Cowboy Beans
These cowboy beans are hearty, smoky, and packed with flavour. Whether you're cooking over an open fire or in your kitchen on the stovetop, these cowboy beans are sure to hit the spot.
Servings: 4 - 6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 8 rashers strips smoked bacon
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 500 g (1.1lb) minced beef (10-12% fat)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
- 3 x 400g (14 oz) tins baked beans in tomato sauce
- 400 g (14 oz) tin kidney beans drained
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar optional – omit if you don’t like it on the sweeter side
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon to the pan and fry for 6-7 minutes, turning once, until crisp.1 tbsp oil, 8 rashers
- Remove the bacon from the pan with a set of tongs and place on a board. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
- Add the onion the pan with the bacon oil. Fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until softened and slightly browned,1 onion
- Add in the garlic and stir together.2 cloves garlic
- Add the minced beef, turn up the heat to medium-high, and fry for 5-6 minutes, until browned. Stir often, breaking up any large chunks of meat as you go. Turn the heat back down to medium.500 g (1.1lb) minced beef
- Stir in the stock, then add the baked beans, kidney beans, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, pepper and BBQ sauce.120 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock, 3 x 400g (14 oz) tins baked beans in tomato sauce, 400 g (14 oz) tin kidney beans, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 3 tbsp BBQ sauce, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Give it a taste and add in the brown sugar if you’d like the cowboy beans to be sweeter.2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- Add the bacon, stir and cook for a further minute, until the bacon is heated through.
- Turn off the heat and serve.
Video
Notes
Can I make cowboy beans ahead?
Yes, make the dish, cool quickly, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout. You may need to loosen it up a with a little splash of water when reheating.
Can I freeze cowboy beans?
Yes, make the dish, cool quickly, separate into portions and freeze in airtight containers. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as per the instructions above.
Swaps/additions for cowboy beans
- Add a tablespoon of Cajun spice with frying the onions for a little spicy kick.
- Use kidney beans in chilli sauce for a little bit of heat.
- Throw in some chopped bell peppers or sliced mushrooms for added vegetables.
- Use kidney beans in chilli sauce for a little bit of heat.
- Throw in some chopped bell peppers or sliced mushrooms for added vegetables.
Nutritional information is approximate, based on this recipe serving 6 people.
Nutrition
Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1304mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 8g
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
