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Cowboy beans

Cowboy Beans

Cowboy beans are smoky, sweet, and hearty, perfect as a side dish for BBQ or comfort food dinners. Packed with flavor from bacon and spices, they're easy to make in one pot.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Comfort Food, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the beans
  • 1 lb dry pinto beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed) Use canned beans for quicker prep.
  • 8 oz bacon, chopped Reserve a little bacon for topping.
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
For the sauce
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup molasses (or brown sugar)
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • to taste Salt and pepper
  • 4 cups broth (for dry beans) or 1 cup broth (for canned)

Method
 

Cooking the Beans
  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy. Remove a little bacon for topping. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until softened.
  2. Stir in BBQ sauce, molasses, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, liquid smoke (optional), and spices. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  3. For dry beans, add beans and 4 cups broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Add more liquid if needed.
  4. For canned beans, add beans and 1 cup broth. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes until thick.

Notes

For thicker beans, simmer uncovered at the end. Adjust flavors to taste, using more vinegar for brightness or more BBQ/molasses for sweetness.