Slow Cooker Beanie Weenies

This easy slow cooker beanie weenies recipe mixes sliced hot dogs and baked beans with a sweet and tangy sauce for a warm, filling meal. With just 5 simple ingredients and almost no work, it’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something cozy and comforting fast.

This slow cooker recipe for 5-ingredient beanie weenies is one of those easy weeknight meals I make without even having to think about it. It’s just what it sounds like: sliced hot dogs cooked in the slow cooker with canned baked beans poured right on top, plus three simple pantry ingredients that make the flavor even better.

It reminds me of the warm, easy meals I ate growing up in the Midwest — perfect for busy days when I want something hot and filling but don’t have the energy to make a complicated dinner.

Scoop these beanie weenies into bowls and serve them with buttered toast, cornbread, or steamed white rice for a bigger meal. You can also spoon them over baked potatoes or serve them next to a simple green salad or raw veggie sticks to add some freshness.

If you’re feeding a lot of people, keep the slow cooker on the warm setting and put out hot dog buns. That way, everyone can pile the mixture inside like a messy chili dog.

Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot dogs, sliced into ½-inch pieces
• 2 (15-ounce) cans baked beans
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• Nonstick cooking spray or a little oil, for greasing the slow cooker (optional)

Slow Cooker Beanie Weenies: Directions

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker lightly with nonstick cooking spray, or rub it with a little oil. This step is optional, but it makes cleaning up much easier later.
2. Cut the hot dogs into small ½-inch pieces. Spread the sliced hot dogs evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Open both cans of baked beans and pour them right on top of the sliced hot dogs. Use a spoon to spread the beans out a bit so they mostly cover the hot dogs.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar. Stir well until the sugar mostly dissolves into the sauce. Pour this sauce evenly over the beans and hot dogs in the slow cooker.
5. Use a large spoon to stir everything together in the slow cooker, making sure the hot dogs, beans, and sauce are all mixed evenly.
6. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. It’s ready when the mixture is hot, bubbly, and the flavors have blended together nicely.
7. Give the beanie weenies one more good stir. Taste it, and if you’d like, add a little extra ketchup or mustard to make it just how you like it. Serve it warm, straight from the slow cooker.