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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Thanks for stopping by and visiting FoodieCrush. Have something to say or a recipe round-up request to make your dinnertime meal making easier? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at [emailprotected] or let me know in the comments below.

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

FAQs

What to do with my canned 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

How to make a can of beans good? ›

Add a couple of pinches of salt, unless your beans are already salted and taste very salty coming out of the can. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle bubble until the beans are creamier and the water has reduced and become starchy, stirring occasionally.

Can you cook beans from the can? ›

Since they are already cooked, you just need to heat them up, which takes all but 5-minutes. Add a few flavor enhancers and dinner is served! Drain and rinse the beans (remember, that's optional). Place a pot on the stove and set to low or medium heat.

How to jazz 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 do you reuse canned beans? ›

If you have leftovers, you can mash them and serve them as a dip or spread for toasts.

Why can't you boil canned beans? ›

Boiling it can ruining the flavour that is why when making things on the stove it can be left to simmer but all recipes tell you to turn the heat down.

Should you drain canned beans? ›

"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. "A 2009 study conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, showed that draining beans removes, on average, 36 percent of the sodium in canned beans.

Can I eat raw beans from a can? ›

Conversely, commercially tinned/canned beans are safe to eat without further cooking as they have been subjected to thorough heat-treatment. Consumers are advised to soak and cook beans thoroughly to minimise exposure to lectins, and not to use raw or inadequately cooked beans in the preparation of salad dishes.

What is the most delicious bean? ›

What Are The Best Beans To Eat
  • Kidney Beans.
  • Chickpeas Or Garbanzo Beans.
  • Black Beans.
  • Pinto Beans.
  • Navy Beans.
  • Lentils.
  • Peas.
  • Soybeans.
Jun 25, 2020

What is the healthiest bean to eat? ›

The 7 Healthiest Beans to Eat, According to Dietitians
  1. Lentils. Lentils are rich in polyphenols, plant-based compounds that have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. ...
  2. White Beans. ...
  3. Black Beans. ...
  4. Chickpeas. ...
  5. Pinto Beans. ...
  6. Red Kidney Beans. ...
  7. Lupini Beans.
Aug 14, 2023

What can I do with excess beans? ›

What to Do With an Excess of Runner Beans
  1. Freeze Your Runner Beans. ...
  2. Pickle Your Runner Beans. ...
  3. Salting Runner Beans. ...
  4. Pressure Can Your Runner Beans. ...
  5. Leave Them to Mature, Shell and Dry the Beans. ...
  6. Feed Family and Friends, or Others in Your Community.
Aug 13, 2021

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.

Should you throw away liquid from canned beans? ›

The liquid in good canned beans is just the water and salt the beans were cooked in… filled with delicious bean flavor. And this liquid is a great thickener for not only the specific dish you're making at the moment, but for any dish that could use some thickening, some salt, and some bean flavor.

Can you save beans from a can? ›

Open beans can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; while it may be tempting to store them right in the can, the USDA recommends transferring them to plastic or glass containers.

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