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? ›

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. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

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.

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.

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.

Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful!

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.

Drain one can of the green beans. Empty both cans in to a medium sauce pan and add onions, bacon bits, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. The trick is to let it bubble and DO NOT take the lid off.

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. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

As you are mashing, add a small amount of milk –- a half cup or so -– to the beans and stir it in. This addition makes the bean mixture looser and softer. Think about when you add milk or cream to mashed potatoes.

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 do you make cheap beans taste better? ›

Just warm them up and season with salt , pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Chile powder. Some rice will pair with them nicely. If you can, dice up some smoked sausage and throw it in; a little goes a long way. I don't eat those sweet bean either, unless I'm having a BBQ.

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. And don't forget your bacon; crumble it right into the beans.

Add olive oil and other herbs and spices such as oregano or cumin to help make beans more appealing.

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.

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