These oven baked beans with ground beef are a delicious southern-style baked bean recipe loaded with meat, bacon, beans, cheese - and plenty of flavor. The perfect balance of savory and sweet. Serve as a meal-in-one or a hearty side dish.
You'll Love These Hamburger Baked Beans!
"Homemade is always better than canned baked beans. This recipe for baked beans with ground beef is a year-round staple in my house. I love that they can be a main dish or a hearty side dish."
Easy dinner idea! Serve your beans alongside Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork or Quick and Easy Pulled Chicken (Crock Pot), along with Dill Pickle Slaw. And while you're at it, try this Southern-style Sweet Tea 😉
Meal In One
Since these beans are loaded with tons of beans, ground beef, and bacon - there is plenty of protein, they make a great lunch or dinner! Top it off with some fresh green onion, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, and you're set!
Potluck Heaven
These beans are the perfect thing to bring to a large gathering or potluck! Everyone compliments me on this recipe and goes back for seconds. Even the kids love it!
Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe Ingredients
- Bacon - smoky bacon adds the perfect flavor to the beans.
- Ground Beef - I used an 80/20 blend, but you can use your preferred blend.
- Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Canned Pork and Beans
- Canned Chili Beans
- Canned Lima Beans
- Canned Kidney Beans
- Brown Sugar - I always use a brown sugar substitute to cut back on sugar content, but you can use regular.
- Barbeque Sauce - use your favorite brand. If you like a very sweet barbeque sauce, I would recommend holding off on the brown sugar and adding it to taste after you add the BBQ sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce - you could also use soy sauce if preferred.
- Ketchup
- Optional: cheddar cheese (cubed or shredded)
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- Use ½" cubed ham in place of bacon.
- Vary any combination of beans except the pork and beans, which are an essential flavor in this dish.
- Use ground turkey or pork in place of ground beef.
- Looking to add some spice? Add additional seasonings such as red pepper flakes, chipotle powder, hot sauce, or diced green chilies.
How To Make Baked Beans with Hamburger
Heat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Preheat a skillet over medium heat and cook your bacon until done. Transfer to a paper towel and allow to cool, then crumble.
Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet.
Skillet
Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook until the ground beef is cooked through.
Add all ingredients
Add the bacon back to the pot and add all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Stir all together.
Bake
Transfer to a greased casserole dish and bake for two hours. During the last 30 minutes, stir in the cubed cheddar cheese.
How To Serve
- Remove from the oven, and stir. Add any additional garnish and seasonings to taste and enjoy!
- Serve it as a meal all by itself and add your favorite toppings such as fresh diced onion, sliced green onion, shredded cheese, or sour cream.
- Cookout Meal idea! Serve the beans with Best Grilled Chicken Recipe and this layered salad. The perfect cookout menu!
Ground Beef Baked Beans Top Tips
- Use an oven-proof dutch oven or large skillet that you can put in the oven to save on dishes!
- Try to make all your onions and peppers the same size dice cut to make the cooking time the same, and each bite balanced.
- There may be enough fat in your beans that you could skip greasing your casserole dish. If you don't have much fat, make sure you do grease to prevent burning and sticking.
FAQs
Let your beans cool before transferring them into an air-tight container. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
These beans can easily reheat in the microwave or on the stove in a small sauce pot. Either way, heat and stir until your reheated beans have reached 165 degrees or more.
Once your beans have cooled, put them into a freezer-safe or air-tight container for storage. Freeze for up to two months.
Bacon and ground beef are the two most popular options, but everyone has their own preference. Some other popular options are breakfast sausage, sweet and spicy sausage, or hotdogs. Fancy it up with ground lamb, pork, or chicken also!
Can I ask you a favor?
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📖 The recipe.
Hamburger Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon (chopped)
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- ½ cup green bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 cans pork and beans
- 1 can chili beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can lima beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup barbeque sauce (regular or sugar free)
- ½ cup brown sugar (or a brown sugar substitute)
- 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 8 ounces (optional) cheddar cheese (cubed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until done, transfer to a paper towel, allow to cool, then crumble. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet.
- Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook until ground beef is cooked through.
- Add the bacon back to the pot and all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Stir together.
- Transfer to a greased casserole dish and bake for 2 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes, stir in the cubed cheddar cheese.
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Adjust any seasoning to taste. Use cubed ham instead of bacon (if it's smoked, there is no need to cook it ahead of time). Add 1 cup diced green peppers when you cook the onions for added vegetables.
- TOP TIPS: If you have an oven-proof dutch oven or large enough skillet, you can save the casserole dish and bake it in your pot.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve while hot, garnish with sliced green onion or fresh parsley, and extra shredded cheese if desired.
Nutrition
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