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

  • 20 Recipes You Can Make With A Pound Of Ground Beef
  • 30 Healthier Spring Pasta Recipes to Make Now
  • 31 Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Make Now
  • 35 Best Pasta Recipes to Make Now
  • 31 Spring Chicken Recipes to Make Now
  • 21 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

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.

We send good emails.Subscribe to FoodieCrushand have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.

Follow me onInstagram,Facebook,PinterestandTwitterfor more FoodieCrush inspiration.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.

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

FAQs

What to do with cans of beans? ›

30 Canned Beans Recipes We Love
  1. 02 of 30. Kale and White Bean Stew. ...
  2. 05 of 30. Saucy White Beans and Greens on Toast. ...
  3. 08 of 30. Classic Beef Chili. ...
  4. 11 of 30. White Bean and Ham Soup. ...
  5. 14 of 30. Gina Mae's Baked Beans. ...
  6. 17 of 30. Blackened Skillet Pork Chops with Beans and Spinach. ...
  7. 20 of 30. Ribollita. ...
  8. 23 of 30.
Mar 20, 2024

How to fancy up canned beans? ›

Add the garlic, oregano, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add in the drained beans, bay leaves, and broth or water. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the beans are warmed through, then remove the bay leaves.

How to make cook beans from a can? ›

Canned Beans On The Stove Top

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 do you eat beans from a can? ›

Although you can technically eat beans straight out of the can, even low-sodium varieties can be quite salty, so it's a good idea to drain and rinse them before eating them or cooking with them (unless a recipe specifically says otherwise).

How to jazz up canned beans? ›

How To Make Doctored Up Baked Beans
  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Drain one-third to one-half of the juice from the baked bean cans. ...
  3. Season to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour; the beans will be bubbly + caramelized on the top.
Jun 6, 2022

How good are canned beans good for? ›

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.

How to make beans more interesting? ›

Raid your cupboard and experiment with flavoured pastes: sundried tomato, chipotle chilli, even curry pastes can bring beans to life, give it a go and find your own favourite combination.

How to spice up a can of baked beans? ›

Caramelized Onion + Bacon + Espresso Powder

Mimic the flavor of barbecue-style beans by adding nice caramel undertones to the can. 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.

How do you make beans swell? ›

STEP 1: Sort through the beans to make sure that there are no small pebbles or other debris. STEP 2: Rinse thoroughly. STEP 3: Place the beans in a large enough bowl where you can cover the dried beans with about 2-3 inches of water. Make sure that there is enough space for the beans because they will swell in size.

Should you drain canned beans? ›

Many people wonder if they need to drain and rinse canned beans, and the answer is, “it depends.” 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.

What beans take the longest to cook? ›

Cooking Times
Bean TypeSoaking TimeCooking Time
Green Split Peasnone35 to 45 minutes
Kidney Beans, dark red6 to 8 hours*1 ½ to 2 hours
Navy Beans6 to 8 hours*1 to 1 1/2 hours
Pinto Beans6 to 8 hours*1 to 1 ½ hours
6 more rows

What happens if you don't soak beans before cooking? ›

Others, like Joe Yonan, the Food and Dining Editor of the Washington Post and author of Cool Beans, insist that in most cases, soaking is unnecessary– and may even lead to flavor loss. The only consensus is that soaked beans take less time to cook than unsoaked.

How to eat beans as a meal? ›

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

Do canned beans expire? ›

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by' date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.

Can you eat beans by themselves? ›

Whether canned or dried, eaten alone or mixed in a salad or soup, beans are a great source of protein and fiber — and they are one of the best heart-healthy additions you can make to your meals.

What to do with canned beans after opening? ›

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. Beans have a low acid content and this makes them slightly more perishable than more acidic canned foods.

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 recycle a tin of beans? ›

Yes, food tins and drink cans can be recycled at some out of home recycling points.

Can you reuse canned beans? ›

Yes. Unused portions of canned food may be refrigerated in the can, but to preserve optimum quality and flavor, place the unused portion in a food-grade glass or plastic container. Use within 4 days.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Maia Crooks Jr

Last Updated:

Views: 6176

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Maia Crooks Jr

Birthday: 1997-09-21

Address: 93119 Joseph Street, Peggyfurt, NC 11582

Phone: +2983088926881

Job: Principal Design Liaison

Hobby: Web surfing, Skiing, role-playing games, Sketching, Polo, Sewing, Genealogy

Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.