Southern-Style Pinto Beans with Ground Beef

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Soak Time: 8

Total Time: 9

Servings: servings

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Our simple family recipe for the best braised cowboy beans with layers of flavor and lots of beef

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Equipment

1 large bowl
1 cutting board
1 knife
1 large Dutch oven or 6-quart cooking pot
1 kitchen spoon

Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans
water
1 yellow onion
1 bell pepper
6-8 cloves garlic
1 pound lean ground beef or ground meat of your choice.
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce or tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon molasses
1 bay leaf

Instructions

Soak the Beans: Add beans to a large bowl, then cover with one or two inches of water and soak overnight or for about eight hours. Drain and rinse, then set aside.
1 pound dried pinto beans, water
Prep the Vegetables: Dice the onion and bell pepper, and crush or mince the garlic.
1 bell pepper, 1 yellow onion, 6-8 cloves garlic
Brown the Meat: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the ground beef, then remove from pot. If using lean meat, add 1-2 tablepoons of cooking oil to the pot.
1 pound lean ground beef, 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Bloom the Aromatics: Add the chopped pepper and onion to the pot along with spices, and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent and the ingredients are fragrant (about 4 minutes), then add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Stir in the beans, broth, tomato sauce, molasses, and bay leaf, and increase the heat to medium-high.
1 tablespoon molasses, 1 cup tomato sauce, 4 cups beef broth, 1 bay leaf
Finish and Serve: Bring the mixture to a boil, then carefully add the ground beef back tot he pot, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Serve warm.

Notes

Preparation

Soaking the beans is optional, but it helps the beans cook faster.

Modifications

I've made this recipe successfully using the same amount of canned tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, or fresh tomato puree.

You can swap in ground turkey, chicken, or pork, if needed. Just note that ground poultry does not render much fat when cooking, so you'll need to add a spoonful of cooking oil for the aromatics.

I love the subtle earthy sweetness that molasses adds to this dish, but you can instead use the same amount of dark or light brown sugar for a similar effect. Honey, maple syrup, and sugar-free sweetener options can also work.

You can use beef broth, poultry broth, or even veggie broth here--regular or low sodium.

Storage

Like many bean dishes, these store well and just get better with time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to seven days.

To freeze, cool the beans to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. I like to use Souper Cubes for easy portioning and thawing. Keeps for up to six months once frozen.

Nutrition