Baked Beans with Ground Beef

This baked beans with ground beef recipe is an easy side dish that’s always been a crowd pleaser. It’s rich, full of delicious spices, and the addition of ground beef make it even better!

Make these southern baked beans for any occasion – but beware.. once you make this recipe, everyone will be begging you for the recipe!

Enjoy these baked beans with this Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce or this Low Country Boil Recipe for a delicious southern-style meal!

Every time I make baked beans, it immediately takes me back to summer cookouts as a kid. I can literally smell the charcoal from the grill, loaded with burgers, hot dogs, ribs – you name it!

This recipe is near and dear to my heart. It’s my mother’s recipe that I’ve adapted through the years and is the best baked beans you’ll ever make.

It’s a rendition of southern style baked beans that’s been zhushed up with ground beef, spices, and a lot of love. Everyone goes crazy over these baked beans y’all.

It’s a super easy baked beans recipe that’s the perfect side dish for cookouts, a family reunion, holiday parties, birthdays, and family gatherings. It’s also a great recipe to enjoy as a main dish and the flavor is so rich and delicious!

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this baked bean casserole.

• Canned Baked Beans – my favorite brand to use is bush’s original baked beans. My favorite beans are their brown sugar hickory flavor, but use whatever you like!
• Ground beef – I recommend using 85/15 lean ground beef as you don’t want your beans to be greasy from the excess liquid. For these meaty baked beans, lean meat is the way to go.
• Spices – you’ll need smoked paprika, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and chili powder to flavor this hearty side dish.
• Yellow Onion – what’s a ground beef recipe without an onion? The onion flavors the beef while cooking and give thi
• Sauces – barbecue sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, and a dash of worcestershire sauce all go in these hearty baked beans to enhance the depth of flavor. If you don’t have worcestershire sauce, for a similar flavor, you can use soy sauce instead.
• Brown sugar – you have to add a little light brown sugar to this recipe for sweetness, it’s only right. Your tastebuds will thank you! You can also use dark brown sugar or a tablespoon of molasses if you prefer a deeper caramel flavor.
• Butter – when the beans bake in the oven, the butter bakes into the dish and coats the beans in a delicious buttery sweet sauce.

Variations

• Add a diced green bell pepper or red bell pepper for a little added flavor.
• Turn this into cowboy baked beans by adding in some crispy bacon and red bell peppers!
• Use a homemade BBQ sauce to add your own spin on this delicious side dish.
• An easy way to keep the beans warm is to add them to a crock pot on the warm setting. Just make sure they don’t dry out.

Tips

• I recommend us yellow mustard for this dish. Avoid using dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard as it adds a bitter flavor to the beans.
• If you don’t have a 9×13 baking pan, you can also use an oven safe dutch oven, preferably nonstick.

How to make Baked Beans with Ground Beef

• Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and saute for 3 minutes, then add ground beef and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the beef is fully cooked.

• Add seasonings to the cooked ground beef – smoked paprika, ground ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the spices are mixed in.
• Reduce the heat to low heat. Then add the bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Toss together and then add butter and canned baked beans.

• Once everything is combined, pour into a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes as this gives the beans time to thicken.

• Top with sliced green onions and serve.

What to serve with Baked Beans

This easy recipe can be served with just about anything for a hearty dinner. My favorite way to eat baked beans is with any bbq dinners with classic dishes like:

• Sweet Cornbread Recipe
• Slow Cooker BBQ Baby Back Ribs
• Honey Soy Garlic Pork Chops
• Oven Baked BBQ Ribs
• Gourmet Hot Dogs
• Make a pulled pork sandwich using my Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork and serve these beans with it!
• Brioche Dinner Rolls

Recipe FAQs

More Side Dishes

• Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
• Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Easy Homemade Biscuits
• Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread