Give Canned Beans A Delicious Upgrade With One Spicy Jarred Ingredient

So many tweaks for canned baked beans focus on sweetness, such as the perennial trick of adding Dr Pepper. In our opinion, it's a mistake not to occasionally focus on the savory aspect of baked beans. Plus, it's an often unexpected flavor direction that can lend pizazz to your dish. Did you know, for instance, that you can transform baked beans by combining a can with another pantry ingredient: jarred salsa? The idea isn't completely out of left field. We previously discussed how canned jalapeños are an affordable, spicy staple that gives life to baked beans. Salsa, particularly spicy varieties, augments the depth of savory flavor in baked beans while also affording you interesting ideas for serving.

Basically, you have two options when it comes to adding hot salsa to beans, depending on which of the two components you choose to play up. When beans are the star, the spicy salsa gives a kiss of heat and adds nuance to the beans' syrupy taste, which is long on brown sugar or molasses. Dosing your salsa-fied beans with Worcestershire or other umami-rich flavors can really play up this combination, which produces a more versatile bean with TexMex-inspired flavors, à la black beans or pintos. Blend 'em up, as we've seen folks do on social media, and you have a sweeter take on refritos.

Alternatively, you can add more salsa to make your beans into a cross between a dip and a condiment. The salsa takes center stage here, and the beans fill it out. Imagine a traditional corn-and-bean salsa; all you need is frozen sweet corn, a nice hot jarred salsa, and some drained baked beans.

As we continue this discussion, remember that there's a difference between pico de gallo and salsa. While the former is a fresh product that may not stand up to the sweetness of baked beans, cooked salsa has concentrated flavor (and, often, pleasant heat) that holds its own against canned baked beans. Salsa is what you want for transforming baked beans, although we think pico would be scrumptious atop a bowl of baked beans blended with spicy salsa.

A whole world of possibilities emerges when you change up the flavor profile of baked beans, which are usually a supporting cast member in awesome BBQ. On your next Taco Tuesday, consider not just the blended beans in lieu of refried ones, but also setting aside a bean salsa for dipping with chips (possibly garnished with some chunks of ripe avocado or crisp cukes). For vegetarian-friendly tacos, try stuffing your tortilla with blended salsa beans and topping them with your favorites, like sour cream, cotija, pickled onions, and more.

Even if you prefer your baked beans alongside grilled meat, a few spoonfuls of hot salsa still stands to really augment the flavor in a way that you want on your table. Ultimately, canned beans can be cloying, and the heat and complex flavors of salsa really enrich that one-note presentation. As a bonus, the salsa adds bulk to what can be a thin sauce.