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    Home / Side Dish / Cowboy Beans

    Cowboy Beans

    Pinto beans slow-simmered with bacon, onion, and a touch of brown sugar and barbecue sauce until rich and hearty.

    ⏱ 10 minPrep time
    🔥 90 minCook time
    🍽 8Servings
    🏷 Side DishCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Cowboy beans — pinto beans slow-simmered with bacon, onion, brown sugar and barbecue sauce

    Cowboy beans are what happens when campfire pinto beans meet bacon, onion, and a sweet-and-smoky barbecue sauce. Slow-simmered until thick and rich, they’re the hearty side that shows up at every Texas cookout, rodeo, and tailgate.

    Chef Emily presents Cowboy Beans

    The campfire classic

    Pinto beans slow-simmered with bacon, onion, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce until rich and hearty.

    Texas recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Cook the bacon in a large pot until crisp. Remove most of the drippings, leaving 2 tablespoons.
    2. Cook the onion in the drippings until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
    3. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, and chili powder with 1 cup of water.
    4. Simmer uncovered for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and the beans are rich.
    5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the crispy bacon on top.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Browned bacon is non-negotiable — it's where most of the flavor lives. Simmer low and slow so the sauce thickens and clings to the beans.

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    Recipe details

    Prep10 min
    Cook90 min
    Servings8
    CategorySide Dish
    PublishedAugust 16, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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