What To Do If Your Homemade Baked Beans Turned Out Runny

One of the best staple side dishes when it comes to barbecue get-togethers or potlucks is hearty baked beans. Whether you tend to prefer your beans atop some fresh toast or right next to your coleslaw and hot dogs, you likely got them straight from a can. Canned baked beans are an easy go-to option when you're in a rush, but making your own homemade baked beans might just be the easily-elevated dish you've been looking for.

While making your own version of the side — whether in a slow cooker or in an oven — can be a time-intensive process, the endeavor is very much worth it for an ultimately sweet and savory meal. However, after preparing your beans, gathering and chopping additional ingredients, and cooking the dish for hours, quite a few things can still go wrong when they emerge, supposedly ready to eat. Thankfully, if the issue you're faced with is simply beans that are a bit too runny, there is a quick fix for this.

If you've just pulled your baked beans out of the oven or gazed beneath your trusty slow cooker's lid and noticed a bit too much liquid inside, don't panic. It's normal that even after the baked beans are supposed to be done cooking, they will continue to absorb some liquid. After letting them sit for a few minutes, it's likely they won't turn out as watery as you might fear. However, if the beans still appear to have way too much liquid or you just prefer your baked beans to have a thicker consistency, there is a simple way to fix this.

All you have to do is continue to let the beans cook but uncover them this time. While they heat up without a lid, the water will evaporate more rapidly and you should have thickened beans in no time. You can simply watch the liquid levels and take the beans off the heat when they've reached your preferred texture. 

However, if you're having the opposite problem and your beans are too dry, all you have to do is add in some extra water or broth. Once you've solved all your consistency problems, you can let your beans cool for a few minutes, mix them up, and serve them to all your picnic or cookout guests.