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Beans on toast.
It’s a British classic, usually part of an English breakfast, and a staple for when you can’t think of anything else to eat or are just too lazy to try.
But do they eat beans on toast in America?
And why don’t the baked beans in the UK taste the same as the baked beans in America?
Fear not, as the resident American expat in London is on scene, and I am here to help.
Beans on toast in America is decidedly NOT a thing.
And I don’t mean “not a thing,” like “some people eat it, but most of us don’t.”
I mean “not a thing,” like “WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD EAT BEANS ON A PIECE OF TOAST?”
See, the baked beans in America taste different from the baked beans in the UK because baked beans in America are usually barbecue flavored.
We eat them as a side dish, and they’re often filled with bacon or BBQ sauce during a summer cookout.
Baked beans in the UK, however, are just “beans in tomato sauce,” but not tomato sauce like a thing of ketchup, but just like a mild…bean sauce.
If you’re in America and want to try baked beans on toast, I would highly advise going to a grocery store and looking in the International Section for a can of UK baked beans, as you won’t get the same effect.
Similar to how we have American food stores in London, there are dedicated British stores in America if you know where to look.
Now, imagine that, like me, you’re an American expat in the UK or you’ve gotten your hands on some UK baked beans and you want to see what all the fuss regarding beans on toast is about.
It’s a simple recipe (if you can even call it a recipe), and while I didn’t used to like it, I think the rest of the world is really missing out on this culinary gem.
Lucky for you, I’ve braved the kitchen to give you a glimpse of what it’s like to make eggs and beans on toast with me.
Apologies in advance to the British empire.
Tools You’ll Need for Eggs and Beans on Toast
This eggs and beans on toast recipe isn’t going to just make itself! You’re going to need some tools. Here’s a list of what you’ll need and why.
Egg timer
If you want to fry your eggs, like I do below, then you won’t need an egg timer.
However, if you would like boiled eggs on toast, then be my guest!
Toaster
This is self-explanatory, but you can’t make eggs and beans on toast without a toaster.
I recommend this awesome 4-toast one with tons of cool function because I feel like 2-toast toasters are are not cool anymore.
Pan
If you want to fry your eggs like I do below, then you’re going to need a pan.
I recommend this non-stick pan so you don’t need to worry about burnt egg like I do (spoiler alert: I am not a good cook).
Can opener
To open the beans for the beans on toast, you’re going to need a can opener.
You can go for an electric one or a manual one like this one.
Bread knife
I would suggest a bread knife if you want to enjoy your eggs and beans on toast with homemade bread.
I used homemade bread because it tastes better and also is very calorie dense and who doesn’t love more calories in their beans on toast?
Bread board
Make sure to have a bread board handy for cutting your bread because only people with a death wish chop their bread on their counter.
Bread machine
If you’re going to mess up beans on toast by burning the egg like I’m about to, you might as well use a bread machine to make homemade bread so at least part of this British dish tastes good.
I recommend this one, as we use ours basically 24/7.
The smell of fresh bread in the kitchen is a smell I never want to have to go without again.
Spatula for flipping egg
If you’re making fried or scrambled eggs, you’re going to need a spatula to flip them!
Try a fun colored one like this one.
Plate
When you’re ready to eat, do it off of a plate so you look somewhat civilized.
Fork
Also you should use a fork. Here’s an amazing one.
Knife
It’s going to get kind of messy, so have a knife handy to cut your eggs and beans on toast up into multiple pieces.
Poaching dishes
You could throw a curveball to this recipe and poach your eggs, in which case try a poaching dish.
Frying pans with fried eggs shaped in them
If you’re feeling really fancy, get some awesome egg shapes to really kick the whole thing up a notch.
Coconut Oil
You can cook this dish in regular oil, but coconut oil is also an option if you want to be a bit healthier.
My husband says it won’t make everything taste like coconut, but I’m not sure I believe him.
Recipe for Eggs and Beans on Toast
Before you start making your eggs and beans on toast, check that you have 2 slices of bread, 2 eggs, and baked beans (store brand because, cheap).
The first thing to do is put one tablespoon of oil in a pan and wait for it to get hot. Check if it’s hot by sprinkling water in it.
Cry when the hot oil hits your face.
Next, crack one egg into the pan if you’re frying or scrambling.
I don’t really know a good technique for cracking it without getting shell in it, and I watch the shell fall in about 50% of the time while I stand there looking confused and wondering why people like to cook.
Then, try to fish out the shell.
Realize that it’s stuck in there forever.
Quickly Google if eating egg shell will kill you or put you in the hospital.
Google says you’ll survive, so continue on and crack the second egg into the pan following the same process as above.
Vow to not let the shell get in this time.
Fish the shell out.
While the eggs are cooking and sizzling and oil is flying everywhere, put your slices of bread in the toaster and start them.
At this point, you won’t have thought about how you’re going to get your crumbly, homemade bread out of the toaster when it’s done, so live in ignorance at the moment.
Next, pour a half a can of beans into a bowl.
Debate whether or not to put ‘cling film’ on it so it doesn’t explode in the microwave.
Note: ‘Cling film’ is what Brits call ‘saran wrap.’ I was always told not to microwave saran wrap, and when googling “can you microwave saran wrap?” this comes up from an American source:
“The issue of greatest concern, however, is whether plastic wrap will leach chemicals into foods when it is used to cover dishes being heated in microwave ovens. It is possible for DEHA to get into foods, particularly fatty foods such as meats and cheeses.”
My boyfriend strongly believes you can microwave it. When googling “can you microwave cling film?, this comes up from a British source,
“You can use cling film and plastics in the microwave, but make sure you use them properly and in line with the instructions on the packet”
Conclusion: Americans are pretty sure microwaving cling film/saran wrap will kill you slowly, while Brits feel like you should just go for it because life’s too short.
The next step is to not put saran wrap over your beans because even though you live in England, you will always be American and over-cautious.
Microwave your beans for 1 minute.
Watch as the beans fly all over the microwave and wish you had put on saran wrap.
As this is all going on, check on your eggs.
Once the whites stick together, turn it over and cook it until oblivion because, again, you are American and are afraid your uncooked eggs will kill you slowly.
When they ask, “Do they eat eggs and beans on toast in America?” the answer is “NO, FAR TOO DANGEROUS.”
This is slowly becoming a major health hazard and the eggs aren’t even done yet.
Realize that you have burnt the eggs a bit more than you wanted to and turn the heat off the pan.
Wait, what is that smell?
Oh, that’s your toast.
Pop the toast out of the toaster and onto a plate while waving your hands frantically at the fire alarm.
Run around like crazy and flap the towel in the general direction so that you don’t alert all the neighbors that you’re miserably failing at putting some egg and beans on toast.
Once you’re satisfied that you’ve narrowly missed the alarm going off, dump the oblivion eggs onto the toast.
Take the beans out of the microwave and pour generously over eggs and toast until you can’t actually taste the burnt eggs or bread and can only taste beans.
…enjoy!
So what is the American equivalent of beans on toast?
That’s a really good question that made me think! I suppose if we’re going for the easy ‘comfort’ food category, it would be macaroni and cheese, but the closest equivalent breakfast-wise might be scrambled egg on toast (no beans). But even that isn’t as popular as beans on toast is here.
I’m not a Brit, but my Irish/Australian background has given me similar beans on toast sensibilities. I live in Viet Nam and for my last birthday I asked for Baked Beans as gifts. My friends scoured the land and came up with a couple of cans. I’m not saying I wept, but I was a little emotional. The next day I rode for 40 minutes to the only German Bakery in Sai Gon to get the right bread for the toast (all the other bread in the markets here is white and sweet.)
That was a good day.
Ha! I can 100% relate to taking matters into your own hands to get the food you’re craving…you do what you have to do! 🙂
I think the american beans on toast might be beanies and weenies? American baked beans with cut up bits of hot dog. Cheap and easy comfort food!
Thank YOU for allowing us “iggerant” Yanks to savor the culinary deliciousness of the Brits’ menu! You are hilarious! (In fact, I wondered if I’d written this myself !)
I’m from the UK,I ve never known such a fuss over beans on toast,we don’t always have eggs with it,we just toast the toast and put beans on it. It’s a very easy meal ☺️
I have heard of baked beans on toast for years. Based on what I have come to understand about what the “baked beans” used in the UK are like, I believe that there is an American product equivalent. My understanding is that the UK-style beans are made with a tomato base. While baked beans in America are typically thought to be what is known as Boston Baked or a BBQ style, there is a baked bean product that Americans tend to know commonly that is more like the UK equivalent, but Americans don’t think of as baked beans, partially because the product is not labeled as such. In American stores the product I have alluded to is known as Pork and Beans under the Van Camp brand. There are other manufacturers as well, such as Campbell’s, who are better known for their soups. It is white beans made in a tomato based sauce and pork for flavor. I am not sure of the specifics of the manufacture process, but I known there is little to no actual pork meat left in the final product by the time it is canned.
This is once again a situation of differing terminology between the US and UK. It is not so different as to how those from the UK think it’s strange that Americans would say they are putting gelatin on a PB&J sandwich. American’s don’t, by the way. In America jelly is not a gelatin-based product. When those in the UK think jelly, the American product equivalent is Jello. To Americans though, jelly is made similarly to jam, but it uses only the juice, not the whole fruit as with jams or preserves. Additionally, pectin, a starch, is used, not gelatin. So please, for those from the UK, don’t correct your American when they say they would like to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They are not saying it wrong. You are the one interpreting what they are saying wrong.
Creamy sausage gravy over a buttermilk biscuit, but the country is too big for it to be the standard everywhere. Culinary traditions are largely geographically influenced unless it’s common in standard American food chain places.
Wth is ‘Saran wrap’? I’ve never heard of it. As for eggs AND beans…sorry, but that’s just gross!
Oh sorry. You meant: Saran wrap’ is what Brits call ‘cling film’, I think…
Saran wrap is what Americans call plastic wrap, and cling film is what Brits tend to call plastic wrap. 🙂 I used to think eggs and beans were gross too but it’s actually pretty good once you get used to it!
Uh, store brand baked beans, that just horrendous, I’m sorry but if you can’t afford Heinz you just go without
Wow, and I mean Wow. That post was just awesome. It spoke to my heart in so many ways! I’m an American, who is in love with Dr. Who … which became a BBC obsession…. Which led to my eventually having to explain to my children that it wasn’t our friends who sounded strange, it was in fact David Tennant and Matthew Smith that had the accents from our point of view, (and perhaps we need to cut down on the TV a bit). Anyway, as interesting as all that is, my cupboards are bare and because of my BBC obsession I know that beans and toast is a thing. I probably have some beans I say to myself, and the next thing I know I find myself absolutely laughing my head off as I read your recipe…quietly because the baby is sleeping. Thank you so much for your article…I don’t actually like (American) baked beans at all and so I don’t buy them but deep in the recesses of canned food a loving aunt has given me I think there lurks a couple of cans of what is called Vegetarian Beans. I recall from last time I opened one of these that it came in a mild tomatoey sauce, not at all comparable to what I myself think of as Baked Beans (Here the good stuff would be Bush’s not Heinz though…well good if you like baked beans.) I’m sure they are barbaric…but I’m gonna give it a try. So I must know, are the eggs usually a part of it? or is that your addition?
Used to work for a Anglo-American company so spent a lot of time in the UK (like every other month or so). Frankly, never could see the appeal of baked beans (on toast or alone) as a breakfast dish (and yes the blandness of British baked beans was also curious). I’m thinking though that the closest equivalent in the U.S. (particularly outside of the northeastern U.S.) as a common breakfast staple would be biscuits and gravy – pretty ubiquitous in diners, fast food joints, etc. I’ve even had them in Hawaii, but don’t recall seeing them at all on Long Island where I lived for several years.