What can I make with canned goods?
Canned Goods is the kind of ingredient that quietly rescues dinner. Recipes using canned goods are below, along with storage and substitution notes.
12 recipes with canned goods
Triangular Japanese Rice Balls
A traditional Japanese snack made from triangular-shaped balls of rice, often filled with tuna, salmon, or pickled plum.
Japanese50m10Classic Hummus
Silky chickpea dip with tahini and lemon.
Middle Eastern10m6
Smash Burger
Thin, ultra-crispy burger smashed on a hot griddle.
American10m4
Creamy Hummus
Smooth chickpea dip with tahini, lemon, and garlic.
Middle Eastern20m6Smashed Cheeseburger
Thin, crispy-edged beef patties with American cheese on a toasted bun.
American20m4
Loaded Nachos
Tortilla chips baked with cheese, beans, and every topping.
Tex-Mex20m4
Huevos Rancheros
Fried eggs on tortillas with smoky ranchero salsa.
Mexican25m2
Laksa
Spicy coconut curry noodle soup with shrimp and tofu puffs.
Malaysian30m4
Thai Green Curry
Coconut-rich green curry with chicken, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil.
Thai30m4
Vegan Buddha Bowl
Quinoa bowl with roasted veg, chickpeas, and tahini.
American35m2
Chana Masala
North Indian chickpeas stewed in tangy tomato-onion gravy.
Indian35m4Buddha Bowl
Grain bowl loaded with roasted veg, protein, and tahini drizzle.
American35m4
How to cook with canned goods
- 1Start with aromatics - onion, garlic, or ginger softened in fat - then add the canned goods.
- 2Season early and taste as you go rather than salting only at the end.
- 3Give it enough heat and enough space; a crowded pan steams instead of browning.
- 4Finish with acid and fresh herbs, the two things that make a simple dish taste deliberate.
What goes well with canned goods
Canned Goods is at its best with onion, garlic, lemon, chili, herbs and stock. Any two or three of those, plus canned goods, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing canned goods
Dry canned goods keeps for months in a sealed container away from light and heat. Once cooked, cool it quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and use within 3-4 days; cooked grains and legumes freeze extremely well in single-portion bags.
Substituting canned goods
If you are out of canned goods, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Canned Goods recipes: common questions
- What can I make with canned goods and not much else?
- Plenty. With canned goods plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest canned goods recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute canned goods?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover canned goods?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover canned goods without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.