Adding a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to baked beans transforms the simple dish into something sweet, tangy and savoury, according to a taste test by The Express's Katherine McPhillips. The sauce's acidity cuts through the sweetness of the tomato sauce, enhancing the deep tomato flavour and adding a rich umami note without overwhelming the beans.
The simple ingredient that elevates beans on toast
Baked beans are an affordable, satisfying meal that counts towards daily fruit and vegetable intake, but serving them plain on toast can become boring. Most tinned beans come in a basic tomato sauce with minimal seasoning, lacking heat, smoky notes or aromatic herbs.
Katherine McPhillips tested numerous store-cupboard ingredients and found Worcestershire sauce to be the clear winner. The sauce is likely already in most kitchens, making this an easy and cheap way to boost flavour.
How to make the upgraded beans on toast
To make the dish, you need one can of baked beans, two slices of bread, one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, grated cheese, a slab of butter (optional) and black pepper.
Start by toasting the bread and heating the beans in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the beans simmer, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and season generously with black pepper. Smoked paprika is a popular optional addition.
Stir the beans for two minutes until they bubble, then remove from heat. Butter the toast generously, ladle the beans over the top, and finish with a handful of grated cheese. Drizzle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce over the cheese and place under an oven preheated to 200°C for two minutes until bubbling and hot.
