Oven-Baked Calico Beans Recipe
This Baked Calico Beans Recipe combines three types of beans, ground beef, and bacon in a sweet and tangy sauce. Baked until warm and saucy, it’s an easy side dish that can double as a complete meal!
What are Calico Beans?
Calico beans, also known as cowboy beans and trucker beans, are a twist on classic baked beans. A popular side dish, they typically consist of canned pork and beans, kidney beans, and butter beans paired with ground beef and crisp bacon. A staple summer side dish, especially in the Midwest, they’re sweet, savory, and oh-so-delicious!
Our version is one we grew up eating as kids. However, we took the original and made it just a little healthier. It still has all the taste and texture you love but is a little lower in sugar. It’s a win-win!
Ingredients You Need
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions to make this calico beans recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Bacon – Use any cut of bacon you like best. Feel free to substitute turkey bacon if you don’t eat pork.
- Onion – White or yellow onion helps flavor the beef.
- Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef, 80% or leaner. Or, opt for ground turkey, ground bison, or ground venison instead!
- Coconut Sugar – We use this to reduce the glycemic index of the beans and provide a sweet taste. However, brown sugar works just as well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This adds the perfect touch of tang and enhances the sweet flavors of the rest of the ingredients.
- Salt – Adjust to taste.
- Ketchup – We use a sugar-free ketchup, but any brand you like best will work just fine!
- Mustard – Use regular yellow mustard for a tangy kick.
- Beans – Pinto beans, kidney beans, and canned green beans or white navy beans form the base of the dish!
How to Make the Best Calico Bean Recipe
- Prepare. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, and cook the bacon until crispy. Then, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
- Brown the beef. Add the onion and ground beef, and cook, breaking up the beef, until it’s browned.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the cooked bacon and remaining ingredients back to the pot, and gently stir to combine.
- Bake. Transfer the pot to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes or until the sides are bubbly.
Note: If your Dutch oven or pot isn’t oven-safe, transfer the bean mixture to a 9×13 glass baking dish, and bake as normal.
Serving Suggestions
Honestly, this baked calico beans recipe is one of our all-time favorite dishes, and we only make it a few times a year. So, we’ve been known to eat it on its own or with just a side of cornbread!
However, it’s also great as a side dish with summer meals like:
- Burgers
- Hotdogs
- Easy Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- BBQ Chicken Tacos with Coleslaw
- Creamy BBQ Chicken Salad
Common Questions
Absolutely! To make slow cooker calico beans, combine all the ingredients on the stovetop as usual. Then, transfer it to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours or until the mixture is bubbling.
Stored in an airtight container, leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Once cool, you can transfer the beans to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat your calico beans in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Oven-Baked Calico Beans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 15 oz can pinto beans, half drained (half the liquid in the can is needed in the casserole)
- 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz canned green beans or white navy beans, drained (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet on the stovetop, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Leave 1-2 Tablespoons bacon renderings (grease/fat) in the pan.6 ounces bacon
- Add the onion and ground beef to the bacon renderings. Cook on medium heat until meat is browned.1 small onion, 1 lb ground beef
- Add the cooked bacon and remaining ingredients to the skillet and gently stir until all the ingredients are combined.1/2 cup coconut sugar, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard, 15 oz can pinto beans, half drained, 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained, 15 oz canned green beans or white navy beans, drained, 6 ounces bacon
- Place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the sides of the beans are bubbly. If you are not using a stovetop-to-oven safe pan, pour the casserole into a 9×13 glass pan and bake at 30 min or until the sides are bubbly.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
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I always bring this to BBQs in the summer. Its hearty and so good with burgers and all the summer salads. Yummy!