Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Beef and beans in the crockpot is a hearty, one-pot dinner of ground beef, two kinds of beans and a sweet-smoky sauce. It tastes like a cookout side but eats like a full meal, and it needs no babysitting.
8
servings20
minutes6
hoursBrowned ground beef and bacon simmer with canned beans in a sweet, smoky sauce. It is thick, cheap and feeds a crowd.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) pork and beans, undrained
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
- Add the ground beef, onion and green pepper to the bacon fat. Cook, breaking the meat up, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Drain off most of the fat, since it will make the beans greasy.
- In the slow cooker, stir together the barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, chili powder and pepper.
- Add the pinto beans, kidney beans and the pork and beans with their sauce. Mix well.
- Stir in the beef mixture and half of the bacon. Save the rest of the bacon for the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- The dish is ready when it is bubbling at the edges and the sauce has thickened. Ground beef should read at least 160°F.
- Stir well. If the sauce is thin, cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Top with the remaining bacon and serve hot.
Notes
- Use ground turkey for a lighter version, or add sliced hot dogs for a kid-friendly twist. Leftovers keep 5 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months. The flavor deepens overnight, so it is good for make-ahead potlucks. Serve with cornbread, coleslaw or over baked potatoes.
Why a slow cooker is the right tool for beef and beans
Beans and sauce need time together. In a slow cooker the sweet-smoky sauce soaks into the beans, and the ground beef stays soft instead of drying into crumbles. By the end the pot tastes like it simmered on a smoker all day. It is also the sort of dish people ask you to bring to every potluck, because one pot feeds a dozen and tastes better after a rest.
It is also forgiving. You brown the meat once in the morning, stir everything in and leave. There is no scorching on the bottom, which happens often on the stove with sugary sauces. You can make it on a busy morning in about twenty minutes and come back to a kitchen that smells like a barbecue.
Ingredient notes
Ground beef: 85 percent lean gives enough fat for flavor without leaving a puddle on top. Drain it well after browning. If you only have leaner beef, add an extra slice of bacon or a teaspoon of oil to the skillet.
Beans: a mix of three kinds gives different textures. Pinto stays creamy, kidney holds its shape, and pork and beans bring a built-in sweet tomato sauce. Always use canned beans here.
Barbecue sauce: pick one you like straight from the bottle. Hickory or mesquite types give the most smoke. A very sweet one means you can cut the brown sugar. Taste the sauce before it goes in the pot, and adjust the sugar and mustard to suit your barbecue sauce.
Bacon: it adds salt and smoke. Thick-cut holds up best and does not vanish into the sauce.
Mustard and Worcestershire: these give tang to cut through the sweetness, so do not skip them.
Tips for thick, flavorful beans
Brown the beef first: adding raw ground beef to the pot produces gray, grainy meat and extra grease. A short skillet step is worth it. Chop the onion and pepper small so they melt into the sauce and nobody picks them out.
Leave the lid on: opening it adds 15 to 20 minutes each time. Stir only once at the end. Cooking on HIGH works when you start late, but LOW gives the most even, thick result.
Do not use raw dried beans, the most common mistake with this style of dish: the sugar and tomato in the sauce keep dried beans hard no matter how long they cook. Canned beans are the safe choice here.
Swaps and variations
Swap ground sausage for half of the beef for more spice. Add a diced jalapeno for heat or a splash of apple cider vinegar for brightness. To lighten it, use turkey and cut the sugar to two tablespoons. Black beans or white navy beans can stand in for one of the cans without changing the method.
One swap that does not work is replacing all the barbecue sauce with only tomato sauce. You lose the smoke and sweetness, and the beans end up tasting flat and acidic.
What to serve with beef and beans
Cornbread is the classic partner, and a crisp coleslaw balances the sweet sauce nicely. For a casual spread, set out baked potatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions so everyone builds a plate. A bowl of sliced dill pickles on the table adds a crisp, sharp bite.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Cool and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days. The beans thicken as they sit, so add a splash of water when reheating. This dish is a good one to freeze flat in bags so it thaws fast for a weeknight.
Freeze in zip bags for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, or in the microwave in 90-second bursts until the center is steaming.
Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 6 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 15, led by lean ground beef, slices bacon, yellow onion, green bell pepper
Tips for Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Use ground turkey for a lighter version, or add sliced hot dogs for a kid-friendly twist. Leftovers keep 5 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months. The flavor deepens overnight, so it is good for make-ahead potlucks. Serve with cornbread, coleslaw or over baked potatoes.
Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce FAQ
How long does Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce take?
Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce takes 6 hours of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Beef and Beans with Smoky Barbecue Sauce?
15 ingredients, led by lean ground beef, slices bacon, yellow onion, green bell pepper. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
