16 Quick Meals That Start With a Can of Black Beans

Black Bean Chili
Photo: Cristi

That humble can of black beans stashed away in your pantry is a great meal waiting to happen. For one thing, you don't have to take the time to soak and cook the beans before you even get started in on adding all the flavorings. And those shiny little beans pack a powerhouse of nutrition: Besides being an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and fiber, they're loaded with potassium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, and antioxidants. Here are quick and easy meals you can make with canned black beans.

01 of 17

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

black bean soup in two turquoise bowls
Photo by bd.weld. bd.weld

Ready in 20 minutes. You'll need only 6 ingredients to make this top-rated soup. "This is a fantastic recipe! Now I know why there are so many glowing reviews. Upon other reviewers' suggestions, I saved one cup of beans to add whole." —BANSREEPARIKH

02 of 17

Mexican Pasta

mexican pasta
Tonya Milam

Ready in 20 minutes. "Everyone loved this recipe! I doubled everything except the beans. I used Rotel in place of plain stewed tomatoes. It had just the right amount of zing!" raves April T. Jones

03 of 17

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
Photo by Allrecipes Magazine.

Ready in 40 minutes (or less). "Cooking in the oven helps when you want to have them all done at once instead of one at a time. Baked at 350 for 10 minutes, then broiled the tops until browned." —SPRING1ONU

04 of 17

Black Bean Huevos Rancheros

Black Bean Huevos Rancheros
ZZ

Ready in 50 minutes (or less). Get this breakfast-for-dinner on the table faster by using store-bought salsa instead of homemade. "This was great," says George. "I used pre-made fresh salsa to cut down time. My only other changes were using 2 eggs/plate and I topped each dish with 1/2 sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and freshly chopped cilantro."

05 of 17

Black Bean Tacos

Black Bean Tacos
Black Bean Tacos | Photo by Diana71.

Ready in 25 minutes. "WOW! Amazingly delicious and so easy to make. I sauteed onions and peppers for extra flavor." —brandi.wilson

06 of 17

Black Bean Breakfast Bowl

Black Bean Breakfast Bowl
Allrecipes Magazine

Ready in 15 minutes. "Fast and tasty," says Chocokide. "Cooked the black beans for five minutes on the stove and added in fresh cilantro. This would make a great breakfast, but I think it made an even better lunch."

07 of 17

Quinoa and Black Beans

Quinoa and Black Beans
Dianne

Ready in 50 minutes. Packed full of protein and fiber, this vegan-friendly dish is easy to make as a main dish or side dish.

08 of 17

Delicious Black Bean Burritos

black bean burritos
CookinBug

Ready in 25 minutes. "This a great recipe for our family. I have made it several times. I usually have the ingredients on hand and it's easy and quick to put together. Not to mention very tasty." —Janet Clue

09 of 17

Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup
STELLA

Ready in 20 minutes. "Delicious and EASY zesty soup recipe that uses only 6 canned ingredients! Serve over tortilla chips, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Throw away the cans and no one will know that it is not from scratch!" —Terryn

10 of 17

Plant-Based Black Bean Taco Soup

Ready in 40 minutes. Canned black beans team up with pinto beans in this tasty vegan soup, along with vegetable broth, frozen corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and seasonings. "This meatless, taco-flavored soup is loaded with bean protein and robust flavor," says CookingWithShelia.

11 of 17

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Photo by Gord Linder.

Ready in 35 minutes. "I love these burgers," says Kelly. "Let me tell you how to keep them from falling apart, though. First, you must rinse the black beans and dry them off before mashing them. Second, you must strain the onion, garlic and pepper mixture through a fine strainer to remove any excess water. Third, if you add 50% more bread crumbs, it will hold much better. Also, I freeze mine and grill them frozen. Doing this has keep my burgers intact and my mouth happy!"

12 of 17

Vegan Black Bean Soup

vegan black bean soup
Michelle V

Ready in 45 minutes. "Made this over the weekend, and my husband actually told me it is probably one of the best soups I have ever made - and we are soup people, I make a lot of soup! I kind of thought he was overreacting, but I am sitting here right now enjoying my second day of having this soup for lunch, and he is right. It is really, really good." —cookinformygang

13 of 17

Black and White Pizza

black and white pizza
Kelcie Cashel

Ready in 30 minutes. "This recipe is one that my boyfriend and I recreated from a dish at our favorite restaurant. White chicken pizza with black beans and jalapenos. This pizza is made using already prepared ingredients which makes a fast, simple gourmet meal for two. Adjust the amount of each topping to your liking." —TIFFANYJEAN

14 of 17

Vegan Bean Taco Filling

vegan bean taco filling
Lava ThePoet

Ready in 30 minutes. "This was very good. I served these on hard taco shells for a change of texture. I didn't have any cayenne pepper, so I added some crushed red pepper flakes instead. I also added about a cup and a half of cooked rice and about 2/3 cup of frozen corn. Terrific topped with avocado, tomato, and lettuce. It made a lot and the leftovers were great too." —LORLOR80

15 of 17

Southwest-Style Egg Rolls

southwest style egg rolls
lutzflcat

Ready in 20 minutes. Try this east-meets-west appetizer featuring black beans, corn, onion, spinach, and cheese stuffed into eggroll wrappers and fried until crispy and golden. Instead of frying, you could bake them in the oven or pull give them a go in your air fryer.

16 of 17

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Chili
Cristi

Ready in 40 minutes. "This was so delicious. I used vegetable stock and a teaspoon of garlic powder. Spooned on top of quinoa and garnished with shredded Cheddar, cilantro, and tortilla chips." — Anne Marie Natal

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