Doctored Up Canned Baked Beans The Southern Soul Food Way
This post may contain affiliate partner links. View our privacy statement HERE.
Elevate canned baked beans into a side dish that rivals those made from scratch! Making doctored-up canned baked beans is as simple as using seasoning and saucy tweaks that transform the ordinary into something spectacular!
These small modifications create a delightful transformation at mealtime, earning praise from your friends and family for enhancing the flavor of the beans. Making them a standout addition to any meal.
Can you make canned baked beans taste good?
The art of Southern soul food cooking is the seasonings, spices, and sauces that give this style of food its world-famous flavor. So, for doctored-up canned baked beans, mixing the right ingredients into your canned beans will revolutionize their flavor profile!
7 Ingredients to doctor up canned baked beans
Imagine adding sautéed onions, bell peppers, brown sugar, a generous swirl of BBQ sauce, and soul food seasonings. The transformation will surprise you! Check out the recipe card below for exact ingredients with measurements for a soul food canned baked beans recipe.
- Brown sugar – Adding some sugar will increase the flavor of your beans and add a bit of sweetness.
- Tomato paste and BBQ sauce – Blend beautifully with other ingredients, giving the beans a rich consistency while keeping the dish from getting too spicy. Try ketchup in the absence of tomato paste.
- Ground mustard – Mustard adds a zesty tang to the sweetened beans.
- Yellow onion – Yellow onions are sweeter than red and have a more robust flavor. They are a popular ingredient in soul food cooking and are often used in stews and stir-fry.
- Green bell pepper – A veggie that lays the flavor groundwork and adds textural depth to the dish.
- Soul food seasonings – For an ultra-delicious bowl of baked beans, use the seasoning blend of smoked paprika, garlic, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper.
How to make canned baked beans better
You’ll need the above ingredients to doctor up canned baked beans for an unforgettable flavor twist. Begin by measuring the seasonings and sauces, then chop the onions and bell pepper before baking for perfect bubbly bean goodness!
Step-by-step guided instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Sauté the broth, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet.
- Stir in the seasonings and sauces.
- Pour the baked beans directly from the can and stir to mix with the doctored-up sauce.
- Bring the bean mixture to a boil.
- Then, transfer to the oven and bake until they’re bubbly and syrupy!
- Remove the baked beans from the oven, stir, serve, and enjoy!
Check out my Instant Pot baked beans recipe for a quicker way to make homemade baked beans.
How to make canned beans less sweet
This recipe yields doctored-up baked beans that are not too sweet. It includes the ingredients tomato paste, dried mustard, and smoked paprika to tone down the sweetness of the canned version.
You could also lessen or omit the brown sugar to reduce the sweetness even more.
Easy soul food recipes to serve with baked beans
Here are a few of my favorite easy Southern soul food recipes that go great with baked beans: Instant Pot mac and cheese, fried cabbage with bacon, Southern coleslaw, or Southern potato salad.
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
- Large baking dish or casserole dish
Ingredients
- 32 oz. baked beans Two 16 oz. cans
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard ground
- 1 cups beef broth use vegetable broth for vegetarian and vegan friendly beans
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add the broth, onion, and bell pepper to a large skillet and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring often, until everything softens, after about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the seasonings and sauces: brown sugar, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, ground mustard, smoked paprika, garlic, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until combined.
- Pour the baked beans directly from the can and stir to mix with the homemade doctored-up baked bean sauce.
- Bring the bean mixture to a boil, remove the skillet from the stovetop, and turn off the burner heat.
- If using a cast iron skillet, place it directly in the oven to bake the beans. Alternatively, transfer the beans to a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until they're bubbly and syrupy.
- Remove the baked beans from the oven, stir, and serve this delicious Southern soul food baked beans recipe. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest “Soul Food Recipes” board!
Thank you for this easy recipe for how to improve baked beans from a can
I usually pan fry 1 or 2 strips of thin sliced bacon, and cook the bell pepper, onion, and a small hot pepper in the drippings. Add brown sugar and yellow mustard to the beans and barely simmer for an hour or so.Then just prior to serving, crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top. Easy and tasty!