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.

More Building Block Ingredient Recipes to Try Now

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

FAQs

How to fancy up canned beans? ›

You can add crushed whole seeds (coriander, cumin, fennel, mustard, etc.), woodsy herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage), red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, and of course salt and pepper.

How to use a can of beans? ›

15 Ways to Use and Cook with Canned Beans
  1. Hummus. Hummus is not just for chickpeas! ...
  2. Taco Filling. Fork-mash with ½ cup prepared salsa for a chunky taco filling.
  3. Dip or Sandwich Spread. ...
  4. Succotash. ...
  5. Grain Salad. ...
  6. Refried Beans. ...
  7. Pasta e fa*gioli. ...
  8. Light Lunch Salad.
Mar 26, 2020

What can I do with leftover beans in a can? ›

How to Use Up Leftover Beans
  1. Purée Leftover Beans. Likewise, you can purée leftover beans or defrosted beans. ...
  2. Using Beans for Breakfast. Beans for breakfast lay a solid foundation for a busy day ahead. ...
  3. Beans as a Tortilla Stuffer. ...
  4. Bean Crostini. ...
  5. Bean Burgers.
Apr 2, 2019

How to cook canned beans well? ›

Pour the beans directly into the pot and season for how you plan to use them. Allow it to simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to stir and heat beans until they reach the desired temperature and consistency, about 5-10 minutes.

How to make beans more interesting? ›

Stir through your favourite chilli sauce, crushed chilli flakes or sliced red chilli for a spicy kick, add a few spoonfuls of barbecue sauce for a sweet, smoky finish, or try a little bit of Worcestershire sauce and horseradish for some bloody Mary flavour.

What can I add to beans for flavor? ›

Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.

Are canned beans healthy? ›

Put canned beans — a healthy pantry staple — in the spotlight. Beans boast protein, fiber, folate and lots of minerals, like iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. If you're worried about sodium, rinse and drain beans before using to cut back on the salt by as much as 40 percent.

What to do with a lot of beans? ›

So, how do we get these magical beans into those who don't like them?
  1. Hummus. A lot of kids seem to like blended beans more than whole beans. ...
  2. Bean Quesadilla. ...
  3. Make nachos with refried beans. ...
  4. Rice and Bean Taquitos. ...
  5. Salsa Verde Soup. ...
  6. Black Bean Burgers. ...
  7. Legume Pasta is an easy way to eat beans. ...
  8. Bean Energy Balls.
Feb 22, 2024

Why you should always rinse canned beans? ›

According to The Bean Institute, you can reduce up to 41 percent of the sodium in canned beans by rinsing them. "It's fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it's best to drain and rinse canned beans," the website states.

Is it OK to eat beans out of the can? ›

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.

How do you use old beans? ›

First soak the beans. The quickie soak isn't very useful for OLD beans, so soak them overnight, 12 hours at least. Then, if you have reason to think they are going to be tough, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, [and add] 3/8 teaspoon of baking soda per 3 cups of water (and 3 cups of water per cup of beans).

How to incorporate beans into meals? ›

Canned beans can be drained, rinsed and added to your pasta dishes along with other veggies. Beans also can be pureed and mixed into spaghetti sauce for a protein-packed dinner. And, even easier — you can find dried pasta made entirely out of beans.

How to jazz up canned beans? ›

Don't buy "baked beans" just buy regular canned beans, black or pinto. Just warm them up and season with salt , pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Chile powder. Some rice will pair with them nicely. If you can, dice up some smoked sausage and throw it in; a little goes a long way.

How to spruce up a can of 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.

Should you eat the water in canned beans? ›

Officially called aquafaba, the liquid included in cans of beans is typically starchy and salty, though those qualities differ based on the brand of beans. Feel free to dip a spoon or finger in to taste it before using. “It has a viscous body from the fibers of the beans.

How do you elevate a can of baked beans? ›

Drain most of the liquid, add some vinegar, a little hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. Spice (cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder) and warm them up. Mix with other ingredients (add vegetables, cooked rice, pasta, or use them as a filling for wraps or tacos)

How do you make beans more appealing? ›

Use aromatics, like onion, garlic, and herbs, in your cooking liquid—they'll transform any pot of beans into something far more flavorful.

How to make beans fancier? ›

Fry some onion until browned a bit, add bell pepper(or a hotter kind) and fry til softened, add some garlic, cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Add your beans and heat them through. Then season, beans especially need salt to go from terrible to pretty good/great.

How do you make a tin of beans better? ›

Caramelized Onion + Bacon + Espresso Powder

Slowly caramelize a chopped onion in a bit of oil, then add bacon and cook until crispy. Add the can of beans and stir, making sure to scrape up any tasty bits that have stuck to the pan. To finish, toss in a pinch of espresso powder for an extra hit of earthy flavor.

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