Baked beans usually play second fiddle to burgers and ribs at a cookout, but this version is hearty enough to deserve a spot in the center of the plate.
Ground beef and bacon add substantial protein and savory flavor, while a sweet, smoky, tangy BBQ sauce brings everything together in the slow cooker.
The best part is how little work the crockpot does. Brown the beef, crisp the bacon, stir everything together, and let the beans simmer until the sauce thickens and deepens in flavor. Because the beans are already cooked, you have plenty of flexibility with the timing.
Serve these high-protein baked beans alongside grilled meats, spoon them over rice for a simple meal, or bring them to your next potluck or cookout. Just don’t expect many leftovers.
Why These High-Protein Crockpot Baked Beans Work
- More protein than traditional baked beans. Ground beef and beans make this much more substantial than a basic canned-bean side dish.
- Rich, smoky flavor. Bacon, smoked paprika, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ sauce create layers of flavor without requiring a complicated sauce.
- Better bacon texture. Cooking the bacon first keeps it from becoming soft and chewy in the slow cooker, while reserving some for the topping keeps it crisp.
- Not overly sweet. A moderate amount of brown sugar lets the BBQ sauce and molasses provide most of the sweetness.
- Flexible timing. Since the beans are already cooked, the slow cooker mainly heats the mixture, develops flavor, and thickens the sauce.
- Great for a crowd. The recipe makes eight hearty servings and can be prepared ahead for a cookout or potluck.
High-Protein Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon
Canned beans simmered with ground beef, crispy bacon, and a sweet, smoky BBQ sauce, then finished with more bacon for crunch.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1¼ lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern or navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can pork and beans, undrained
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, only if needed
- Optional: ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper for heat
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium heat and cook until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve about one-third of the bacon for topping and drain all but about 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat from the skillet.
- Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and diced onion to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the beef into small pieces as it cooks, until browned and the onion tender. Drain any excess fat.
- Add the garlic. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Combine the beans and sauce. Transfer the beef and onion mixture and the remaining bacon to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the Great Northern beans, kidney beans, and pork and beans. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Stir gently until combined.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until hot throughout and the sauce is thick and glossy. Stir gently once halfway through cooking if needed.
- Thicken if necessary. If the beans are thinner than you’d like at the end of cooking, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for another 20 to 30 minutes, checking occasionally. If they become too thick, stir in a splash of water or beef broth.
- Finish and serve. Taste before adding salt—the bacon, BBQ sauce, canned beans, and Worcestershire sauce may already provide enough. Top with the reserved crispy bacon just before serving.
Notes
Protein per Serving: About 27g
Tips for the Best Crockpot Baked Beans
Crisp the bacon first
Don’t put raw bacon straight into the slow cooker and expect it to stay crisp. It will soften as it cooks in the sauce. Cooking it first improves flavor and texture, while saving some for the topping adds a satisfying crunch.
Drain the beef well
Ground beef adds richness, but excess grease can make the finished beans feel heavy. Drain the beef after browning, especially if you’re not using a particularly lean variety.
Taste before adding salt
This recipe gets sodium from several ingredients, including bacon, canned beans, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste the finished beans before adding any salt.
Don’t worry if the beans look a little loose at first
The sauce thickens as the beans cook and some moisture evaporates. If it’s still thinner than you prefer at the end, use the uncovered HIGH setting for 20 to 30 minutes.
Keep the topping separate
For the best contrast, don’t add all of the bacon to the slow cooker. The bacon mixed into the beans adds smoky flavor, while the reserved bacon stays crisp on top.
Make them ahead
These beans are a good make-ahead option for a cookout. Prepare them a day ahead, refrigerate promptly, and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Easy Variations
Three-Meat Cowboy Beans
Want an even heartier version? Add ½ lb smoked sausage, sliced into bite-size pieces. Briefly brown the sausage in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker with the beef and bacon.
This creates the classic three-meat combination of bacon, ground beef, and smoked sausage, making an especially hearty potluck dish.
Ham and Bacon Baked Beans
Cubed ham can also work, but I’d use it as an alternative rather than adding it on top of the beef. Replace about ½ lb of the ground beef with ½ lb diced cooked ham for a slightly saltier, more traditional ham-and-beans flavor.
Because ham and bacon are both salty, taste carefully before adding additional salt.
Vegetarian Crockpot Baked Beans
Skip the bacon and ground beef. Sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke along with the smoked paprika. Continue with the recipe as written.
For a vegetarian version, check the labels on the Worcestershire sauce and BBQ sauce, since some brands contain animal-derived ingredients.
Texas-Style BBQ Beans
For a bolder, spicier version, use a smoky BBQ sauce, add one diced jalapeño with the onion, and stir in 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce from canned chipotles.
From-Dry-Bean Version
You can start with dried beans, but this requires a different cooking approach and isn’t a simple one-for-one swap for the canned beans in this recipe.
If using dried kidney beans, don’t put them into the slow cooker raw. Soak and then boil kidney beans vigorously in fresh water before using them. Raw or undercooked kidney beans contain a naturally occurring toxin that thorough boiling destroys.
For the easiest and most predictable version of this recipe, stick with canned beans.
What to Serve with Crockpot Baked Beans
These beans are hearty enough to serve as a main dish, but they’re especially good as part of a cookout spread.
Serve them with:
- Grilled burgers
- BBQ chicken
- Ribs
- Grilled sausages
- Cornbread
- Coleslaw
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Green salad
- Roasted or grilled vegetables
For an easy high-protein meal, spoon the beans over cooked rice and top with sliced green onions or a little shredded cheese.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
To make ahead, cook the beans, let them cool, and refrigerate them in a covered container. Reheat thoroughly on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has become too thick.
Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled beans in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
For a cookout, transfer already-hot beans to a slow cooker for serving and use the WARM setting to keep them hot. Avoid using a slow cooker to reheat cold leftovers from the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these really high-protein baked beans?
They have considerably more protein than many traditional baked-bean recipes because they combine several protein sources: ground beef, beans, and bacon. This version provides an estimated 27g of protein per serving, although the exact amount will vary depending on the ground beef and canned bean brands you use.
Can I use a different type of bean?
Yes. Great northern, navy, kidney, and pinto beans all work well. Keep the total amount of beans roughly the same so you don’t dramatically change the sauce-to-bean ratio.
Can I use all canned beans?
Absolutely. The canned-bean combination is what makes this recipe so convenient. Drain and rinse beans that are packed in plain liquid, but leave the pork-and-bean sauce in the recipe if you’re using that variety.
Can I add smoked sausage?
Yes. Add ½ lb sliced smoked sausage for a three-meat cowboy-bean variation. Brown it briefly before adding it to the slow cooker for the best flavor.
Can I use ham instead of ground beef?
Yes. For a ham-and-bacon variation, replace about ½ lb of the ground beef with ½ lb diced cooked ham. Because both ham and bacon can be salty, taste before adding salt.
Can I make these baked beans vegetarian?
Yes. Omit the beef and bacon and sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Liquid smoke and smoked paprika can help replace some of the smoky flavor.
Can I make these ahead for a party?
Yes. You can prepare the beans a day ahead, refrigerate them, and reheat them before serving. If you’re serving them at a cookout, transfer the already-hot beans to a slow cooker and use the WARM setting to maintain serving temperature.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, but don’t simply double the ingredients in a standard 6-quart slow cooker. Use a larger slow cooker that can comfortably accommodate the increased volume, or make two batches. A very full slow cooker can heat less evenly.
More Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love
- Fall-Off-the-Bone Crockpot Ribs (The Easiest BBQ Dinner)
- Sticky, Saucy BBQ Meatballs Crockpot Recipe I Make on Repeat
- Easy Crockpot BBQ Chicken – Shredded and Perfect for Sandwiches
- Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork (Easy, Crowd-Pleasing & Better Than Takeout)
Conclusion
These high-protein crockpot baked beans take a classic cookout side and make it hearty enough to become the main event. Ground beef and beans provide substantial protein, while bacon, BBQ sauce, molasses, mustard, and smoked paprika create the sweet, smoky flavor everyone expects from great baked beans.
Brown the meat first, let the slow cooker bring everything together, and save some crispy bacon for the top. Serve alongside grilled favorites at your next cookout, or spoon over rice when you want an easy, filling meal.
One batch gives you a crowd-friendly side dish with enough substance to stand on its own.
