Burger Beans (Baked Beans With Ground Beef)

This recipe is featured in America the Barbecue, a celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary and its unique culinary history.

Burger beans are the bulked-up rendition of a tried-and-true American classic that's sure to make you the belle of the barbecue. These have everything you look for in your favorite canned baked beans and then some: sticky, brown sugar goodness, smoky bits of bacon, big beefy flavor, vegetal sweetness from green bell pepper, and a touch of briny heat from the pickled jalapeño garnish, if you so choose. Thinly sliced fresh jalapeños would also be welcome here.

Recipe information

• Total Time

  15 minutes

• Yield

  4–6 servings

Total Time

15 minutes

Yield

4–6 servings

Ingredients

1

1

1

2

1

1

½

1

3

1

1

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Drain one 7-oz. can sliced pickled jalapeños, reserving 1 Tbsp. brine. Set aside separately. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add 1 medium green bell pepper, halved, ribs and seeds removed, cut into about ⅛" pieces, and 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and bell pepper is beginning to soften, 1–2 minutes.

   Step 2

   Add 1 lb. ground beef, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, 3–4 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can baked beans, 3 Tbsp. ketchup, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard, and reserved 1 Tbsp. pickled jalapeño brine; stir well to combine. Simmer beans, stirring occasionally, until bubbling and thickened, about 5 minutes.

   Step 3

   Transfer burger beans to a serving dish and top with reserved pickled jalapeños.

Step 1

Drain one 7-oz. can sliced pickled jalapeños, reserving 1 Tbsp. brine. Set aside separately. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add 1 medium green bell pepper, halved, ribs and seeds removed, cut into about ⅛" pieces, and 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and bell pepper is beginning to soften, 1–2 minutes.

Step 2

Add 1 lb. ground beef, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, 3–4 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can baked beans, 3 Tbsp. ketchup, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard, and reserved 1 Tbsp. pickled jalapeño brine; stir well to combine. Simmer beans, stirring occasionally, until bubbling and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer burger beans to a serving dish and top with reserved pickled jalapeños.

Recipe notes