Baked Beans with Hamburger Meat turns two cans of baked beans into a hearty, saucy side: browned ground beef and onion stirred into the beans with brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic powder, then baked until thick and bubbling. It’s sweet, tangy and savory all at once. It serves 8 as a generous side.
How to make it: Brown the ground beef with a chopped onion and drain the fat. Stir it into the undrained baked beans with the brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper, spread it in a greased casserole dish, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 75 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Canned beans, made better: a few pantry sauces turn plain baked beans into something special.
- Built for a crowd: it makes about 8 cups, enough for a cookout or potluck.
- Side or main: serve it next to burgers and ribs, or with bread as a meal.
- Make-ahead friendly: mix it a day early and bake it when you need it.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: One pound. Ground beef and “hamburger meat” are the same thing here. An 80% lean blend has good flavor; drain it well after browning.
Onion: One large onion, chopped, browned right along with the beef.
Baked beans: Two 28-ounce cans, undrained. Plain canned baked beans work, and any brand is fine; the sauce in the can becomes part of the sauce in the dish.
The sauce: Three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon of yellow mustard, with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Together they make a sweet and tangy sauce, with the Worcestershire balancing the sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, undrained
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make Baked Beans with Hamburger Meat
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a casserole dish.
2. Brown the beef and onion. In a skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion until the meat is no longer pink and reads 160°F on a food thermometer. Drain off the fat.
3. Mix the beans. In a large bowl, stir together the beef and onion, the undrained baked beans, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Fill the dish. Transfer the mixture to the greased dish and spread it evenly.
5. Bake uncovered. Bake uncovered for 75 minutes, until the beans are bubbling and the center reaches 165°F.
6. Cool slightly and serve. Let the dish cool slightly before serving.
How to Add Hamburger to Canned Baked Beans
Yes, you can add hamburger to canned baked beans, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make them a little heartier. The dish goes by a few names, including hamburger baked beans and BBQ beans with hamburger meat. The method is always the same: cook the beef first, then bake it in the beans.
| Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Brown the beef with the onion | The onion softens and sweetens while the beef cooks |
| Cook the beef to 160°F, then drain it | Raw beef never goes into the beans; draining keeps the sauce from turning greasy |
| Don’t drain the beans | Their sauce is the base of the finished sauce |
| Stir gently | Over-mixing breaks the beans and makes them mushy |
| Bake uncovered | The sauce thickens and turns glossy as it bubbles |
Taste before salting. Canned beans, ketchup and Worcestershire all bring salt. Add the salt a little at a time.
For a meatier dish, use an extra half pound of ground beef with the same amount of beans and sauce.
Tips for Success
What’s the secret ingredient?
There isn’t just one. The Worcestershire sauce and mustard are what keep the brown sugar from tasting flat. For a brighter flavor, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
Feeding a big crowd?
Double the recipe and bake it in two casserole dishes rather than one deep pan, so it heats through evenly.
Serving it at a cookout?
Keep the beans hot, at 140°F or warmer, and don’t leave them out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour on a day above 90°F, as USDA FSIS advises.
Variations
- With bacon: stir in cooked, crumbled crispy bacon for a smoky flavor.
- With peppers: cook a chopped green or red bell pepper with the beef and onion, or add a seeded jalapeno for heat.
- A little spicy: add a pinch of chili powder, smoked paprika or cayenne, or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Tangier: increase the yellow mustard to 1 1/2 tablespoons.
- Different sweetener: use honey, maple syrup or molasses in place of the brown sugar.
- Other meats and beans: use ground pork, ground turkey or half sausage, and try kidney, butter or navy beans.
- Slow cooker: brown and drain the beef and onion first, then put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours, until hot and bubbly.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen beans overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat covered in a 350°F oven, on the stove over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until they reach 165°F. To make it ahead, assemble the whole dish, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours, then bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly.
What to Serve With It
Serve these beans at a cookout next to hamburgers and hot dogs, slow cooker root beer BBQ pork ribs or oven-braised beer brats with caramelized onions, or with Old fashioned Momma’s Meatloaf for dinner. As a main, add French bread or saltine crackers. If you like beans and meat in one pot, try cowboy stew, crock pot ham and beans or slow cooker chicken and baked beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add hamburger to canned baked beans?
Yes. Brown the ground beef with an onion, cook it to 160°F and drain it, then stir it into the undrained beans with the sauce ingredients and bake.
What is the dish with baked beans and ground beef called?
It’s often called hamburger baked beans or BBQ beans with hamburger meat. Cowboy beans are a close cousin made with several kinds of beans, bacon and barbecue sauce.
Can I make baked beans with ground beef ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the dish, cover it and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours, then bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly.
Can I make them in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown and drain the beef and onion first, then cook everything on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours.
Can you freeze baked beans with ground beef?
Yes, for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator and reheat them to 165°F.
Final Notes
Brown the beef while the oven heats, and the whole dish is ready to bake in about 10 minutes. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it with.
Baked Beans with Hamburger Meat
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion large, chopped
- 2 cans baked beans 28 ounces each, undrained
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard yellow
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a casserole dish.
- In a skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion until the meat is no longer pink and reads 160°F on a food thermometer. Drain off the fat.
- In a large bowl, stir together the beef and onion, the undrained baked beans, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to the greased dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake uncovered for 75 minutes, until the beans are bubbling and the center reaches 165°F.
- Let the dish cool slightly before serving.
