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

What can I do with a lot of beans? ›

  1. Homemade Hummus. PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE. ...
  2. Creamy Tuscan Butter White Bean Skillet. ...
  3. Crispy Sheet-Pan Black Bean Tacos. ...
  4. Indian Butter Chickpeas. ...
  5. Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken & Sweet Potatoes. ...
  6. Homemade Falafel. ...
  7. Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice. ...
  8. Bean & Cheese Taquitos.

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 make a can of beans good? ›

We recommend cooking your beans in chicken stock or broth if you have it for an extra boost of flavor. Chickpeas are more solid and can crisp up nicely when roasted in the oven. If you want them extra crispy result, be sure to dry them before tossing them in the oven.

Can you eat 2 cans of beans a day? ›

Yes! "Eating beans, including canned beans, every day is one of the best things you can do to help increase nutrients [that you may fall short on] and substantially improve the quality of your diet," says Papanikolaou.

How many cans of beans to feed 100 people? ›

100 Servings

10 cans) OR 3 gal 1.

What can I add to canned beans? ›

I also like to add a peeled, smashed clove of garlic, or maybe a bay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme. After 10 to 15 minutes, the beans will be warm and fragrant, ready to be spooned over a piece of garlicky toast, or served alongside grilled sausages and sautéed greens.

How do you make beans more tasty? ›

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.

How do you make beans taste meaty? ›

Traditional seasoning meats such as salt pork, bacon, and ham are what provide that savory, meaty flavor in a pot of simmering beans.

How to cook canned beans simple? ›

Cooking canned beans on the stove is one of the easiest and most common methods. 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).

Should you drain canned beans? ›

"Draining and rinsing canned beans can reduce their sodium content by more than 40 percent. But taking just a few extra minutes is key to getting the most benefit," The Bean Institute website states.

How do you cut gas out of canned beans? ›

While not every recipe calls for soaking beans before cooking them, if beans give you gas, soaking can help. Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production.

How to make canned beans taste like restaurant? ›

I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.

Why can't you boil canned beans? ›

Beans in the can are already well cooked--they are essentially pressure cooked as part of the canning process. While only a speculation, it is highly likely that they are now fragile and bringing them to a full boil would mar their appearance--fewer whole beans--from the agitation.

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.

Can you freeze beans whole? ›

If you want, you can save yourself some prep work later and cut them into 1-inch pieces before freezing the beans. You can also leave the beans whole and freeze them, then chop them later if your green bean recipe calls for it.

Why do I feel so good after eating beans? ›

Aside from fiber, beans are also packed with protein. In fact, they are one of the best non-meat sources of protein you'll find at your grocery store. Protein is a very valuable nutrient for our bodies because they provide a fuel the body can use for energy in place of sugar.

Can you freeze leftover beans? ›

Cooked beans will keep in the freezer 2 to 3 months. After that time their flavor and texture will begin to deteriorate. Beans maintain their shape better if they are thawed slowly. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, for several hours at room temperature, or for about an hour in a pan of warm water.

Why do I feel good after eating beans? ›

Here are a few reasons to eat beans:

Beans are high in fiber, B vitamins and minerals like iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorous. Beans have a very low glycemic index, meaning that the carbohydrates break down very slowly, leaving you feeling fuller for a longer period of time.

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