20 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans | foodiecrush.com (2024)

Canned beans are one of those pantry staples we always have on hand. They’re cheap, easy, fuss-free, and filling, and their versatility makes them an awesome standby for tacos, salads, soups, enchiladas, and more. To get more meal prep inspiration from your pantry, check out this list of favorite dinners made with all different types of beans.

No matter how depressingly barren our pantries may get, we can always find at least one can of beans lurking in there somewhere. Beans are the cornerstone of a well-stocked pantry.

Canned beans have saved our meal making when we’ve lapsed on the grocery shopping, meal planning, and budgeting. They’re inexpensive and efficient, and they give us protein and fiber. And beans are the building block to so many recipes, where you can get a lot of mileage out of beans as a main or co-starring ingredients, incorporating them into soups and chilis, enchiladas and burritos, stuffed peppers, casseroles, salads, and more.

Check out this of meals to make with a can of beans below, and use your bean!

This easy Mediterranean chickpea salad is infused with flavor thanks to a heaping helping of fresh herbs with a garlicky lemon dressing that ups the crunch from red bell pepper, celery and red onion for a simple side dish or topping for greens from FoodieCrush.

Soups are the star of most of our cooler weather meals, though this one’s good enough to eat all year-round. With roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, it’s deliciously velvety, nutty, and hearty from Floating Kitchen.

Roasted veggies, black beans, and a homemade chipotle-spiked enchilada sauce make this incredibly easy, healthy vegetarian casserolea weeknight winner from Ambitious Kitchen.

Mac and cheese + chili = comfort food bliss in this ridiculously easy one pot meal that also comes together in just 20 minutes from RecipeTin Eats. Seriously, what’s not to love?

Classic Southwestern flavors, corn, rice, black beans, and lean ground beef make these rainbows of stuffed bell peppers a favorite, healthy dinner that comes mostly from the pantry that your whole family will enjoy.

Confession: We’re obsessed with soups that have pasta in themand this one boasts chickpeas and whole wheat shells in a garlicky, tomato broth with lots of Parmesan (fuhgettaboutit) from How Sweet Eats.

This Tuscan tuna salad with white beans makes a quick and easy-to-make lunch or even a light dinner, and puts high protein front and center with chunks of albacore tuna and white beans tossed with arugula and more Mediterranean flavors coming from FoodieCrush.

Fragrant spices, butternut squash, and chickpeas make up this Moroccan stewmade easy in the slow cooker from Simply Quinoa.

Skillet meals are our saving grace on weeknights when we don’t feel like cooking. This onefeatures cannellini beans, salmon, and cherry tomatoes, and gets a boost of of smoky flavor from charred lemons from Bev Cooks.

Whether you’re vegetarian or just taking a night off from meat, these sweet potato taco bowlshit the spot. They’re loaded up with spicy roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, fire-roasted corn, cilantro lime quinoa, and are full of awesome flavor from Chelsea’s Messy Apron.

They say chicken soup soothes the soul, but we’re pretty sure this rustic Italian soup made with leafy kale, cannellini beans, lots of veggies, and chunks of sourdough bread gives it a run for its money from A Couple Cooks.

All you need are 5 ingredients to make this comforting sweet potato turkey chili studded with black beans from Pinch of Yum.

Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken makes these creamy white bean and salsa verde enchiladas a breeze any night of the week from Skinnytaste.

Coconut milk, chickpeas, and tons of aromatic spices make for an irresistible vegan curry that easily beats any takeout version from Jessica in the Kitchen.

Chicken breasts, butternut squash, and red onion all get roasted on one sheet pan and then served up in a bowl, with black beans, rice, and guacamole in this healthy, easy weeknight dinner from FoodieCrush.

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20 Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans | foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

What can you do with beans? ›

Here are some of our favorite ways to cook with beans:
  • Soups: Beans are a perfect addition to warm, hearty soups!
  • Salads: Make your salad more filling by topping it with beans!
  • Hummus: Blend chickpeas into hummus and serve with vegetables or on sandwiches or wraps!
Mar 26, 2020

What can I do with leftover canned beans? ›

Here are a few delicious recipes you can try using leftover canned beans:
  1. Bean Salad: Simply mix drained and rinsed beans with diced vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onions. ...
  2. Bean Tacos: Mash the beans with spices and sautéed onions and garlic, then use as a filling for tacos.
Feb 4, 2023

How to make a can of beans good? ›

Be sure to add some seasonings

In order to wake up the flavor of canned beans, you'll want to season them with the spices of your choice. Don't fall into the common trap of over-salting your beans—since most beans already contain a good amount of sodium, they actually don't require too much extra salt.

What are canned beans good for? ›

Additionally, remember to rinse any canned beans, as the liquids they're stored in are where most of the sodium content resides. Regardless of how they're prepared, beans are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals like potassium, iron and magnesium. Simply put, they're a great addition to your diet.

How are beans used in cooking? ›

All beans, canned or cooked from dried, are a great addition to a meal! Meatless option: Beans are a great vegetarian protein source. No-fuss recipe addition: Just toss cooked beans into your favorite soups, chilis, stews, salads, and tacos! Add flavor: Pump up the flavor by adding herbs and spices to beans.

Can you use canned beans? ›

Sure, dried beans that you've soaked and cooked yourself will have a richer flavor and sturdier texture, but canned beans are still great in hummus, tacos, stews, and, of course, chili.

Are canned beans cooked enough? ›

Here are some more tips for buying beans: Canned beans are already cooked. They cost a little more than dried beans, but are still a great buy because they are fast and convenient. Just remember to rinse them first to wash away some of the sodium (salt) or buy canned beans with no added salt.

How to cook beans fast? ›

Beans cook in a pressure cooker in 15 minutes. Soaking them overnight speeds up the cooking time,but you can rinse a package of beans, dump them in a pot with an onion and some good stock, and have beans to eat in 60–90 minutes. Two hours at the most, if the beans are more than one year old.

What can I add to canned beans? ›

My technique, typically, was to caramelize the onions and garlic a bit, then add the drained cannellini beans, finishing with salt, lemon zest, sherry vinegar or lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs.

Can I eat canned beans without cooking? ›

The reason that beans are safe to eat straight from the can is pretty simple: They're already cooked. Per Epicurious, beans are blanched before being canned with water, salt, and other additives, and then sealed and cooked under steam pressure at a high temperature before landing at your local grocery store.

Can I eat leftover beans? ›

Cooked beans will keep up to a week in the fridge and even become more flavorful a day or two after cooking. So if you've got leftovers from a delicious one-pot dinner, either freeze for a future meal, or stick them in the fridge and pack a lunch for school or the office later in the week.

How do you make canned beans more exciting? ›

A few ideas:
  1. Rinse the beans.
  2. Spice (cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder) and warm them up.
  3. Mix with other ingredients (add vegetables, cooked rice, pasta, or use them as a filling for wraps or tacos)
  4. Mix with your own sauce (onion+bell pepper+carrot+canned tomatoes)
Aug 3, 2023

Can you fry canned beans? ›

Frying beans brings a delightful twist to their taste and texture. While canned beans are already cooked, frying them adds a delicious caramelization that enhances their natural flavors. Additionally, the frying process adds a slight crispiness to the beans' outer layer, giving them a satisfying crunch.

What do farmers do with beans? ›

Dry-edible beans are nitrogen-fixating crops, meaning they put nitrogen back into the soil. Many farmers use beans as an important part of their crop rotation because nitrogen is an essential nutrient for growing healthy, productive plants.

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