The Cowboy Beans Meal
High Protein - High Fiber - Hearty
If you've never heard of Cowboy Beans, you're in for a treat. This hearty, healthy, and protein-packed bean dish is a staple at our family cookouts and during cold winter nights.
It all started with my father and his coworkers taking turns making dinner for the group while they were away from their families on long business trips. A few years ago now, my father came home from a trip excited to make a new dish he had tried-Cowboy Beans. From there, the rest was history.
In my opinion, Cowboy Beans are reminiscent of baked beans and chili combined. They have a bit of kick from the peppers and chiles that is eased by the sweetness of the sauce. When combined with brown rice, the dish then has two sources of complete protein as well as a lot of healthy complex carbs and fiber. Once the acidic, crunchy, and fresh shaved cabbage salad is placed on top of the dish, it pulls it together by cutting through the otherwise hearty dish.
Below you'll find individual recipes for the cowboy beans, brown rice, and cabbage salad. Attached to each recipe is it's nutrition facts and at the end of all the recipes is the entire meal's nutrition facts.
As always, I hope you enjoy this dish and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out!
Happy Food, Happy Health
Hailey Dornbusch
Published on 10/30/2025
Cowboy Beans
Ingredients
- 1 can total can contents, Low Sodium Pinto Beans
- 1 lb(s), Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 1 tsp, Cumin, ground
- 4 tablespoon, Garlic
- 2 cup, Low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can, Low Sodium Black Beans
- 1 can total can contents, Low Sodium Kidney Beans
- 1 tsp, Liquid Smoke
- 1 tsp, Paprika
- 0.75 tsp, Flavor Enhancer
- 1 cup, Red bell pepper
- 1 large, Onion
- 1 tbsp, Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp, Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon, Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp, Chili Powder
- 0.25 cup, Tomato paste
- 1 tbsp, Dijon Mustard
- 1 whole, Jalapeño
- 1 tbsp, Onion powder
- 2 tbsp(s), Pure Maple Syrup
Directions
- Begin by placing a stock pot over medium heat.
- While the pot heats up, dice the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and mince the garlic.
- Add the beef into the pot once it heats up. Distribute it evenly across the bottom of the pan and let it sit. By not moving around the beef, you'll get a better sear on the meat and in turn more flavor. When the meat browns properly it is also less likely to stick to the pan.
- Once the beef is browned, drain the excess fat.
- Add the strained beef back to the pot and add in the onions, jalapeno, and bell peppers. Cook them until they're translucent.
- Now you can add in the garlic and spices. Cook until they're fragrant. If it begins to stick to the bottom a little, scrap the bottom with your spoon or spatula, but don't worry too much about it as we will wash it away later.
- Create a well in the middle of the pot where you can see the bottom of the pan. Add in your Dijon and let it cook for about thrity seconds. Now, stir the Dijon into the rest of the pan.
- Create another well in the middle of your pan. Add the tomato paste to the well and let it cook for 30-60 seconds. Then, stir the tomato paste into the rest of the mixture.
- Add in the apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce. Utilize the added liquid in the pan to help scrap the bottom of the pan if any of the spices or sauces began to stick. Cook the liquids down for about thirty seconds before moving onto the next step.
- Add in the stock and beans. Bring the pot to a rolling boil for about 3 minutes.
- Drop it down to a simmer and let is slowly cook for at least thirty minutes. You can also add it to a crockpot and let it slow cook for an extended period of time (usually 8 hours) as this will further incorporate the flavors and spices of the dish.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 12.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 199 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 3 g | 4 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 6 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 34 mg | 11 % |
| Sodium 303 mg | 13 % |
| Potassium 637 mg | 18 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 26 g | 9 % |
| Dietary Fiber 7 g | 30 % |
| Sugars 6 g | |
| Protein 18 g | 36 % |
| Vitamin A | 17 % |
| Vitamin C | 40 % |
| Calcium | 7 % |
| Iron | 20 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Carrot Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp, Onion powder
- 1 tbsp, Worcestershire
- 2 tsp, ground, Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon, Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp, Dijon Mustard
- 8 cup, shredded, Green Cabbage
- 2 tsp, ground, Ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp, Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 cup, chopped, Onion
- 4 Cups, Carrot. Shredded
Directions
- Wash the carrots and chop the ends off. Shred the carrots on a fine grater. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a mandolin or cutting with a knife, shave the cabbage. Wash and dry the cabbage before also adding it to the large mixing bowl.
- Shave the onion in the same fashion as the cabbage. Rinse in very cold water. This will help get rid of the overwhelming onion flavor that is often associated with raw onions. Add them to the cabbage and carrot mixture.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and massage them into the vegetable mixture.
- Make this dish towards the end of the rest of the meal being finished. This will keep it crunchy and fresh.
- If you want to keep the salad for longer, cut up all your vegetables and keep the sauces and spices separate only mixing it all together right before serving.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 12.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 37 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 0 g | 0 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 0 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 133 mg | 6 % |
| Potassium 257 mg | 7 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 9 g | 3 % |
| Dietary Fiber 2 g | 9 % |
| Sugars 4 g | |
| Protein 1 g | 2 % |
| Vitamin A | 23 % |
| Vitamin C | 3 % |
| Calcium | 7 % |
| Iron | 2 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA | |
Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cup, Uncooked Brown Rice
- 8 cup(s), Water
- 0.5 tsp, Accent flavor enhancer
Directions
- In a medium-high heat pan, add the rice. Slightly brown the kernels.
- Add the water and accent. Bring the pot to a rolling boil for about 2-3 minutes.
- Drop the heat and keep it at a soft simmer with the lid covered for about 45-50 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 8.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 172 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 1 g | 2 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 1 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 43 mg | 2 % |
| Potassium 127 mg | 4 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 36 g | 12 % |
| Dietary Fiber 2 g | 6 % |
| Sugars 0 g | |
| Protein 4 g | 7 % |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 2 % |
| Iron | 5 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Meal Nutrition Facts
