Use it up · Beans, lentils and legumes

Kidney beans

Have extra kidney beans? Here’s how to choose, store and prep kidney beans, plus 6 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Dark or light red kidney beans work the same in chili.

🧊 Storing it

Pantry: Canned: about 12 months unopened; dried: 6 to 12 months in a sealed container (older beans take longer to cook)
Fridge: Cooked or opened: move to a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days
Freezer: Cooked beans freeze well in their liquid

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System and FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Rinse canned beans. Raw or undercooked kidney beans can make you sick: soak dried beans, then boil them hard for at least 30 minutes; slow cookers alone don't get them hot enough.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Red kidney beans from dry

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: dry beans. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Kidney beans (canned). 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	81 kcal	4%
Protein	5.2 g	10%
Total fat	0.4 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.1 g	1%
Total carbohydrate	15 g	5%
Dietary fiber	4.3 g	15%
Total sugars	1.9 g
Sodium	256 mg	11%
Calcium	29 mg	2%
Iron	1.2 mg	7%
Potassium	260 mg	6%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 175195 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

6 recipes, the ones that use the most kidney beans first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More beans, lentils and legumes

Black beans Pinto beans Chickpeas White beans Lentils Split peas Edamame Tofu All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.