This slow cooker baked beans with ground beef and potatoes is a hearty one pot meal loaded with savory meat, tender russet potatoes, and rich barbecue sauce. It combines classic baked beans with northern white beans for a thick texture and comforting flavor profile.
Its one of those recipes you can cook on a busy weeknight when you are too tired to cook anything and just want a dump and go comforting summer dinner recipe, or a comforting fall dinner aside of some crusty bread. Its super easy to make, is high of flavors and never disappoints. A perfect wholesome family friendly one pot dinner recipe. Also read 30+ Easy & Healthy Crockpot Dinner recipes for days when you are too tired to cook or these Easy Slow Cooker Beef Main dishes Recipes for an easy Weeknight Dinner
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
This southern comfort food is a versatile dish that works well for busy weeknight dinners, casual summer cookouts, cool fall evenings, and backyard barbecues. It acts as an easy dump and forget slow cooker recipe that delivers maximum flavor with minimal hands on effort.
- Effortless: Simply brown the meat, chop the vegetables, and let the slow cooker handle the rest of the cooking process.
- Family Friendly Meal: The combination of sweet barbecue sauce, savory beef, and tender potatoes pleases eaters of all ages.
- Budget Friendly Dinner: Uses affordable pantry staples like canned beans and potatoes to feed a large crowd economically.
- Make Ahead Convenience: Tastes even better the next day after the flavors have fully melded together in the refrigerator.
- Complete Meal in One Pot: Delivers protein, starches, and rich side dish elements without requiring multiple dirty pans.
Ingredients and Why I Use Them
- Bacon: Renders rich smoky fat for the skillet and provides a crispy textured garnish at the end.
- 80/20 Ground Beef: Provides a rich meaty flavor and enough fat to keep the slow cooker mixture moist and savory.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Enhances the natural flavors of the beef and balances the sweetness of the sauce.
- Sweet Paprika: Adds a subtle warmth and distinct red hue as my personal touch.
- Yellow Onions: Melts down during cooking to build a fragrant aromatic base for the meat.
- Garlic: Infuses the beef mixture with pungent savory depth.
- Canned Baked Beans: Serves as the sweet and tangy base for the classic bean casserole texture.
- Northern White Beans: Adds creamy substance and varied texture alongside the standard baked beans.
- Russet Potatoes: Absorbs the savory cooking liquids and turns fork tender throughout the slow cooking cycle.
- Ketchup: Introduces a familiar tomato sweetness and thickness to the sauce.
- Hot Sauce: Balances the heavy sweetness with a mild vinegary kick.
- Barbecue Sauce: Ties the dish together with smoky sweetness and classic barbecue flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
- Heat a skillet with a little olive oil and cook the bacon until crisp, then remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet with leftover bacon fat, brown the 80/20 ground beef with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika.
- Add chopped yellow onions and minced garlic to the beef, cooking until translucent and fully fragrant.
- Transfer canned baked beans, northern white beans, cooked beef mixture, peeled and diced russet potatoes, ketchup, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce into the slow cooker, stirring to combine before topping with freshly cracked pepper.
- Cook on low for six hours or high for three hours, then garnish with the reserved crispy bacon right before serving.
Variations and Traditional Twists
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or Italian sausage if you want a different protein profile.
- Add a tablespoon of yellow mustard or apple cider vinegar to the sauce mixture for extra tanginess.
- Stir in a dash of Worcestershire sauce or molasses to deepen the smoky barbecue notes.
- You can also mix in canned black beans or kidney beans for a multi bean medley.
Pro Tips for Success
- Cut the russet potatoes into uniform bite sized chunks so they cook evenly throughout the six hour cycle.
- Do not add the crispy bacon until the very end to maintain its crunchy texture instead of letting it get soggy in the slow cooker.
- Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the hot sauce or black pepper according to your personal heat preference.
- Use a slow cooker liner for effortless cleanup after the meal is finished.
Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Potatoes in the Oven
- Brown the beef, bacon, onions, and garlic in a skillet, then mix with the beans, potatoes, and sauces in a Dutch oven.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour until the potatoes are tender.
- Uncover, top with the crispy bacon, and bake for ten more minutes.
Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Potatoes in the Skillet
- Cook the bacon, remove it, and brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic in the same skillet.
- Stir in the baked beans, white beans, diced potatoes, ketchup, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce directly into the skillet.
- Simmer covered over medium low heat for thirty minutes until the potatoes are cooked through, then top with crisp bacon.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Store leftover slow cooker baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. You can prep the beef and onion mixture the night before and store it in the fridge until you are ready to dump everything into the slow cooker in the morning.
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- Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Serving Suggestions
Serve this comforting dish alongside crusty cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, or garlic bread or this Summer Blackberry Cornbread which I absolutely LOVE, to soak up the rich barbecue sauce. Pair it with a crisp green salad, coleslaw, or steamed green beans to balance the heavy richness of the potatoes and beef.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Ground Beef and Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 6 strips Bacon
- 1 lbs Ground Beef 80/20
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
- 1 medium sized Yellow Onion chopped
- 4 medium cloves Garlic minced
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper as per taste
- 2 15 oz can Canned Baked Beans
- 1 15 oz can Northern White Beans rinsed and drained
- 3 large Russet Potatoes peeled and diced into chunks
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Hot Sauce
- 1 cup Barbecue Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a skillet with a little olive oil and cook the bacon until crisp, then remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet with leftover bacon fat, brown the 80/20 ground beef with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika.
- Add chopped yellow onions and minced garlic to the beef, cooking until translucent and fully fragrant.
- Transfer canned baked beans, northern white beans, cooked beef mixture, peeled and diced russet potatoes, ketchup, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce into the slow cooker, stirring to combine before topping with freshly cracked pepper.
- Cook on low for six hours or high for three hours, then garnish with the reserved crispy bacon right before serving.
Notes
Important Notes
- Cut the potato chunks to a consistent size to ensure they turn completely tender during the slow cooking process.
- Reserve the bacon until the final plating stage to guarantee a crunchy texture on top of the rich stew.
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