The BEST Baked Beans with Ground Beef (One Pan Recipe)

These baked beans with ground beef are not only crazy delicious, but they're also super easy to make. This recipe combines tender baked beans with ground beef, crispy bacon, and a sweet-and-savory sauce to make a flavorful dish the whole family is guaranteed to love. And best of all, this baked beans recipe comes together in one pan with just 10 minutes of prep time!

The Best Baked Beans With Ground Beef

These southern baked beans pack a whole lot of flavor in a simple side dish.

I mean, any time you combine baked beans with meat, you're pretty much guaranteed to end up with a tasty meal. But when you add the delicious homemade sauce in this recipe and crispy bacon, you get something special.

Seriously, these baked beans with ground beef are perfectly tender and loaded with so much flavor they're the only thing you'll want to eat! But, of course, they go really well with a variety of other dishes too. 

And in addition to tasting great and being super versatile, this easy baked beans recipe is also a breeze to whip up. Everything comes together in one skillet before being tossed in the oven to bake - that's all there is to it!

Oh, and when these Southern baked beans with ground beef are cooking in the oven, you can whip up something to go with them, like this Sweet potato cornbread or these red skin mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients

Now, the ingredient list for this baked beans and ground beef recipe is pretty simple.

Honestly, most of them are all kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, I'm willing to bet you already have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need on hand already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make this easy baked beans recipe:

• 4 strips of bacon, cooked, cut into large pieces
• 0.75lb. ground beef
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• ¾ cup chopped bell pepper
• 24oz. canned beans (mine was with chunks of pork and beans)
• ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tsp mustard
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Not too shabby, eh?

By the way, if you end up with any extra BBQ sauce or bacon, then I definitely suggest you try these armadillo eggs next. They're equally loaded with flavor and use most of the same ingredients!

Oh, and you can use the ingredients to make this American chop suey as well. So definitely give that a try sometime.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making these baked beans with ground beef using the ingredients listed above, there definitely are some exciting ways you can switch up this recipe. 

First off, this recipe calls for canned beans I used canned beans with chunks of pork for an even meatier flavor and heartier baked bean casserole. But feel free to use any canned beans you want, like Bush's baked beans, a different brand of canned baked beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans.

As for the BBQ sauce, feel free to use whatever kind you like, whether it be homemade BBQ sauce or bottled sauce. If you don't have time to make homemade sauce, you can always add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce to any BBQ sauce to give it your personal touch. 

How To Make Baked Beans With Ground Beef

Now it's time for the fun part - making the baked beans with ground beef!

And like I said a few times, it really couldn't be easier to make this recipe. I mean, how could you beat a dish where everything is prepared in just one skillet?

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and make this baked bean casserole!

Step 1: Cook The Beef And Veggies

First things first, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and lightly grease a casserole dish with some cooking oil or butter.

Then, you can put a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat the skillet with cooking oil. Once it's hot, you can add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. You'll want to cook the hamburger meat until it's almost browned on all sides.

Next, you can add the onions and bell pepper to the skillet and continue cooking everything until the veggies are tender and the ground beef is fully cooked through.

Step 2: Add The Sauce And Beans

Up next, you can add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and soy sauce to the skillet with the veggies and cooked beef.

Now you can give everything a stir until the sauces combine with the cooked ground beef, then you'll want to stir in the canned baked beans. Once everything has been mixed together, give it a taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.

Step 3: Bake The Casserole

Now that everything is mixed together, you can add all of your ingredients to your prepared baking dish and top the beans with cooked pieces of bacon. Then you'll want to cover the whole baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the baked beans casserole for 50 minutes.

Once the time is up, take the casserole dish out of the oven, remove the foil, and allow the baked beans with ground beef to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Finally, serve these baked beans warm and enjoy!

How To Store Baked Beans With Ground Beef

This recipe for baked beans with ground beef makes about 8 servings, so it's the perfect hearty side dish to serve alongside your next weeknight dinner, and it even makes a great main course. If you're lucky, you might even end up with some leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers, you can transfer 'em to an airtight container and store the cooked baked beans in the fridge for about 3-5 days.

Alternatively, if you want freeze baked beans with ground beef to keep the leftovers even longer, you can store them in an airtight container - or freezer bag - for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat Baked Beans With Ground Beef

When you're ready to enjoy your meaty baked beans again, they're okay cold, but they're way better reheated.

So, to reheat your baked beans with ground beef, I recommend putting the leftovers back into your baking dish and heating them up at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes or until they're fully reheated.

Now, if you're just trying to reheat a single serving, you can microwave your leftovers. I usually heat them in 20-second intervals until they're fully warmed through.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make baked beans with ground beef!

There are so many reasons to love these hearty baked beans, from the incredibly flavorful sauce to the tender beans and meat throughout to the simplicity of making the recipe. I know I'm biased, but I really think this is one of the best baked beans recipes you'll ever try! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this baked beans recipe with ground beef as much as I do.

And, as always, if you give this recipe a try, then be sure to leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

More Bean Recipes

If you enjoyed these baked beans with ground beef, we have a ton of other recipes with beans that you can try next!

Check out all of these easy recipes:

• Butter beans
• Charro beans
  
• Chipotle black beans
• Grandma brown beans
• Ham and beans
• Great Northern beans

Oh, and make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for even more delicious recipes! We post new recipes on them every day.

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