22 Budget-Friendly Recipes You Can Make with a Can of Beans

updated Sep 29, 2023

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Credit: Photo: Kristin Teig; Food Styling: Catrine Kelty

When you have a can of beans in your pantry, a delicious, inexpensive meal is just a thought away. You can turn beans into a vegan dip, substitute ’em for eggs, make vegetable patties, or just create a really good chili. Need more inspiration? Here are 22 recipes from our archives that will inspire you to cook with beans tonight.

Recipes with Can of Beans

1 / 22

Mediterranean White Bean Soup

A wholesome recipe for vegetarian white bean soup with wilted spinach and Parmesan.

2 / 22

Vegetarian Baked Beans

Classic sweet and smoky baked beans without the bacon.

3 / 22

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

This recipe is great for when you have a bunch of random leftovers. Beans, cilantro, red onion, and tortillas, cheese — assemble the ingredients like you would with any taco, and then crisp ’em up in a skillet.

4 / 22

Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Hash

You can’t go wrong with a big sheet pan full of eggs, vegetables, and black beans! It’s dinner made easy.

5 / 22

Brothy Tuscan White Beans with Garlic-Fried Bread

White beans, garlic, and fresh sage are stewed in a light tomato broth and served over thick toast in this wholesome and comforting pantry recipe.

6 / 22

20-Minute Bean and Rice Burritos

These four-ingredient burritos are seriously satisfying, and are cheap and easy to make at home.

7 / 22

Chilled Black Bean, Feta & Cucumber Salad

Make a big batch of this salad on Sunday and eat it for lunch the rest of the week. It just gets better with time!

8 / 22

Bean Chilaquiles with Avocado & Queso Fresco

This recipe is technically for breakfast, but I don’t see why you couldn’t also have it for dinner. Basically you use almost stale tortillas and cover them in spices and beans. Add a fried egg and maybe half an avocado and you have a complete meal.

9 / 22

Fast and Fancy Pork and Beans

With your favorite cut of cured pork, molasses, canned beans, and a secret ingredient, you can be eating creamy beans in a velvety sauce in 30 minutes.

10 / 22

Spinach, White Bean, and Taleggio Pizza

White beans on pizza? Oh, yes. This creamy, cheesy pizza is super easy to make. You can make your own pizza dough if you’re up to it, or just head to the grocery store for pre-made stuff.

11 / 22

White Bean Artichoke Dip

I can’t really begin to tell you how much I love this simple bean dip. It’s super tangy and salty and pairs great with just about any cracker.

12 / 22

Chickpea Nuggets

These sneaky nuggets, made with chickpeas, rolled oats, and a few spices, are surprisingly easy to make. I wonder what kind of dipping sauces (besides ketchup) would be good with these.

13 / 22

Scrambled Chickpea and Spinach Pitas

Instead of eggs, this recipe uses chickpeas for a hearty breakfast recipe. The chickpeas get their gorgeous orange color from turmeric.

14 / 22

The second it gets a bit cold outside, this chili is on my stove. It’s perfect for the long week ahead, and honestly just never gets old.

15 / 22

Baked Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

Need to feed a crowd? Or just want to make a couple dinners in one go? These burritos are a great option. Use whatever leftovers you have to fill ’em up.

16 / 22

Shrimp with White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes

This recipe is described as “quick, forgiving of end-of-day bloopers, and 100% satisfying.” If you have frozen shrimp on hand, this is an excellent way to put ’em to use.

17 / 22

Sweet Potatoes with Chickpea Tomato Sauce

Roast a whole bunch of sweet potatoes on a Sunday and enjoy this meal all week. It’s simple but satisfying, and great when paired with a simple side salad.

18 / 22

Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadillas

While the base of this recipe is beans, the real star is the baby spinach. Having a bag in the fridge is always a good idea for quick weeknight dinner ideas.

19 / 22

Tofu Chickpea Stir Fry with Tahini Sauce

This hearty vegetarian recipe is all about the tofu (so crispy!), but the chickpeas in the dish also play an important textural role.

20 / 22

Sweet Potato-Chickpea Patties with Sriracha-Yogurt Dip

Make vegetable patties with chickpeas, thanks to this delicious recipe. Pair it with a spicy Sriracha-yogurt sauce for dipping.

21 / 22

Corn, Tomato & Black Bean Tostadas with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

The key to this budget-friendly recipe is all in the dressing. It’s made with cilantro, Greek yogurt, and a little bit of lime.

22 / 22

Curried Chickpea & Spinach Baked Potato

There are a thousand ways to top a baked potato, but this one holds a special place in my heart. The curried chickpeas mixed with the spinach and garlic can’t be missed.

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