Easy Smoky Baked Beans | Rebel Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to add flavor to canned baked beans? ›

Once everything is softened and smelling great, pour in both cans of baked beans. Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper.

Onions and garlic: Quartered onions, halved shallots, or smashed garlic cloves. Herbs: A sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme, or sage, parsley, or cilantro leaves or stems. I often add frozen herbs to my home cooked beans. Spices: Black peppercorns, freshly ground black pepper, bay leaves, or dried chiles.

Salt – I like to add the salt when boiling the beans to get some flavor into them. Baking Soda – This will actually help soften the beans as they cook so they are just the right (not crunchy, but not mushy) texture. Bacon – Adding a couple slices of bacon brings a nice smokey flavor and a little texture to this recipe.

The beans that are met with smiles at any gathering. Bush's® Original Baked Beans are a Secret Family Recipe of navy beans slow-cooked with specially cured bacon, fine brown sugar and our signature blend of spices.

Caramelized Onion + Bacon + Espresso Powder

Slowly caramelize a chopped onion in a bit of oil, then add bacon and cook until crispy. Add the can of beans and stir, making sure to scrape up any tasty bits that have stuck to the pan. To finish, toss in a pinch of espresso powder for an extra hit of earthy flavor.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dried beans typically have a moisture content of around 16%. However, as they age, moisture evaporates, giving pectin time to age and harden the skin. These beans can often take much longer to soften while soaking and cooking, up to twice the time!

How to thicken bush's baked beans? ›

Simply add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 cup of water or to the liquid from the baked beans (scoop it out into a separate bowl and let it cool first) and mix. Once the starch is thoroughly incorporated, pour the slurry into the baked beans dish and stir.

Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.

Canned beans are packed in a solution of water, salt, and starch. That solution can leave a glossy film on the beans, interfering with not only mouthfeel (slimy beans are a little off-putting), but also the ability of the beans to cling to other ingredients in the dish and absorb those flavors.

Pour sauce over beans; cover and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) about 3 1/2 hours. To home can Baked Beans, mixture must be “soupy”. If necessary, add water. Ladle hot prepared baked beans into a hot jar to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top of jar (head space).