Calico Baked Beans (+Video)
The Best Calico Baked Beans are made with a variety of beans along with ground beef cooked in a delicious sauce. Perfect for a crowd!
A FUN TWIST ON BAKED BEANS
I learned how to make this recipe for calico beans while living in Texas. It’s a hearty and filling baked bean recipe that is really a whole meal. Just serve with some cornbread! I’m pretty sure I missed my calling as a ranch cook. There’s nothing I love more than to feed hardworking folks.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED CALICO BEANS?
- They are called calico baked beans because of the variety of colors. For the same reason why we called multi-color cats – Calico Cats.
- You can use any variety of beans you have on hand. If you prefer kidney beans, black beans, lava beans or even chickpeas – you can use them here. The only beans I wouldn’t skip on are the cans of baked beans in sauce. They really kick up the flavors to this beans.
- Also, you can use dried beans but you’re going to need to soak them overnight before making this recipe.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- ground beef
- onion
- bacon
- baked beans in sauce
- pinto beans
- northern beans
- garlic
- ketchup
- brown sugar (light or dark)
- white vinegar
- salt & pepper
- dry mustard powder
HOW TO MAKE CALICO BAKED BEANS:
If you haven’t done so already, rinse your pinto and northern beans using a colander. You can use dried beans for this. Just make sure you soak them overnight before using.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Begin browning your ground beef in a medium pan over medium heat. Add in diced onion and garlic. Cook beef until brown and crumbled and onion is translucent.
Drain excess fat from cooked ground beef. In a large bowl, combine ground beef mixture, cans of baked beans, rinsed pinto and northern beans, crumbled bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and dry mustard. Stir well.
Pour bean mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes. And serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Calico Baked Beans (+Video)
Ingredients
- ½-1 pound ground beef (depending on how meaty you want it)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 pound bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
- 3 (16 ounce) cans baked beans in sauce do not drain
- 2 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (16 ounce) can northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Begin browning ground beef in a medium pan over medium heat.
- Add in diced onion and garlic. Cook beef until brown and crumbled and onion is translucent. Drain excess fat from cooked ground beef.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef mixture, cans of baked beans, rinsed pinto and northern beans, crumbled bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and dry mustard.
- Stir well. Then pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for additional 5-10 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: July 2012
Updated & republished: June 2020
These are the best beans ever!! I have made these for years except for the garlic which I will use in my next batch. These are even better reheated. They just get even better. They are a whole meal!
Have been.making these for years. Everyone loves them. I also add honey barbecue sauce. Tastes great.
So good to see this “oldie but goodie”. Many years ago it was a great dish for Church Potlucks…..I’m going to make as soon as I can. .Thank you for sharing and a Wonderful memory…
Brandie: I made the Cowboy Calico Beans tonight and we loved this recipe. I am going to take this dish to our annual fall-Halloween get -together with our neighbors. Thanks!
Hi Carol! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know how they turned out. Yay!!
I have done this recipe forever. I do add some maple syrup besides what you use in the recipe. I also use Randall's mixed beans in a jar if you can find them. I do them in a crock pot either started the night before or early in the day so they have enough time to get all those good juices going. This is the first time I have seen them called Calico beans as I have always called them. They are a meal in their selves and too die for! <3
Totally making these, Subscribed and subscribed again, so that even without Buzz, I won't miss a post!
Oh I love these beans
What would go good with these?
I make Calico Beans and put all ingredients into the crock pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours… they turn out delicious every time.
YUM! Those beans are beautiful!
Would just baked beans, in different flavors, work okay? My boyfriend and I are a tad picky but this sounds so good!
Your dish looks so good. My husband makes a similar dish in the crock pot, which is great for a crowd of people, and so flavorful, like yours.
Alex is such a cute cowboy!
Calico Beans are my family's go-to potluck dish, we love them! Have you ever tried it with maple bacon? It's our secret ingredient. 😉
Would this recipe work in a crockpot?
Any dish that has "Cowboy" in it is going to be good!
Yum! This looks really delicious! And your boy is so adorable!
It looks wonderful, I think a can of diced tomatoes would be good in it also! I love the idea of the crock pot!
i add BBQ sauce instead of ketchup, & put shredded cheddar on top. my kids hated ground beef when they were young, but would always go back for more of this-theyd even eat it cold! i was a single mother when they were young, & this was a great way to stretch out meat, plus was quick to make after work. havent thought about this in years-now i have to make it! thanks for posting!!
Hi Lisa! I don't see why not! 🙂