My Brilliant Hack for Making Canned Beans Taste As Good as a Restaurant (2024)

FAQs

My Brilliant Hack for Making Canned Beans Taste As Good as a Restaurant? ›

Halve and thinly slice a small onion, then cook in a small saucepan over high heat with a tablespoon or two of the fat of your choice — bacon fat, schmaltz, butter, and olive oil are all great options. Fry the onions until they are softened and crispy in spots. Add the beans.

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.

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

Add Aromatics (and Some Salt)

We're talking onions, shallots, garlic, and chiles. Or maybe some fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, bay leaves, and thyme. This is where the flavor really starts to build. Salt the liquid again (lightly) after about an hour of simmering.

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.

One of the primary reasons for draining and rinsing canned beans, or any canned food, is to remove some of the excess salt.

Traditional seasoning meats such as salt pork, bacon, and ham are what provide that savory, meaty flavor in a pot of simmering beans.

Add concentrated tom purée to thicken, or water to loosen, until it is just how you want it. That is it! Do not add sugar, flour or anything else. Either drain off some of the excess liquid, add a thickener such as a starch slurry, or simply cook the beans longer until the liquid reduces out.

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.

How to make beans not taste bad? ›

There's a myth out regarding beans and salt — specifically, that you should never salt your beans before cooking because the salt keeps them from cooking through. That's just not true. You can add salt to your bean pot at the beginning of cooking, and your beans will be better seasoned for it.

Add a few flavor enhancers and dinner is served! Drain and rinse the beans (remember, that's optional). Place a pot on the stove and set to low or medium heat. Add fat (olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, butter - whatever you prefer to cook with) and natural flavor enhancers like garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

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.

Traditional seasoning meats such as salt pork, bacon, and ham are what provide that savory, meaty flavor in a pot of simmering beans.