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
Ingredients
1
1
1
2
1
1
½
1
3
1
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
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.