Baked Beans with Ground Beef

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These Baked Beans with Ground Beef are sweet, smokey, and filling. It's a tasty side dish that combines canned baked beans with other ingredients to create a flavorful, easy meal. Serve it at your next barbecue or on its alone with some crusty toast.

Even after making these hamburger baked beans innumerable times, people still ask me how to make them. This technique is a classic Southern method for enhancing the flavor of canned baked beans. It's one of those meals that really makes me nostalgic about my early years, and I'm glad about it. The flavor is very deep and flavorful, and it's also a terrific recipe to eat as a main course!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Main Ingredients
How to Make Baked Beans with Ground Beef Step by Step
Expert Tips:
Storage and Reheating
Variations & Substitutions
How to serve this Baked Beans Recipe with Ground Beef
Frequently Asked Questions
More Delicious Beef Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe
Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Basic & simple ingredients - The ingredients are basic and most likely already in your possession.
Rich and satisfying - Because ground beef is used in these beans, they are incredibly tasty and substantial. They have a flavorful, smoky, sweet, and sticky texture. They go very well with a hot dog or hamburger and potato salad.
Versatile - It can be served as a main course or as a side dish at barbecues, potlucks, and family meals.

Main Ingredients

This basic recipe calls for only a few ingredients. Here are the major items you'll need:

Ground Beef - For many outside of the South, ground beef might seem like an unconventional ingredient, but it gives the beans a substantial depth and a ton of delicious meaty flavor.
Homemade baked beans - If you would like, use navy beans, kidney beans, or butter beans, which are a bit more traditional. You may use almost any beans in this easy recipe!
Onion - I like to use yellow or white onions. One of this recipe's traditional tastes.
Garlic powder.
Ketchup - brings a depth of flavor from the vinegar and tomatoes. Additionally, the beans have a thicker texture. If you want a little more tang, you could use half barbecue sauce and half ketchup!
Mustard - An otherwise rich and sweet meal gains brightness and tang from the addition of yellow mustard.
Brown sugar - gives the beans the ideal amount of sweetness. Molasses can be used instead. Brown sugar, either light or dark.
Worcestershire sauce - gives a rich, savory umami taste. If worcestershire sauce isn't available, you can substitute soy sauce for it to have a comparable taste.
Butter - When the beans are baked, the butter melts into the dish and creates a lovely sweet sauce that coats the beans.
Salt - Since the tinned beans are already salty, add the salt sparingly. Since every canned bean is unique and some may be saltier than others, taste the beans before adding any salt.
Black pepper.
Smoked paprika (optional) - For the flavor of this substantial side dish, smoked paprika is required.
Smoked Chicken bits (optional).

How to Make Baked Beans with Ground Beef Step by Step

The oven should be preheated to 350 F.
The ground beef should be browned in a big saucepan. Add the onions when the ground beef is about halfway done. After draining, set away.
Combine the beans, ground beef, onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, and spices in a large mixing basin.

Mix thoroughly until everything is properly incorporated. To taste, add salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the casserole dish that has been oiled after everything has been incorporated. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 hour.
Before serving, let the dish settle for 10 minutes. Serve with chunks of smoked chicken on top.

Expert Tips:

Instead of using ordinary mustard, you can use a teaspoon of dry mustard.
You can also use an oven-safe Dutch oven, ideally nonstick, if you don't have a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Don't Overmix. Fold or stir the beans lightly to prevent soggy or mushy beans. When it comes to mixing beans, less is more.
Let the sauce sit for a few minutes before serving, as it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for three to four days. When reheating in the microwave or on the stove, add a splash of water or stock.
Reheat in the microwave on high for one to two minutes or in the oven at 350°F until well heated.
Additionally, leftovers can be frozen for up to three months. Before reheating in the stovetop or microwave, let it thaw in the refrigerator.

Variations & Substitutions

Try adding some diced jalapeños, chorizo, crushed red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of hot sauce to make it spicy.
For a little extra taste, add some diced red or green bell pepper.
You can substitute light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar if you only have it. Although the beans won't taste as much like molasses, it will still function perfectly.
Add a dollop of sour cream, sauteed onions, and chickpeas.
Use spicy sausage, breakfast sausage, or ground turkey instead of ground beef.
Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top right before they're done, then bake until it melts.

How to serve this Baked Beans Recipe with Ground Beef

Almost any main course pairs well with baked beans. They go particularly well with sandwiches and grilled foods like chicken, burgers, and hot dogs!
Serve the Southern mac and cheese, the grilled corn salad with blueberries, and the baked beans on the side. Serve with cornbread, French bread, or saltine crackers as a main course. Additionally, I've served baked beans with stuffed fish, and the pairing was fantastic!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make hamburger baked beans ahead of time?

Yes, without a doubt! For optimal results, keep it refrigerated and serve it within 1-2 days. When you are ready to serve, bake it until it is hot and bubbling at 350°F in a preheated oven.

Can you cook baked beans in the slow cooker?

Yes! One of my favorite things about this dish is the variety of ways you can prepare these beans. One such method is the slow cooker. It will take at most a couple of hours, though each slow cooker is unique. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 6 hours on low.

How Long Can Baked Beans Last In The Fridge?

Keep these baked beans in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for three to four days. They can also be frozen for up to three months. They can be slowly warmed in a skillet or reheated in the oven.

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