Help! I want to make pinto beans without bacon, what can I substitute for that?

[irisblue]

I have always made my crockpot beans with bacon. I want to make beans as tasty without bacon in them.
My usual mix is pintos, onions, garlic and commercially made salsa and 2 strips of bacon.
Help.
(I'll ask in cooking and baking as well)

[jmbar2]

1. Lots of cumin

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Liquid Smoke (a condensed liquid form of smoke) might add something to your beans.

[Dream Girl]

3. Mushrooms? Maybe chop up and sutee some portobellos

[Cuthbert Allgood]

14. If available, you can smoke mushrooms, too, which would add to it.

[CrispyQ]

4. Two tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos.

You may have to go to a health food store to find it. It's usually stocked by the soy sauce, but sometimes with oils & vinegars.

https://www.bragg.com/products/liquid-aminos

[jpak]

5. 2 teaspoons salt, maybe some liquid smoke

It will be fine.

[Dream Girl]

6. Nutritional yeast could add some umami notes, maybe 1/4 t. Liquid smoke as suggested above.

[marble falls]

7. Piece of fat back, or pork belly, go crazy put a chopped up piece of dried sausage, sort of a ...

... 'dirty' beans. Ham hocks, smoked shoulder, ham trimmings (cheaper and more flavorful than ham).

Don't get me started on pork products and beans.

[Dream Girl]

15. I think they're looking for vegetarian options.

[marble falls]

16. Maybe. Maybe not. I got they just wanted an alternative to bacon ...

... Also I'm not recommending massive amounts writhing red meat. It's there for flavoring using the cut offs parts the rich stuff themselves with. It's not there for the protein, it's there for the flavor.

We all make trade offs: I don't buy leather, don't eat massive amounts of animal protein.

[mucifer]

8. Bacos and McCormick bacon bits are vegan

might want to try that. There are also many vegan bacon products in grocery stores and recipes online.

[essaynnc]

9. oranges...

I found a great recipe for black beans in the pressure cooker with 2 quartered oranges, skin and all. after cooking they were "gone", but the flavor was fantastic!

[calguy]

10. There are some very good ham 'n beans bullion flavorings at the grocery store

Can't think of the names right off hand, but I use it to flavor all my bean soups. I just add a little a time while it cooks until I get it just right.

[ret5hd]

11. Here is a review of some vegan bacon:

[left-of-center2012]

12. Ham hocks n/t

[iamateacher]

13. Morningstar Farms Stripples

Vegetarian bacon. In the freezer section of your supermarket

[VGNonly]

17. smoked paprika

[Trailrider1951]

18. I've used Bacos in my beans in the past, but it makes a difference what type you get

When you buy them, look for the "chips" form rather than the "bits" form. Once cooked, they offer more of the bacon or ham texture than the "bits" do. As they contain a lot of salt, I add them after about an hour into the cooking process, and adjust the salt content once the beans are nearly done.

https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Imitation-Bacon-Bits-4-1/dp/B00CJ8K3DK/ref=sr_1_9?crid=UZ4Y8348GMMN&dchild=1&keywords=bacon+bacon+chips&qid=1633805670&sprefix=bacos%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-9

Hope this helps!