Dutch Oven Beans
A hearty beef built around bacon, lean ground beef and canned pork and beans — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Mustard
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).
- Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook it in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving a little fat in the pot.
- Add the ground beef and chopped onion to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until the beef is fully browned with no pink remaining and reaches at least 71 C (160 F) and the onion is soft, about 8 minutes, then drain off excess grease.
- Drain and rinse the lima, pinto, red kidney and butter beans, then add them to the pot along with the undrained pork and beans and the cooked bacon.
- Stir in the brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar and mustard, and season with salt and pepper until everything is well combined.
- Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and bubbles around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, let the beans rest for 10 minutes to thicken further, then taste, adjust the seasoning and serve hot.
You'll use: Oven · Large pot
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
Tips & common questions
How long does Dutch Oven Beans take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Dutch Oven Beans is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: The Food at Davids Kitchen 095.jpg by David Reber from Kansas City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.