Baked Beans with Ground Beef

If there’s one thing that my family loves at a summer barbecue, it’s baked beans. Last summer, I happened upon these baked beans with hamburger at a neighborhood potluck, and it’s now become a staple recipe in our house. It’s a one-pan meal that turns baked beans into a main course or can be served as a rich side dish.

I use store-bought baked beans as the base and add more flavorful ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard, to make them even more delicious. No one will ever know they are from the can! Serve over rice or mashed potatoes for a stick-to-your-ribs dinner that also makes for delicious leftovers the next day.

A small white bowl with baked beans and hamburger meat. — 📸 Photography by **Kendra Reeder**

Why you’ll love this recipe

One-pan main course or side dish. Clean-up is minimal with this recipe since you can make these hamburger baked beans all in one skillet from beginning to end.
Store-bought shortcut of canned baked beans. There’s no need to soak and simmer your beans for hours, this recipe uses your favorite canned baked beans and makes them even more delicious with a couple of pantry ingredients.
Easy to keep warm to serve a crowd. I like to put them into a slow cooker for a potluck or bbq that way they are delicious for hours.

Tips for Busy Cooks

If you’re in a time pinch to prep this recipe, you can make baked beans and ground beef in the slow cooker! Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove, then place it into the bowl of a crockpot and simmer on low for 6 to 7 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the flavors have melded nicely.

Ingredients for baked beans with ground beef.

Key Ingredient Notes

Ground beef – I prefer lean ground beef.
Bell pepper adds sweet vegetable notes.
Baked beans – Use your favorite brand here. It’s a great shortcut for this recipe.
Ketchup adds more tomato sweetness in every bite.
Brown sugar – Key to any great baked beans. Light or dark brown sugar both work well.
Yellow mustard – A little goes a long way to add tang and acidity to the beans.
Worcestershire sauce – An ingredient full of umami to add more depth of taste.
Garlic powder – Concentrated garlic flavor that is delicious in baked beans.
Bacon – Optional, but ideal to stir in after it’s fully cooked for smokiness.

How to make baked beans with ground beef

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish (if you plan to transfer to the baking dish to finish in the oven).

A cast iron skillet that is browning ground beef.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess grease, if needed.

A cast iron skillet with browned ground beef, chopped onion, and yellow bell pepper.

Add diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.

Browned ground beef, chopped onion, and yellow bell pepper mixed with ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a large cast iron skillet.

Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.

A cast iron skillet with baked beans and ground beef cooking.

Add baked beans directly to the skillet and stir to coat evenly. If your skillet is oven-safe, you can bake it right in the same pan. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish.

A cast iron skillet with baked beans and ground beef.

Bake, uncovered, for 30–35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. If desired, sprinkle cooked bacon over the top before baking or just before serving.

Baked beans and ground beef out of the oven.

Let cool slightly before serving. It’ll thicken as it sits.

Expert Tips:

Swap the ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or chicken if you desire.
Drain any excess grease after cooking the beef. This will help prevent your beans from becoming too oily.
Add a drained can of kidney or pinto beans for extra heartiness. This can help offset the sweetness of the beans.
Reduce the amount of sugar if desired. Some people like their baked beans not too sweet. You can omit the extra brown sugar or add less if you want.
These hamburger baked beans are great to make a day in advance. After they sit overnight in the fridge, the flavors just get better and better.
Make it spicy! You can add a small pinch of cayenne pepper, dash of hot sauce, or even diced green chilies to add a little bit of heat in every bite.

Baked beans and hamburger meat in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon and striped linen.

What to serve with baked beans and hamburger

The options are endless whether you are serving these beans as a main course or side dish. Here are some other recipes we have paired with them before:

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.

These baked beans with hamburger meat freeze beautifully. Allow it to cool completely, portion into containers, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Making these ground beef baked beans in advance is simple and easy. The flavors develop and become richer on the second and third day of enjoying.

A wooden spoon with a spoonful of baked beans with hamburger meat.

FAQs

Do I have to cook the beans from scratch for hamburger baked beans?

No! This is a quick and easy recipe using store-bought canned baked beans.

Can I make the baked beans less sweet?

Yes, simply add less sugar or just add sugar to taste. You can also add a can of drained and rinsed regular beans as well to mellow the sweetness.

Do I make ground beef baked beans in the oven?

Yes, we make the method easy and simple with the oven doing the majority of the cooking. You can easily simmer them on the stovetop or make them in the slow cooker too if desired.