It’s fair to say that many Brits enjoy tucking into baked beans. After all, the staple food is great on toast, with mashed potatoes or even eaten out of a saucepan. But, according to online foodies, they can taste even better if you add one ingredient during the cooking process.
According to a TikTok user named rach-mom-of5, you’re “missing out” if you don’t add one thing to your beans, and it’s something that’s probably already lying in your fridge. All you need is a little knob of butter to take your beans to the next level, according to food lovers in the UK.
If you didn’t know, some people like to add butter to their baked beans to enhance the flavour. Some tend to find a knob of butter can boost the taste of the dish, and add an extra layer of richness too.
There are a few reasons butter can work to elevate the dish. It can add a creamy, savoury depth to the beans, as well as making them more luxurious and decadent, particularly when served on toast.
Butter can also improve the texture, as it can enable them to feel smoother and richer. In some recipes, it can even help to add balance to the sauce’s sweetness.
One person replied, commenting: “Butter, pepper, cheese and a small amount of brown sauce. Let me know when you’ve tried this – it’s amazing.”
Another wrote: “Real butter and black pepper, but make sure that you gently cook the beans.” A third replied: “Butter in beans is the best.”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Very old hack but, nevertheless, a great one.” One more added: “Been missing out. Thanks. Butter and bacon make everything better.”
Other people decided to share their own tricks for jazzing up beans though. When it comes to improving the staple dish, it seems people have their own techniques.
From onions to spices to cheese – people had all sorts of suggestions. One person even admitted to adding mayonnaise to the dish.
One person suggested: “Add a teaspoon of curry powder.” Someone else replied: “Add a teaspoon of Marmite to your beans – it’s a game changer.”
Another also offered another idea, writing: “One tablespoon of olive oil and stir constantly. You will get the thickest beans you’ve ever had.”
Some people remain torn on adding butter to baked beans, but many people seem to love it. What’s clear is lots of people look for ways to try and jazz the dish up a little.
There are also ways you can make your own baked beans too, if you want to give a recipe a whirl. There are all sorts of ideas as to how to mix things up.
However, if you like buying them, there are simple ways you can boost their flavour. You just need to try adding some ingredients to the pan to see what works for you.