Black beans are one of the secret weapons in our personal pantry. They’re loaded with fiber and thoroughly healthy. They can be bought in any grocery store and are very easy on the wallet. Lastly they can be worked into a variety of dishes. Here are our favorite ways to use canned black beans.
Nachos
Melted cheese on tortilla starts as the base for whatever your imagination wants. Our favorite home made nachos include air fried tortilla, melted Mexican shredded blend, black beans heated quickly in a pan, finished off with some home made pico and guacamole.
Loaded fries
Or…skip the tortilla strips and just reach for the French fries. Everything tastes great atop a piping hot pile of fries – and you’ll feel a whole lot healthier and happier if you sprinkle on some heated black beans.
Enchilada filling
We use black beans all the time to fill out enchiladas. A half and half mixture of your choice of protein and heated back beans is a great ratio. When working with shredded chicken or vegan meat subs, we often cook the black beans directly with the protein to make things simpler.
Black bean and corn salsa
This one is a hit in the Summer. Rinse one can of beans and one can of sweet corn and mix in a bowl. Next add fresh lime juice, a few tablespoons of pico de gallo, a little olive and refrigerate for a few hours. Optional bonus points: dice an avocado in there too.
As a simple side dish
Skip the unhealthy side dishes and reach for the can instead. Heat and serve on the side of any number of dishes for a nutritious and tasty treat. A fun way to liven things up is to add a 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of Chile powder and 1 tbsp of dried ground oregano to one can of beans – then simmer to heat through in a pan. Add a little cayenne for kick too if that’s your thing!
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!