Campfire Cowboy Beans in a Dutch Oven with Bacon, Smoked Sausage and Brown Sugar
Cook chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium coals, then brown smoked sausage and soften onion and pepper in the drippings. Stir in canned beans and a ketchup, brown sugar and mustard sauce, cover, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes until thick and bubbling at 165°F. Plan on about an hour at the fire, plus time to burn down your coals.
Cowboy beans are the pot that sits at the edge of the fire and gets everyone's attention. Smoky bacon, sweet-tangy sauce and coins of browned sausage turn canned beans into a real dinner. This version is built on a Dutch oven, so the sauce thickens slowly and picks up a little fire flavor.
It's cheap and forgiving, and it feeds a crowd. Serve it with skillet cornbread, spoon it over baked potatoes, or eat it straight from the bowl. Leftovers are even better the next morning with a fried egg.
Campfire Cowboy Beans in a Dutch Oven with Bacon, Smoked Sausage and Brown Sugar
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium coals, with a few coals on the lid
- Pack weight
- 7 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven with lid
- Campfire grate
- Long-handled spoon
- Lid lifter
- Heat-proof gloves
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cutting board and knife
- Can opener
- Mixing bowl
Steps
-
Get medium coals
Burn your fire down to glowing coals, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set a grate over a bed of coals, with a shovelful of extra coals to the side for the lid.
-
Render the bacon
Set a 5-quart Dutch oven on the grate and add the bacon. Cook, stirring, 6 to 8 minutes until browned and crisp at the edges. Wash your hands and the tongs or spoon after handling raw bacon.
-
Brown the sausage
Add the sausage coins to the bacon and drippings. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until browned on both sides.
-
Soften the vegetables
Stir in the onion and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
-
Mix the sauce
In a bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, black pepper and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
-
Add beans and simmer
Add all the beans and the sauce to the pot and stir well. Put the lid on, set a few coals on top, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes. Stir every 5 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom, until thick and bubbling.
-
Check the temperature
Check that the beans read at least 165°F in the center. If the sauce is too thin, cook uncovered 5 more minutes. If it's too thick, splash in a little water.
-
Rest and serve
Pull the pot off the heat and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot.
Trail Notes
At home, dice the onion and pepper and mix the sauce in a jar. Keep both in the cooler and you'll cut your camp prep to almost nothing.
Keep the raw bacon and sausage at 40°F or below until cooking. Use them in the first two days of the trip, or freeze them solid before you leave. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within a day or two.
No cooler? Skip the bacon and use shelf-stable summer sausage. Brown it in 2 tablespoons of oil and bump the smoked paprika to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Use an existing fire ring and make sure the ashes are cold before you leave. Pour cooled bacon grease into a sealed container and pack it out. Don't dump it on the ground.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastDutch Oven Sausage, Potato and Egg Breakfast Bake
LunchCampfire Beer-Simmered Brats in Cast Iron
Snack or treatCampfire Foil Packet Baked Brie with Honey and Grilled BaguetteMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
Can I make cowboy beans on a camp stove?
Yes. Use a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-low heat with the lid on. Stir often so the sugar doesn't scorch.
How do I keep the beans from burning on the bottom of the Dutch oven?
Keep the heat at medium or lower and stir every 5 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.
Can I use dried beans for campfire cowboy beans?
It's not practical at camp. Dried beans need a long soak and simmer, and they won't soften in sweet, acidic sauce. Canned beans are quicker and more reliable.
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