Baked beans hold a special place in almost all British households. The staple food can be consumed for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. While salt, pepper, and chilli flakes are common additions to baked beans, there’s one unexpected ingredient that can enhance both their flavour and texture in a surprising way.

Food experts from Simply Recipes suggested adding one ingredient that can upgrade the taste of baked beans, and it’s already in your pantry. Stephanie A Ganz stated that adding Worcestershire sauce to the baked beans adds more flavour to it. She wrote: “Worcestershire sauce is a fantastic kitchen-sink condiment for building layers of flavor in savory dishes, especially beans.

“My recipe for baked beans includes ketchup and brown sugar, both of which bring in a ton of sweetness, so to cut through that, I like to add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. It adds depth thanks to the umami notes of anchovy and tamarind.”

It contains anchovies, commonly used in pasta dishes like Bolognese to enhance depth and umami—a principle that applies here as well.

Even a small amount can greatly elevate the flavour of baked beans, providing an umami boost that replicates the savory richness of bacon or ham, making the dish more satisfying with minimal effort.

To customise the dish, two cans of baked beans are combined with diced onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground pepper.

For a smoky twist, either applewood smoked bacon or smoked paprika is added.

Cover the mixture with foil and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

After just 20 minutes, the house will be filled with a rich, savory aroma.