Calico Beans

The ultimate backyard barbecue side dish is Crock Pot Calico Beans! A variety of beans with bacon and ground beef in a delicious sauce that’s slow cooked. This easy recipe is great for potlucks, parties and easy meals too!

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I have the best side dish for all your summer events – calico beans! This dish is like amped-up baked beans with three kinds of beans, beef, bacon, and an amazing sauce. It’s the best side for potlucks, BBQs, and summer dinners!

My family loves this recipe! The combination of the sweet and tangy sauce with the savory beef is so good. It’s definitely a great way to switch up your side dishes. Give this one a try, and it might just be your new favorite summer side dish. Everyone loves when I make these easy slow cooker beans!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Like my crockpot beans, I love this slow cooker calico beans recipe. It’s a really easy way to make them without having to turn on the oven when it’s hot.
• This is a really hearty side dish that serves a crowd! Sometimes they’re called cowboy beans, too, because they’re savory, filling, and delicious.
• Calico beans go with all of your favorite summer main dishes like steak, grilled chicken marinade, and pork. Or pair them with hamburgers and hot dogs!

Ingredients for Calico Beans

• Bacon – I love making crispy bacon in my oven or grabbing the microwavable bacon and making it that way for less mess!
• Ground beef – I recommend using 85% lean so that you beans won’t be greasy. You can also use ground turkey if you want a more lean option.
• Chopped yellow onion – A great shortcut and time-saver is to buy the diced frozen onion in the bags in your freezer aisle! The pre-diced onion in containers in the produce section will work too.
• Light brown sugar – Be sure to pack measuring cup tightly with light brown sugar.
• Dry mustard – This adds so much flavor to this protein packed side dish.
• Beans – I use a mixture of canned lima, butter beans, pork and beans, and kidney beans. However, you can use lots of different combos. Black beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, and great northern beans are great options.
• Ketchup – While it may sound weird to add ketchup to beans, trust me when I say this is a vital ingredient!
• White vinegar – You can also use apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have on hand!
• Salt and pepper taste – Season these beans with some salt and black pepper to bring out the flavor.

How to Make Calico Beans

Cook the bacon in a large skillet or in the oven until it’s crispy. Drain it on paper towels and discard all but two teaspoons of the bacon grease in the pan.

In the same skillet, brown the ground beef in the reserved bacon fat. Add the diced onion, and once the beef is cooked through, drain off the grease and transfer the beef and onions to the crock pot.

Add all of the other ingredients to the crock pot with the beef and onions.

Cook the calico beans on low for three to four hours! To serve, you can transfer them to a serving bowl or keep them warm in the crock pot and everyone can help themselves.

How to Store Leftover Calico Beans

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can freeze leftovers if you’d like, but beans typically have a really grainy texture after being frozen, thawed and reheated.

Can I make calico beans ahead of time?

You have two options for making them ahead. One way is to cook the beef and onion and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Instead of slow cooking them, just store the mixture in a container and keep it in the refrigerator. Then pop the calico beans in the crockpot when you’re ready to cook it.

You can also do all the steps and then let the dish cool and store it in the fridge and warm them up later. Either way works!

What to Serve with Calico Beans

While I often serve this as a side dish, it does have more than enough protein to be a main dish. Pair it with simple sides like cornbread or dinner rolls.

But you can also serve it as a side dish with summer favorites like pulled pork sliders, bbq ribs, and hearty burgers. I love to serve potato salad alongside calico beans with those meals too!

Why are they called calico beans?

They get the name from the variety of colors from the beans. They’re also sometimes called cowboy beans!

Can I bake calico beans in the oven?

Yes, you can place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

You don’t have to wait until a potluck to try this dish – it’s easy enough for weeknight family meals, too! Add the ingredients to your shopping list and give it a try this week!

More Summer Side Dish Recipes!

• No one can resist Corn on the Cob slathered with butter! This easy recipe is a summer go-to.
• Every potluck or BBQ needs some Homemade Potato Salad and my recipe is always a crowd-pleaser.
• Watermelon Salad is a fresh and light side dish that goes with all of your favorite grilled dishes.
• Who loves pasta salad? Make my creamy Macaroni Salad and it will be the star of the meal.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 12 votes

Calico Beans

Cooked in the crock pot this mixture of beans with bacon and ground beef in a delicious sauce is the perfect side dish for summer!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:3 hours hrs

Total:3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 8 oz bacon
• ▢ 1 lb ground beef recommend 85%
• ▢ 1 c. chopped yellow onion
• ▢ ½ c. light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• ▢ 2 cans pork and beans 15 oz each
• ▢ 15 oz lima beans drained
• ▢ 15 oz butter beans drained
• ▢ 16 oz kidney beans drained
• ▢ ½ c. ketchup
• ▢ 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp, remove bacon to paper towels and let drain. Leave about 2 tsp of bacon drippings in the skillet, discard the remaining drippings.
• Heat skillet with drippings over medium heat and add the ground beef and chopped onions. Cook until beef is browned. Drain off grease.
• Transfer ground beef to a crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot.
• Cook on low for 3-5 hours.

Tips

Can you make them ahead?
You have two options for making them ahead.

One way is to cook the beef and onion and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Instead of slow cooking them, store the mixture in a container and keep it in the refrigerator. Then just pop it in the crock pot when you’re ready to cook it.

You can also do all the steps and then let the dish cool and store it in the fridge and warm them up later. Either way works!

How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Can you bake them in the oven instead?
Yes, you can place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 350°F.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 489kcal (24%), Carbohydrates: 64g (21%), Protein: 26g (52%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 47mg (16%), Sodium: 792mg (34%), Potassium: 1147mg (33%), Fiber: 15g (63%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Vitamin A: 58IU (1%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 115mg (12%), Iron: 6mg (33%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.