Baked Beans And BBQ Meat Are The Burrito Fillings You Never Knew You Needed

We have gotten so used to baked beans and barbecue meat sharing a spot on the cookout plate that we often forget they can belong in other places as well. This duo can go almost anywhere that calls for big flavors and even bigger textures — like the burrito for example. In fact, these unconventional fillings might just be exactly what you need to fall in love with the Mexican classic all over again.

Drowned in tomato sauce and brown sugar (or molasses), baked beans are tangy, sweet, and savory in a way that feels homey to the core. At times, they might even verge on overly familiar, but that is no longer a problem when paired with the smoky richness of barbecue meat. Whether it's smoked brisket, pulled pork, or other dishes from various styles of regional barbecue in the U.S., the meat's smoke-laden warmth perfectly complements the baked beans' own hearty flair. All of this complexity takes your burrito a notch above the usual seasoned ground beef. Rather than just a few savory hints here and there, you've now got multiple layers of flavors unraveling with each loaded bite.

The texture proves to be no less striking, as the starchy baked beans subtly add more volume to each bite. These tender beans blend right into the slightly mushy, sauce-soaked veggies surrounding them. And with the juicy, fall-apart tender meat popping up in between, your burrito has never tasted better.

Every burrito is different when you have baked beans and barbecue meat as the filling. For example, you can have baked beans and cubed brisket on one occasion, then add bacon on another, and end up with a slightly more salty, smoky result. Burnt ends and baked beans are another pairing you won't want to miss out on. Similarly, slow-braised short ribs, with the meat shredded and drenched in a subtly spicy barbecue sauce, will yield hearty depths beyond imaginable. Not ready to part from ground beef just yet? Don't fret, you can just mix it straight into the baked beans and slow-smoke everything together for a few hours.

Other than swapping out the meat, consider also finding ways to boost the flavor of your canned baked beans. They may be ingredients leaning on the side of smokiness, like fire-roasted tomatoes or liquid smoke. For extra depth, caramelized onions does the trick every time. If nothing else, a little cheese crumble melted straight into the beans will also help taking it to the next level.

Onto more elaborate endeavors, coleslaw, a barbecue staple through and through, is a no-brainer when you want to offset all that heaviness with a bit of creamy, fresh flavor. While you've already got some beans, a breakfast burrito spin with scrambled eggs and bacon might be a good idea. A good sauce won't let you down either, and it doesn't always have to be the classic sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. For those who want a brighter taste, an orange barbecue sauce will work splendidly, particularly for a milder protein like chicken.