14 Best Ways To Use Canned Beans Besides Chili

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart; the more you eat, the more... fiber and nutrients you consume? Sure, let's go with that. 

Beans are getting some more well-deserved time in the spotlight, despite their occasionally flatulent effects. These legumes are rich in fiber, plant-based protein, and folate, and are relatively inexpensive. Thanks to their benefits, beans are getting noticed by members of the gut health and fibermaxxing community (hello "beans-tok"), as well as budget-friendly home cooks online. Canned beans, which are pre-cooked, are especially easy to use, since they just need a quick rinse before you add them to your favorite recipes. 

If you are a bean novice (a bean-ginner, if you will), you may be scratching your head as to how to use these plant-based powerhouses in ways that aren't just dumping them into a crock of simmering chili. Lucky for you, we've put together a list of some of our favorite recipes that include some form of canned beans, whether that's black beans, chickpeas, butter beans, cannellini beans, or another variety. A word to the wise: Buy low-sodium (or better yet, no-salt-added) cans, as extra sodium can throw off the flavor balance of your final recipe, especially if it includes other salt-heavy ingredients and seasonings.

Sure, beans can taste pretty bland if you don't season them, layer them with flavors, or elevate them in any other way. This pizza beans recipe makes all of that easy, marrying cannellini or butter beans with marinara sauce (in the words of Ina Garten, store-bought is fine) with decadent cheese, spinach, and herbs. You can certainly make your own sauce if you prefer, as the only must for serving this decadent crock of beans as a main or a side is to pair it with garlic bread. 

Recipe: Easy, Cheesy Pizza Beans 

At first glance, you might not realize that there are any beans in this red pepper soup. However, look closer at the ingredient list, and you'll find cannellini beans, which add heft but don't affect the flavor of the rich, sweet roasted peppers much. 

This is a great option for kids and folks who don't like beans all that much, since everything is pureed until smooth and creamy. Serve it alongside grilled cheese sandwiches for a fiber (and flavor) boost. 

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Tuna salad has earned itself a reputation for being bland and boring, but this funky Spanish rendition is far from it. This recipe uses white Navy beans, though you can swap them with another small white bean variety if you prefer. 

The flavors are juicy and fresh, and the beans never take over the salad because of the unique, punchy ingredients: chopped olives, toasted almonds, navel oranges, Spanish tuna in olive oil, and fennel. This one would be great for a summery brunch.

Recipe: Spanish-Inspired Tuna Salad with White Beans and Oranges

Hummus might be one of the most "oh, duh!" ways to use canned beans, and this spicy rendition certainly will eliminate any notion that the resulting spread has to be bland and boring. The base is, as expected, canned chickpeas, which are blended with roasted sweet red peppers, Calabrian chile paste, smoked paprika, and other standard homemade hummus ingredients, including olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Slather it on a bagel for a protein-enhanced breakfast or serve it with crudités for a mid-day pick-me-up.

Recipe: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Protein is all the rage these days, and this Tex-Mex soup option delivers — with a little help from canned black beans, of course, alongside Mexican chorizo, chicken bone broth, and chicken breasts. 

High-protein doesn't mean low-flavor, though, as this soup is rounded out with all of your Tex-Mex favorites, including corn, cheese, jalapeños, fresh lime, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Like other soups, it's even better on day two, so make enough for leftovers. 

Recipe: High-Protein Tex-Mex Soup

Cowboy caviar is the dip you need to be serving at every single gathering. Unlike other creamy spreads that make you wonder, "What is even in this?" cowboy caviar is super straightforward to prepare (and eat). 

This one is especially bean-forward, as canned black beans and canned black-eyed peas make up a majority of its base, alongside fire-roasted corn, tomatoes, and lime. We like adding a sprinkle of cumin and a cilantro garnish to ours, so feel free to switch it up. 

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Cowboy Caviar

Calico beans prove that a medley of kidney beans and butter beans, with pork and beans thrown in, doesn't have to be flavorless. The key is to mix these bean-y additions with bacon, ground beef, brown sugar, and plenty of sweet, umami seasonings like beef broth and ketchup. 

For such a low-budget dish, plenty of flavors are at play. You can eat these beans straight from the crock, ladle them over rice, or serve them with fresh-baked cornbread for a full meal.

Recipe: Cozy Stovetop Calico Beans

Consider this recipe your primer to Cajun cuisine. It calls for andouille sausage, alongside canned red beans, canned jalapeños, and the Cajun holy trinity: celery, peppers, and onions. It may not be the ideal recipe for people who love spice and heat, but for folks who don't shy away from bold seasonings like cayenne, Spanish smoked paprika, and freshly cracked black pepper, this one might become a mainstay in your dinner rotation.

Recipe: One-Pot Red Beans and Rice

You don't need a massive pit setup to make this flavorful, barbecue-inspired bowl recipe. It gets a hearty dose of fiber from canned pinto beans, which are drained, rinsed, and added to the base of the bowl. Packed with veggies, the beans are accompanied by shredded cabbage, seasoned chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and a zesty sauce flavored with Dijon, mayonnaise, and mustard. The chicken keeps well for several days, and as long as you have extra veggies, you can eat this salad throughout the week (and never tire of it).

Recipe: 'BBQ In A Bowl' Chicken Salad

These aren't your boring ol' hot dogs. Nope, they're stuffed with south-of-the-border flavors and wrapped with bacon. As long as you have toothpicks handy to fasten the bacon in place as the hot dogs cook and a can of pinto beans to drain, rinse, and add to your buns, you'll be well on your way to scrumptious Sonoran-style dogs. We recommend making extra of that salsa verde mayo in the recipe, as it works well on basically everything — and it makes an especially tasty dipping sauce for fries.

Recipe: Sonoran Hot Dog with Salsa Verde Mayo

If you're the kind of person who eyes the pickle on someone else's plate before bashfully asking, "Are you gonna eat that?" you might take favorably to this soup-ed up variation of the funky ferment. Our creamy dill pickle soup gets its heft and body from cannellini beans, Yukon Gold potatoes, a mirepoix, and tons and tons of dill. Pickle juice is a key ingredient, as well as diced Kosher dills, so make sure you stock up on your favorite brands before you pull out that stock pot.

Recipe: Creamy Dill Pickle Soup

Talk about a dish that the whole family will love. This Tex-Mex version is a far cry from ho-hum lasagna, layering tortilla chips with a mixture of ground beef, Rotel, and canned pinto beans. This dish has plenty of fiber, given the number of veggies, and you can always swap out produce or dial back the spices if you are serving a spice-averse or younger audience.

Recipe: Loaded Beef Taco Casserole

Burritos are known for their versatility; as long as it fits into a tortilla without breaking it or making it too soggy to eat, it can be burrito-ed. So it makes sense that the humble burrito would team up with a family-friendly favorite — Frito pie — in this diverse, flavor-packed recipe. Canned pinto beans make an appearance, but with so many other fillings (ranging from ground beef and corn chips to corn, veggies, and cheese), they don't dominate the bite.

Recipe: Super-Stuffed Frito Pie Burrito

Nachos are a dish the whole family loves, and this one gets a fiber and protein boost from canned black beans. The rest of the ingredients are relatively straightforward (and include rotisserie chicken as a shortcut). Exclude any toppings you aren't a fan of, add extra seasoning or jalapeño slices, or swap plain corn kernels for a fire-roasted variety to make this tray of nachos uniquely yours.

Recipe: Truly Ultimate Chicken Nachos