This is a ground beef and white bean bake built around a short list of Spanish pantry staples — piquillo peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and white wine. It comes together in one pan before going into the oven, which means most of the cooking time is hands-off. The result is a thick, savory dish that works equally well as a weeknight dinner or a batch-cook meal that holds up well through the week.
The short version of why this works
Two things make this recipe reliable. First, cooking off the white wine before the dish goes into the oven matters more than it might seem — if you rush that step and leave too much liquid in the pan, the final sauce turns thin and the beans taste watery. Let it reduce until you can see the bottom of the pan between stirs. Second, the sun-dried tomatoes and piquillo peppers are doing a lot of work here. Both are already concentrated and oil-packed, so they dissolve into the sauce during the oven time and add a depth that fresh peppers and tomatoes alone won’t give you. Don’t swap them out.
Common problems and fixes
- Sauce is too thin after baking: The beans absorbed less liquid than expected, or the wine wasn’t reduced enough beforehand. Return the dish to the oven uncovered for another 10–15 minutes to tighten it up.
- Beans turned mushy: Canned or jarred beans vary a lot in firmness. If yours are already very soft before they go in, reduce oven time to 30–35 minutes and check early. A firmer jarred variety like El Navarrico holds up better to the full bake time.
- Ground beef clumped into large pieces: The beef needs to be broken up continuously while it crisps in the pan — don’t walk away from it. Large clumps won’t distribute evenly through the beans.
- Swiss chard stems still tough in the finished dish: Slice the stems thinly and add them to the pan a minute or two before the leaves. The leaves alone soften quickly in the oven; the stems need a head start.
- Dish tastes flat: Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil vary in quality. Taste one before you cook — if it’s bland, add an extra two or three. A pinch of smoked paprika stirred in before baking also sharpens the overall flavor without changing the character of the dish.
Keeping and reheating
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days — the flavors actually improve overnight as the beans absorb more of the sauce. To reheat, add a small splash of water or chicken stock to loosen it, then warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 165°F (74°C) throughout. Skip reheating in the oven — it dries the beans out faster than the stovetop does. For freezing, portion into individual containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating; freezing does soften the beans slightly, so use a firmer variety if you plan to batch-cook this from the start.
Spanish Baked Beans with Ground Beef (One-Pan Oven)
Equipment
Ingredients
2 medium red onion - diced, about 300g / 10.5oz total
1 large tomato - diced
4 cloves garlic - crushed- ¾ cup dry white wine - 175ml
1 medium red chilli - finely chopped- 6 stalks Swiss chard - stalks sliced and leaves roughly chopped, about 200g / 7oz
8 small sun-dried tomatoes - in oil, sliced
2 sprigs rosemary - finely chopped- 3-4 pieces piquillo peppers - from a jar, in oil, sliced
2 pounds ground beef - minced beef, 900g- 23 oz navy beans - cannellini or haricot, drained and rinsed, about 660g / roughly 3 cans
1¼ cups chicken stock - broth or bouillon, 300ml
3 tablespoons olive oil - 45ml
1 pinch salt - to taste
1 pinch ground black pepper - freshly ground ; to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (fan-assisted). If your oven is conventional (no fan), set it to 375°F / 190°C.
- Drain and rinse your beans in a colander.23 oz navy beans
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until translucent and softened.2 medium red onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the crushed garlic, chopped chilli, and chopped rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.4 cloves garlic, 1 medium red chilli, 2 sprigs rosemary
- Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned and any liquid has evaporated. Do not stir constantly — let it sit in contact with the pan to develop colour.2 pounds ground beef
- Add the diced tomato, sliced piquillo peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced and you can see the bottom of the pan between stirs.1 large tomato, 3-4 pieces piquillo peppers, 8 small sun-dried tomatoes, ¾ cup dry white wine
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Swiss chard stalks and leaves, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. The residual heat will begin to wilt the chard.6 stalks Swiss chard, 1 pinch salt
- Add the drained navy beans to a large ovenproof dish (or keep everything in your skillet if it is oven-safe). Add the beef and vegetable mixture and stir well to combine.23 oz navy beans
- Pour in the chicken stock — the liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the beans. Add a splash more stock or water if needed.1¼ cups chicken stock
- Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sauce has thickened to a stew-like consistency. The beans should be tender but still hold their shape. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use canned navy beans instead of jarred?
Yes, canned navy beans work fine. Drain and rinse them well before using. They tend to be softer than premium jarred varieties, so check the dish at the 35-minute mark to avoid them turning to mush.
What can I use instead of piquillo peppers?
Roasted red peppers from a jar are the closest substitute — use roughly the same quantity. They’re milder and slightly less sweet than piquillos, so add an extra sun-dried tomato or two to compensate.
Can I skip the white wine?
You can replace it with an equal amount of chicken stock plus a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. The vinegar provides the acidity that helps deglaze the pan and balances the richness of the beef.
How do I know the ground beef is fully cooked before it goes in the oven?
Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) — no pink remaining anywhere in the meat. At this stage in the recipe the beef only crisps briefly in the pan, so it finishes cooking through during the oven time; just make sure the final dish is piping hot all the way through before serving.
Can I make this on the stovetop instead of baking it?
Yes. After adding the beans and stock, cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to let the sauce reduce to the right consistency.
If you liked this one
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
