Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

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This Cowboy Beans Recipe is a great side dish recipe that works fantastic any time of the year! Savory, tasty, easy to make, and full of flavor, this bean recipe never disappoints. If you are always searching for a side dish to eat with the main meal or even as a main meal for lunch or dinner, then this Cowboy Beans Recipe is for you.

Cowboy beans in a bowl.

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

These Cowboy Beans are so amazing! This recipe is made with spices, 3 types of meat, and four types of beans slow-cooked to perfection with BBQ sauce. If you want you can add a dash of spice with some Jalapenos and top with cheese. Be sure to keep this one handy!

Finding dishes that my whole family loves at times is really daunting. That is why I love discovering recipe ideas that have a combination of different flavors and textures and have something everyone will love. If your family is the same way, then I have a few dishes that you might enjoy; like my Swedish Meatballs, my Meatball Pasta Bake, and my Cheesy Taco Spaghetti.

Ingredients

  • Hamburger meat- This is additional meat for the recipe.
  • Bacon- These will need to be chopped and make sure to save the grease.
  • Smoked sausage link- These will be cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Pork and beans- You do not want to drain these beans.
  • Beans- You will need to drain Pinto, Kidney, and Great Northern Beans for the other 3 beans.
  • Onion- These will need to be diced.
  • Ketchup- Adds a bit of sweetness to your recipe.
  • Brown sugar- This will add richness to your recipe.
  • Molasses- This will add a mildly sweet taste to your recipe.
  • Chili powder- Adds a slightly spicy flavor to your recipe.
  • Salt- This will bring out the flavors in your recipe.
  • Ground pepper- This will be for additional taste.
  • Mustard- Provides a slightly tangy flavor.
  • Shredded cheese- This will be added on top of the beans.

How to Make Cowboy Beans

Add the ground beef to a skillet and then take it out and put it into a crockpot.

Add the bacon into the same skillet, then put into the crockpot with the cooked burger meat. Then, add the sausage.

Put the onions into the bacon grease and cook until see-through and tender. Then, place the onions and grease in the crockpot.

Put in every can of beans in the crockpot.

Add the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, chili powder, salt, pepper, and mustard and combine in a small bowl.

Combining the other ingredients and spices into the crockpot.

Seal the lid on the crockpot and cook for 4 to 6 hours on low or 2 to 4 hours on high.

Add some cheese on top and serve with a side salad or bread.

Cowboy beans in separate serving bowls.

Can I Make These with Dry Beans Instead?

All the beans used in this Cowboy Beans recipe are perfect for this recipe. You use four types of beans and each bean adds its own unique flavor. You can use dry beans or any other beans or fewer beans if you prefer, but I always recommend giving the recipe a try before using anything different.

What Sausage is Best in Cowboy Beans?

The best sausage for this cowboy recipe is any type of smoked sausage. This smoky flavor will do so much for the recipe and add great flavor. You can however choose to switch it out with other types of sausage.

A wooden spoon in a large serving bowl of the beans.

MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

This Cowboy Beans Recipe is a great side dish recipe that works fantastic any time of the year! Savory, tasty, easy to make and full of flavor, this bean recipe never disappoints. If you are always searching for a side dish to eat with the main meal or even as a main meal for lunch or dinner, then this Cowboy Beans Recipe is for you.
Servings: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6 hours
Total: 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound hamburger meat
  • ½ pound bacon chopped save the grease
  • 1 pound smoked sausage links cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 14.5 oz. can pork and beans do not drain
  • 1 14.5 oz. can pinto beans drained
  • 1 can 14.5 ounces kidney beans drained
  • 1 14.5 oz. can great northern beans drained
  • ½ cup onion diced
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tbsp. molasses
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp. mustard
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheese

Instructions

  • Cook hamburger until done in a skillet, remove, and place in the crockpot.
  • Cook the bacon thoroughly in the same pan, then remove and place it with the hamburger in the crockpot.  Add the sausage to the crockpot.
  • Add the onions to the bacon grease and cook till translucent. Add the onions and any bacon grease to the crockpot and stir.
  • Add all the cans of beans into the crock pot.
  • In a small bowl mix the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, chili powder, salt, pepper, and mustard together.  Pour over the meat mixture.
  • Place lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or high for 2 to 4 hours.
  • Top with grated cheese and serve with your favorite bread or salad.

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