Canned beans straight from the pot vs. a quick pan fry, and the pan won by a mile

Riley Martin · 2026-10-18T03:00:04.436579+00:00

So for a long time I just dumped a can of black beans into whatever I was making and called it done, but a couple weeks ago I was short on time before a shift and tried something different. I drained and rinsed the beans, then tossed them in a hot pan with a little oil and some cumin for maybe 4 minutes until the edges got a bit crispy. The difference was not small. Same 89 cent can, but the pan version tasted like an actual side dish instead of mushy filler, and the texture held up way better when I mixed it into rice. I did the straight-from-the-can thing again a few days later to see if I was fooling myself and nope, it was flat and watery by comparison. Now I keep a can of pinto beans on the shelf just for this, with a pinch of chili powder and a squeeze of lime at the end. Has anyone tried crisping up canned chickpeas the same way, and do they need to be dried off first or is a quick drain good enough?

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Canned beans straight from the pot vs. a quick pan fry, and the pan won by a mile | Canned Food Hacks - Free To Speak