Turn Ordinary Baked Beans Into Something Bold And Zesty With One Ingredient

Whether you like 'em sweet and smoky or spicy and sharp, most Americans agree that baked beans are a summer barbeque staple — but only when reminded that they exist at all. While there are plenty of creative ways to enjoy baked beans, they remain something of an afterthought at most gatherings, waiting in the wings to be enjoyed alongside potato salad or dolloped over a hot sausage and smothered in shredded cheddar cheese.

Though these applications are undeniably delicious, there is a way to take this underdog of a dish from side to center stage with one simple addition — pickled jalapeños. Beautifully briny, tangy, and salty with just the right amount of spice, pickled jalapeños are also frequently overlooked in favor of classic dill spears or sophisticated giardiniera (Italian-style pickled veggies).

However, when blended with the tomatoey richness of equally unsung baked beans, something magical happens — the acids in the tomato sauce commingle with the jalapeños' brine, balancing out the soft sweetness even as the piquant peppers bring out the starchy nuttiness of the beans. Simmering them together further blends the flavors, softening any tinny or overly salty notes and allowing both the beans and peppers to truly shine. Of course, this is provided you know how to tell the best brands of baked beans from the worst, or have a tried-and-true recipe you'd like to elevate. Low-quality beans have dull or unpleasant flavors, so it's important to start with a tasty base to get tasty results.

The simplest way to elevate your favorite baked beans with pickled jalapeños is to simply dice up a few tablespoons of the peppers, add them to your pot of beans, and cook the beans as you normally would. Just remember that you can add more peppers, but you can't take them out, so just toss in a few at a time until you achieve your desired level of spiciness. Additionally, dicing the peppers helps distribute them more evenly throughout the beans, so you get a little of everything in each bite.

Of course, this is just one of many powerhouse ingredients you can use to doctor up your baked beans. If pickles just aren't your thing, but you love the floral spice of jalapeños and complex flavors, try adding some sautéed spicy peppers to your baked beans along with smokey crumbled bacon or even chorizo to turn the heat all the way up. Hot honey and char-grilled jalapeños is also a killer option for its nuances of bitterness, heat, sweetness, and astringence that take baked beans to the next level.

If your favorite baked bean recipes include plenty of molasses and brown sugar, candied jalapeños may be the perfect way to add spice. They'll give your beans a bit of undiluted sweetness coupled with heat that will cut through any acidity in the sauce and elevate the warm deliciousness of other sweet ingredients, giving this humble dish a deep, beautiful barbecue flavor.