Texas Style Baked Beans Recipe-Cowboy Approved

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These Texas style baked bean are an excellent side dish that can also serve as a great dinner. This recipe is easy because it doesn't rely on dried beans, and you don't even need the your oven--they cook up in a skillet or dutch oven right on your stove top. Smoked sausage, chili powder, and jalapeño adds tons of flavor and a piece of corn bread rounds out the dish in true Texas, or Southern style.

Tastes great with my instant pot brisket!

a bowl of baked beans with sliced sausage mixed in

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Why you'll love it

Delicious - you will love all the different flavors going on in this recipe. It's sweet but not too sweet, and spicy, but not too spicy. There's plenty of smoke from the sausage and chili powder. These bean are far from boring and will make your taste buds dance.

Made on the stove top - yes, you heard that right. These "baked beans" are actually strewed in a large skillet or dutch oven on the stove top. However, you can make these in the oven if you must.

Quick - Uses canned baked beans as a short cut so you can get this side dish on the table quick. Making baked beans from dried pinto beans, navy beans or great Northern beans may be the traditional method, but these beans taste just as good in a fraction of the time for a great side dish.

Key Ingredients

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Canned baked beans - I used Bush's homestyle, but you can use whatever is available in your area. If you get one that has added brown sugar or bbq sauce, it may be more on the sweet side, so keep that in mind when you add in the sugar.

You can also use canned pork and beans.

Smoked sausage - choose your favorite brand or variety. I made it with Hillshire Farms smoked sausage because it readily available. Choose you favorite brand and variety like kielbasa or jalapeño flavor. I used the 14 ounce package, but you can use anywhere from half a pound to a full pound.

Onion and garlic cloves that are finely chopped.

Jalapeño peppers - adds heat and great flavor. You can use green bell pepper or even red bell pepper, if desired.

Ketchup or barbecue sauce - use whichever you have on hand or prefer. Just keep in mind that a sweet barbeque sauce will add more sweetness than ketchup or a tomato based sauce.

Beer - I like to use a Texas beer called Shiner Bock. It's amber in color. A bottle of Lone Star beer is another option, or whatever you have on hand will work.

Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar will work. Maple syrup is a great substitute as is regular white sugar.

Chili powder - gives these southern baked beans a Texas twist.

Worcestershire sauce - add a savory depth of flavor. Use A-1 steak sauce as a substitute.

Check out my no bake chocolate pie for dessert.

Instructions

Step One: Slice sausage into quarter inch pieces. Finely chop jalapeño, onion, and garlic.

Step Two: In a large skillet, cast iron pot, or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil or vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage, jalapeño, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until sausage is lightly browned and vegetables are softened.

Step Three: Add canned beans (don't drain beans) and the remaining ingredients (chili powder through Worcestershire sauce) to the pot, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low heat and let beans simmer for at least 20 minutes, uncovered.

Season your Texas style baked beans with salt and black pepper and a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Top tips

The longer the beans simmer, the thicker they will get. If you prefer saucy beans it's best to simmer for only 20 minutes. Beans will thicken as they cool as well.

This Texas style baked beans recipe can be baked too. Just follow the instructions as written. After bringing the bean mixture to a boil, cover an oven safe pot and heat for 30 minutes in a 350 degrees F pre-heated oven. Finish beans on the stove top, uncovered, to thicken sauce if needed.

If you want to add bacon: cut 4 to 6 bacon slices into small pieces. Cook bacon in the pot first until crisp and fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Continue with recipe as written using the bacon fat instead of adding oil. Add cooked bacon to pot when you add the beans. Or, crumble bacon on top before serving.

Add a can of rinsed beans like black beans or red kidney beans, to add variety.

Serving suggestions

As a side dish, these Texas style baked beans are versatile enough to serve with a variety of dishes. Try them with my easy sloppy Joes, air fryer hot dogs, or my kielbasa and sauerkraut.

As a main dish, serve with corn bread, my corn casserole, or

Irish soda bread, or grits.

Storage and reheating

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until heated through.

Common questions

Are baked beans an American thing?

Baked beans are rooted in Native American cooking. Indigenous Americans taught New England colonists how to make the dish, which consisted of baking beans, bear fat, venison, and maple syrup in earthenware pots.

What bean is used to make baked beans?

Baked beans are traditionally made with navy beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, which is native to North America.

Are beans good for you?

Eating beans as part of a heart healthy diet may help lower blood cholesterol according to Heart.org.