The 10 Best Canned Beans We’ve Found in Our Taste Tests

The best canned beans are hearty, packed with protein, and perfect for a quick and easy meal. Canned beans can be good enough to make you completely forget that dried beans even exist. From seasoned black beans you can simply open up and pour over rice to baked beans for your summertime BBQs, these are all the best beans in a can we’ve tried in our taste tests here at Sporked. With the help of these canned beans, you can whip up a healthy snack, dinner, or even dessert (hello, white bean blondies) in no time.

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best canned beans

Best Black Beans

A Dozen Cousins Cuban Black Beans

Yes, we said this was a list of the best canned beans, but we made an exception for this tasty packet of beans. These Cuban-style black beans are the best black beans we’ve tasted (and we’ve tasted a lot of black beans). If you’re looking for beans that are meal-ready with literally no prep involved, these are the beans you should be buying. They’re seasoned without being too salty and you actually get the flavor of peppers, garlic, onion, and cumin. Each bean is creamy yet firm. Serve these over rice and you have an ideal weeknight dinner. 

Read the full ranking of the best black beans

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best canned beans

Best Cannellini Beans

O Organics Cannellini Beans

O Organics, a brand sold at Albertsons-owned grocery stores, can be hit or miss for us, but these cannellini beans are a huge hit. They’re super creamy and tender; these are the best canned beans for a stew or white chili, but they’d also be great blended into a dip. Plus, they’re organic!

Read the full ranking of the best cannellini beans

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

S&W White Beans

Best Navy Beans

S&W White Beans

When we tasted and ranked the best canned white beans, we ran the gamut from butter beans to navy beans. If you’re in the market for very itty-bitty white beans, navy beans are what you’re looking for. These S&W navy beans are the best navy beans in a can because they’re small but they have a lot of flavor. Are they a little high in sodium? Sure. But that just means you can add less salt to your next pot of navy bean soup.

Read the full ranking of the best canned white beans

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Sprouts Organic Great Northern Beans

Best Great Northern Beans

Sprouts Organic Great Northern Beans

If you love cannellini beans but always kind of wished their skins were just a little more delicate, these are the best canned beans for you. Sprouts Organic great northern beans are creamy, tender, and have an excellent, mild flavor profile with just the right amount of salt. Try these if you like an ultra creamy white bean dip. 

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Eden Organic Butter Beans

Best Butter Beans

Eden Organic Butter Beans

Did you know butter beans and lima beans are the same thing? Even professional food taste testers learn something new every day! Eden Organic butter beans are the best canned beans if you like ‘em flat and creamy rather than fat and starchy. These really are downright buttery. Try these in your next bean salad instead of cannellinis. 

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Goya Pinto Beans

Best Pinto Beans

Goya Pinto Beans

If you’re a big bean queen, you’re gonna love these Goya pinto beans. They’re huge, and they also happen to pack lots of flavor. According to Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, these beans taste like they were simmered in broth. That’s how flavorful they are. Whether you’re making your own refritos or just adding these to soup, these are going to make everything a little better.

Read the full ranking of the best pinto beans

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

best canned beans

Best Chickpeas

Cento Ceci Beans

We’re chickpea freaks around here. Give us some drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, and we’ll eat them by the handful. Trust us when we say that these are the best canned beans for chickpea freaks like us. They’re perfectly cooked and great whether you’re blending them into homemade hummus, scooping them onto a salad, or stirring them into a stew. Keep these stocked in your pantry and you will never be at a loss for protein.

Read the full ranking of the best chickpeas

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best refried beans

Best Refried Beans

Isadora Traditional Refried Beans

If you’re looking for the best canned refried beans, you’re doing it wrong. Yep, the best canned beans of the refried variety come in a convenient cut-and-dump packet. If you typically buy canned refried beans you’ve probably noticed they’re very dense and very unlike the refried beans you get at your local Mexican restaurant in both consistency and flavor. While we’re sure nothing can quite compete with the refried beans at your local Mexican spot, the Isadora refried beans sure come close. They’re loose and creamy like restaurant refritos, and the flavor is impeccable, no extra seasoning needed. Warning: One reason these taste so good is that they contain lard. We ranked plenty of veg-friendly refried beans, but if you eat meat, you have to try these. 

Read the full ranking of the best refried beans

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Goya Organic Dark Red Kidney Beans

Best Kidney Beans

Goya Organic Dark Red Kidney Beans

When we taste tested kidney beans, a lot of brands had good qualities—some were organic, others were low sodium, some were beautifully intact and ready to be dumped into a pot of chili for a long, slow simmer. Welp, these Goya kidney beans have all that, plus a nice, creamy center. If chili is on the menu, these are the best canned beans you can buy.

Read the full ranking of the best kidney beans 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best canned baked beans

Best Baked Beans

Bush’s Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans

If you are hosting a BBQ and you aren’t serving baked beans, you are doing it wrong. First of all, they’re so easy to make—dump, heat, and eat, baby, unlike other sides you have to actually prepare. But best of all? They taste so good! These Bush’s Brown Sugar Hickory beans, in particular. They’re sweet, they’re tangy, they’re a little tomatoey—these are tasty enough to make beans and franks feel fancy. They’re the best canned beans for an easy dinner side—and they’re vegetarian to boot.

Read the full ranking of the best baked beans

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks


About the Author

Sporked Staff

The Sporked Staff tastes everything and anything. They are obsessive about groceries and finding the best of any type of food or drink, from frozen fried shrimp to Dijon mustard to gummy candy. And they're always on a hunt for the best new products. When they aren't eating professionally, they're eating recreationally. And often they're browsing grocery store aisles, just for fun.

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  • Do y’all have Ranch Style Beans out there? They’re not baked beans, what’s the generic term, chili beans? Cowboy beans? Anyway, if you’re able, pick up a can. They’re delicious.

    Reply