Best Southern Baked Beans Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to baked beans to make them taste better? ›

Cook Baked Beans Low and Slow

It is best to cook your baked beans for a long period of time, which allows the beans to fully soften and absorb flavors of the sauce. This also allows time for the sauce to thicken and become rich and golden.

One idea is to add marmite (trust me, it's lovely if you like marmite). You can also spice up you're your baked beans by adding a teaspoon of your favourite spice, for example smoked paprika, cumin or chilli powder if your feeling adventurous.

Toss drained/rinsed/dried beans with a bit of olive oil (or avocado oil) and your favorite seasonings. You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.

Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.

Bump up the flavor with tomato paste

Remember your old friend tomato paste? It's great to add into beans. Throw in a dollop or two to the aromatics once they've cooked, and sauté in the hot fat for a minute or two, just to cook out the tinny flavor. Harissa paste also works nicely for this.

Your Beans Will Cook Faster

Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.

Cooking longer will result in softer beans.

The main reason for beans that are still hard after cooking is the quality of the beans. Drying beans preserves them for a long time, but not forever. Even if you just got them, they may have been sitting in the grocery store for months or longer. Choose dried goods from stores with a lot of turnover.

To cut down on the gassy properties, you can add a little baking soda to your recipe. The baking soda helps break down some of the beans' natural gas-making sugars. I tested this while fixing one of my favorite slow cooker recipes: red beans and sausage.

Should I drain baked beans before cooking? ›

For that reason, most of our Test Kitchen recipes call for draining and rinsing canned beans, which can also help remove the metallic flavor sometimes found in cans. It's an added step that takes less than a minute but improves the flavor and texture of your finished dish.

Prepared White Beans, Water, Brown Sugar, Salt, Mustard (Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika), Bacon, Modified Corn Starch, Onion Powder, Caramel Color, Spices, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor.

While lard has been replaced with vegetable oil or shortening in many households, the distinct richness and velvety texture it imparts to a skillet of refried beans is hard to beat. The closest substitute for lard is bacon grease, which is another form of rendered pork fat that's arguably even more flavorful.

In general, most beans go well with herbs like parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. You usually can't go wrong with garlic and onions, either. Specific kinds of beans, like fava beans or mung beans, have other affinities with particular herbs and spices. This is not to say that other combinations won't work.

America's favorite bean is pinto beans, according to the U.S. Dry Beans Council, often used to make refried beans. Navy beans, Great Northern beans, red kidney beans and black beans round out the rest of the top five.

(Do not drain and rinse the beans!) The starchy bean liquid will rapidly thicken everything up. I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls.

Spices can be added whole or in dried and powdered form. Whole seeds such as coriander, cumin, and mustard can be sizzled in oil or dried toasted to really bring out the flavor before crushing and adding to the dish. Powdered herbs should be added after the aromatics (garlic and onion) are sautéed.

Oven-Roast Beans for Bacon-Like Bits

Use our recipe for Jordanian Roasted Chickpeas or toss 1½ cups cooked beans (any type except lentils) with 1 tablespoon chili powder, smoked paprika, or your favorite spice blend, then roast them at 400˚F on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned.