time-saving tip.
• Drain any excess liquid or fat. After browning the meat, drain an excess liquid or fat in the bottom of the pan to prevent your beans from being watery.
• Double cook the beans. Being from the South, this is required. We cook the beans stovetop first then bake in the oven to make sure the flavors have infused beautifully into the beans.
• Getting the consistency right. If you like thinner baked beans, drain one can of the beans. If you like thicker, drain two cans.
• Bacon Cooking Methods: You can either fry the bacon in the skillet prior to cooking the ground beef, or you can bake it in the oven. For the oven method, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place bacon slices in an even layer on the sheet pan. Bake at 400ºF for 18-22 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked and crispy. Time will vary based on thickness of the variety of bacon you choose. 

Cooking Method Options

These beans can easily be adapted to cooking in a slow cooker or on the stovetop:

Slow Cooker Method: Drain only 1 can of the beans. Combine the cooked beef, bacon, and remaining ingredients in a Crockpot. Cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Stovetop Method: Drain only 1 can of the beans. In the same pan used to brown the beef, combine the beef with the remaining ingredients and cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

What to Serve with Baked Beans and Hamburger

These truly are the best side dish recipe for a summer party. Some of our other favorites for a complete menu are:

• Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad
• Steak Sandwich
• BBQ Chicken Sliders
• Perfect Brisket Recipe
• Best Pulled Pork

Storage & Make Ahead Instructions

To store these baked beans, simply put the leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave for a few minutes.

You can make these baked beans up to two days in advance for a party, they hold so well!

Freezing these beef and beans also works great, they can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

More Easy BBQ Side Dish Recipes

• Charred Vegetable Salad
• Cornbread Chicken Salad
• Healthy Pasta Salad
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese