Make classic British baked beans at home with this easy homemade baked beans recipe. Serve them with fluffy jacket potatoes, corned beef hash, or as part of a full English Breakfast!
Good old-fashioned baked beans are a pantry staple in most British homes, and this easy recipe is a tasty copycat of Heinz baked beans!
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Cheap, frugal, and economical, baked beans are a regular at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in this house (and most houses around the UK)!
There is no denying that Heinz beans are really convenient, but sometimes I like to put a bit of extra effort in and make these delicious homemade baked beans from scratch!
👩🍳 Love copycat recipes? Try these tasty Greggs cheese and bacon wraps!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best homemade baked beans recipe!
- Tasty copycat of Heinz baked beans.
- Proper comfort food.
- Perfect budget meal.
- Lower in salt and sugar than commercially made tinned baked beans.
- Serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Make a double batch to feed a crowd.
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Beans - use two drained tins of haricot beans (known as navy beans in the US) or any other small white bean. You can also substitute for other types of bean such as butter beans, or canellini beans.
- Onion - I like to use a finely chopped red onion for maximum flavour.
- Garlic - one clove, peeled and finely chopped.
- Olive Oil - for cooking the onion and garlic.
- Seasonings - salt, pepper, sugar (white sugar or brown sugar can be used), smoked paprika, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Passata - for a smooth sauce, or use a tin of chopped tomatoes for a chunkier version.
- Parsley - finely chopped for a garnish.
🔪 How to make baked beans from scratch
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the red onion and garlic over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Two: Add the salt, pepper, sugar, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir into the onion mixture.
Three: Pour in the passata, Worcestershire sauce, and drained and rinsed haricot beans. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until you achieve your required sauce thickness.
Four: Garnish with parsley before serving. Season with more salt, sugar and pepper if required.
💭 Expert tips
- If you can't find tinned haricot beans, you can also use dried haricot beans, but you will need to soak these overnight and cook them (in an instant pot, pressure cooker, or slow cooker), before using them in the recipe. Using dried beans will ultimately give a better texture, but they are much more time-consuming to prepare!
- Substitute the sugar, needed to sweeten the beans and balance the acidity of the passata, with maple syrup or honey.
- For a richer-tasting sauce, add one tablespoon of tomato paste (tomato puree), at the same time as the herbs and spices.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Here in the UK, we serve baked beans for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between! Here are a few ideas for what to serve with baked beans.
- As part of a Full English Breakfast with fried eggs, bacon, grilled tomato slices, sausages, black pudding and fried bread.
- With corned beef hash for an easy brunch.
- On buttered toast for a quick and easy snack.
- In jacket potatoes (baked potatoes) with grated cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.
- With sausage rolls or battered fish and chips.
- Spooned over potato scones for a weekend breakfast.
- In a bowl with chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries.
- As a saucy side dish to any number of main meals!
🥡 Storage
To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Microwave until piping hot, or alternatively pour the beans back into a saucepan and gently reheat on the hob.
To Freeze: Allow the baked beans to cool before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost thoroughly before reheating them.
❓ Frequently asked questions
British baked beans (Heinz beans) are cooked in a thin tomato sauce and sold in cans. American beans are much sweeter and thicker due to being cooked in molasses. The sauce has a much more barbecue-ey taste.
Boston baked beans are made with molasses, salt pork, black pepper, and onion.
😋 More easy recipes to try!
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Recipe
Homemade British Baked Beans
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Red Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove peeled and finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Sugar white or brown
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 800 g Haricot Beans 2 x 400g tins, drained and rinsed (navy beans in US)
- 400 ml Passata
- 1 tablespoon Parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the red onion and garlic over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper, sugar, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir into the onion mixture.
- Pour in the passata, Worcestershire sauce, and drained and rinsed haricot beans. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until you achieve your required sauce thickness.
- Garnish with parsley before serving. Season with more salt, sugar and pepper if required.
Notes
- If you can't find tinned haricot beans, you can also use dried haricot beans, but you will need to soak these overnight and cook them (in an instant pot, pressure cooker, or slow cooker), before using them in the recipe. Using dried beans will ultimately give a better texture, but they are much more time-consuming to prepare!
- Substitute the sugar, needed to sweeten the beans and balance the acidity of the passata, for maple syrup or honey.
- For a richer tasting sauce, add one tablespoon of tomato paste (tomato puree), at the same time as the herbs and spices.
Savita
These baked beans look so good, a great option for brunch.
Tavo
Really liked the recipe, I made it for lunch today and loved the Worcestershire Sauce touch!
Beth
I'm excited to try these. I've made all kinds of baked beans, but I've actually never even heard of British baked beans before.
Cara
My favourite part of spending a year abroad in England was having these as part of the Full-English breakfast. So excited that I can make them now!
Natalie
We love baked beans. I will give your recipe a try. Sounds quite delicious. Never used smoked paprika with beans before.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!