Slow Cooker Calico Beans are made with ground hamburger, bacon, beans and spices in your Crockpot. Full of amazing sweet and smokey flavors, it's the perfect dish to take to potlucks and parties!
You’ll love this recipe for calico beans, otherwise known as "Cowboy Beans" because it is such a breeze to make.
If you are looking for a crockpot meal that you can set and forget, this is it. Just throw everything in your slow cooker and transport it to the party.
It conveniently stays warm in the crockpot and feeds a hungry crowd!
Calico beans go great with pretty much any dish, like southwestern pasta salad or orzo pasta salad.
Which you know is pretty much guaranteed to be on the potluck table!
Ingredients you will need
- bacon
- ground hamburger meat
- small onion, chopped
- light brown sugar
- yellow mustard
- salt
- ketchup
- canned kidney beans
- canned baked beans
- canned northern beans
This dish is referred to as "Calico" beans because of the different colors of beans used. Feel free to use any type of beans you prefer!
DO NOT drain the liquid from the canned beans. You will add the entire can, beans and liquid, to the slow cooker.
How to make slow cooker calico beans
- Brown the ground beef and bacon in a skillet and drain excess fat.
- Add them to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Once it's cooked, turn the slow cooker to the WARM setting and give it a good stir.
How to store
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Calico beans can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.
4 fall season slow cooker recipes
- slow cooker turkey breast
- slow cooker mac and cheese
- slow cooker pumpkin pie oatmeal
- slow cooker apple cinnamon oatmeal
Slow Cooker Calico Beans
Rate this recipe!
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon (chopped)
- 2 lbs ground hamburger
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
- 1 (15 oz.) can baked beans
- 2 (15 oz.) can northern beans
Instructions
- Brown the bacon and ground hamburger in a skillet on the stovetop. Drain fat and add them to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on the LOW setting for 2 hours. Stir and serve.
Notes
- To Store: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Allow to cool completely and place into a freezer-safe container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw completely and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
This recipe is from Amy in the Kitchen. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images or republish this recipe without prior permission. Thank you.
Joe says
I can’t wait to make this recipe.