12 Canned Kidney Beans, Ranked From Worst To Best

Canned kidney beans are a pantry staple that can be used to quickly whip together some all-American chili or some tasty baked beans, among countless other things. But if you look in most grocery stores, you'll be bombarded with an overwhelmingly wide assortment of options, including both dark red and light red kidney beans, from numerous different brands. As with all things, choosing the best possible option available to you is the only guaranteed way to create the most delicious dishes, but how do you know which canned kidney beans are best, and which deserve to be left where you found them?

I set out to answer this question by taste-testing 12 types of canned kidney beans side-by-side, choosing to eat them without alteration for the fairest assessment possible — that means I didn't even include normal seasonings, like salt and pepper, the way I normally would. Taste and texture were the things I used to decide whether a can of kidney beans was good (or not), using my experience and extensive food industry background to do so. Although nutrition was not a large contributing factor, I did make note of it below for each option, so that people with dietary considerations can make the best choice based on their unique needs. You can learn more about my methodology at the end of this article, if you're interested. For now, let's get into all of these canned kidney beans, and perhaps help you find your new favorite.

A ½ cup serving of Great Value Light Red Kidney Beans provides 110 calories and 6% of your day's sodium, together with 7 grams of protein, 7 grams of dietary fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Ingredients listed include light red kidney beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

I was surprised by how many excellent options I tried during this ranking of canned kidney beans. Of the 12 options, I would eat eight of them again without hesitation. Unfortunately, Great Value is one of the few that I couldn't be convinced to eat again. Why? These light red kidney beans had a strong musty flavor that overtook any other flavor notes — it tasted more like I was eating a dish sponge that had been left at the sink for too long instead of beans. 

Texturally, these were okay, but they felt slightly too mushy, comparatively, when cooked for the same duration as every other can on this list. To cut a long story short, you couldn't pay me to eat these again, and I strongly recommend against purchasing them. Even if you're shopping at Walmart, there are better options available to you.

A ½ cup serving of Great Value Dark Red Kidney Beans provides 120 calories and 11% of your daily sodium needs. It also contains 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and at least 4% of your day's calcium, iron, and potassium. The ingredients list includes prepared kidney beans, water, sugar, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

Like their light red counterparts, these Great Value Dark Red Kidney Beans had an overwhelmingly musty flavor profile. Thankfully (I guess), the mustiness was slightly less than the light red beans — if the light red option tasted like a dish sponge left for two weeks, these darker beans tasted like one left for only ten days. It's an improvement, but it's not much. Once again, this overwhelmed any other flavors the beans may have had. Once cooked, though, these were also a little less mushy, which is another reason these slid one spot ahead of the other Walmart private label option.

Even though these were a slight improvement over our lowest-ranked option, there's zero chance I would eat them again. Skip these and opt for literally anything on the list from this point on for a better experience.

Every ½ cup portion of Rienzi Red Kidney Beans contains 100 calories and only 1% of your day's sodium, making it the best option for those on a salt-restricted diet. Each portion also contains 5 grams of protein, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. The wholesome ingredients list contains only red kidney beans and water.

Although they ranked low, I will note that I appreciate the short ingredients list for the Rienzi beans, with limited sodium and lower calories. Unfortunately, no matter how much I like those things, these canned kidney beans didn't perform the way I'd hoped when it came to taste and texture. While nowhere near the gag-worthy mustiness of the Great Value options, Rienzi's beans did still have a faintly old dish sponge taste. For me, it was slightly too much to overlook, but I found myself thankful that beneath this, there was a moderate savoriness with mild sweet notes.

I wouldn't buy these again, nor would I eat them if offered to me by someone else. But thankfully, we're nearing the part of the list where there are options I can at least half-heartedly recommend, so stay tuned.

Per ½ cup serving of Rosa Red Kidney Beans, you'll consume 100 calories and 13% of your day's sodium. You'll also receive 7 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and at least 3% of your day's calcium and iron. The ingredients list includes red kidney beans, water, and salt, making this another wholesome recipe.

These red kidney beans from Rosa had the faintest mustiness to them, but I could have overlooked that, if these beans came with the more complex flavor profile that they could've had. As it stands, these were predominantly savory, with faint earthy notes. Texturally, they were a little mushier than I would have preferred, but not so much that this issue alone would have ruined the experience for me.

Rosa Red Kidney Beans are the last option you couldn't at least tempt me to eat again. From here on out, the options get significantly better, so if you haven't already got it on hand, now's the time to grab your grocery list and a pen so you can take notes.

Per ½ cup serving of Wholesome Pantry Organic Light Red Kidney Beans, you'll receive 110 calories and 6% of your daily sodium intake. Since this is lower than many other brands on this list, this is a good choice for those watching their salt intake. Each serving will also provide 9 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and at least 4% of your day's calcium, iron, and potassium. Ingredients include prepared organic kidney beans, water, and sea salt.

Wholesome Pantry is ShopRite's organic private label, and I've had consistently better experiences with it versus their standard private label — except here, where Bowl and Basket vastly outperformed this organic alternative. The flavor profile was thankfully devoid of any musty notes, as is every option moving forward. Instead, there was a very mild sweetness accented by equally mild earthy notes. Texturally, these were perfectly fine, and I have no complaints about this specific trait.

I wouldn't buy these again, but I would probably eat them again if someone else offered them to me. If you're at Shoprite, though, I strongly suggest grabbing the beans from Bowl and Basket instead.

Every ½ cup portion of Wholesome Pantry Organic Dark Red Kidney Beans contains 110 calories and only 6% of your day's sodium, making it a good choice for those who need to watch their salt intake. Each portion also contains 9 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. The ingredients listed include prepared organic kidney beans, water, and sea salt.

These were very similar to their light red counterparts, with a perfectly fine texture. The key difference was a slightly more robust flavor profile, which is my preference — hence why these ranked a little better than Wholesome Pantry's other option. A moderate, meat-like savoriness was punctuated with a faint earthiness.

I wouldn't buy these again, but I would probably eat them again if someone else offered them to me. If you're already at Shoprite, it just makes sense to buy the options from Bowl and Basket instead for a significantly better experience.

Goya Red Kidney Beans contain 110 calories and only 6% of your daily sodium in each ½ cup serving. Since this is less than half the sodium of some other brands, this is a great option for those who need to be cautious about their salt intake. Each serving also contains 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and at least 4% each of your daily calcium, iron, and potassium. The recipe includes red kidney beans, water, sea salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

These beans offered a mild flavor profile that was predominantly earthy, with moderate savory notes, and a slightly too-soft texture. While not bad, the taste wasn't nearly as complex as higher-ranking brands, nor was it as strong as I would have preferred. Still, these could work fine in dishes like a homemade bean salad, where you want something to merge with other flavors instead of dominating the profile.

I wouldn't buy these again because there are options I prefer significantly more. But I would probably eat these again if they were offered to me.

Per ½ cup serving of Bowl and Basket Light Red Kidney Beans, you'll receive 120 calories and 16% of your day's total sodium. Each serving also provides 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Ingredients listed (in order) include prepared red kidney beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

Although I hated this brand's milk chocolate bar, I actually quite liked both kidney bean options from Bowl and Basket that appear on this list. This specific option kicks off the part of the list where the beans have varying degrees of the complex, layered flavor profile I look for. These beans start with a base created from equal parts savory and sweet, with faint earthy undertones that you'd almost miss if you weren't looking for them. Texturally, these were fine, and veered towards being slightly softer than I'd prefer.

Overall, this is a solid light red kidney bean option from Bowl and Basket. I wouldn't buy it again, but I would definitely eat it again. If you're looking for the best light red kidney beans specifically, this is your best choice. As a bonus, this is also a budget-friendly private label option.

Steve's and Ed's Original Dark Red Kidney Beans provide 120 calories and 16% of your day's sodium per ½ cup serving. Additionally, it provides 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Ingredients include prepared kidney beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

These beans had a nice texture that was a little softer than the higher-ranking brands, but without veering into being too squishy. While this isn't quite what I prefer, it's still perfectly acceptable. My first bite was overwhelmingly savory, but as I chewed, the beans released moderate earthy notes with a mild sweet undertone. I enjoyed this multi-layered flavor profile, which is mostly on par with the highest-ranking brands on this list, albeit only slightly less robust.

I wouldn't buy these again, but that's only because there are other options I prefer more. However, I would happily eat them again if someone else offered them to me.

In each ½ cup portion of Bowl and Basket Dark Red Kidney Beans, you'll receive 120 calories and 16% of your daily sodium. Each serving also provides 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Ingredients listed (in order) include prepared red kidney beans, water, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

Texturally, these dark red kidney beans were perfectly firm, but gave easily when bitten into. The flavor profile was similar to the light beans from this brand, but noticeably stronger and leaning more towards savory than sweet. A strong, somewhat starchy umami base was heavily accented with moderate earthy notes and a light sweet undertone. Truthfully, it was a near-tie for the top three options, but I ultimately decided I preferred the taste balance of the top two options a little more.

I could see myself buying these again if my top choices were unavailable or if I was looking to pinch pennies on my grocery bill one week. If you're looking for a budget-friendly private label option for dark red kidney beans, this is your best choice.

Goya Dark Kidney Beans contain 120 calories and 14% of your daily sodium needs per ½ cup serving. Each portion also provides 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and at least 8% each of your daily calcium, iron, and potassium needs. Ingredients include kidney beans, water, sugar, salt, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

Like the Bowl & Basket beans, the Goya beans had a perfect texture — they were nicely firm, keeping their shape without exception during cooking, but they gave easily when I started to chew. When I first took a spoonful, my taste buds were greeted by equal parts umami and starch, which made these beans feel a little more filling. Beneath this was an earthiness that was nearly as strong as the base flavors, and light, refreshingly sweet notes. That underlying sweetness was slightly weaker than in my top choice, which is why I decided I preferred the other option a little more.

I would definitely buy these again if my grocery store didn't have my top choice available. If this is the best option available to you, it's a solid choice you won't regret.

Bush's Best Dark Red Kidney Beans contain 120 calories and 12% of your daily sodium intake per ½ cup serving. This serving also provides 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and notable amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. The ingredients list includes prepared dark red kidney beans, water, sugar, salt, dextrose, calcium chloride, and disodium EDTA.

Although it was a close call for the top spot, I felt confident naming Bush's Best Dark Red Kidney Beans the top canned kidney beans. They had the perfectly firm but giving texture of other top brands, but with a slightly elevated flavor profile. Robust umami notes took center stage, intertwined with equally strong starchy notes. These were joined by moderate earthy notes and moderately sweet notes — this was surprising, because I typically associate this sweetness with light red kidney beans. This extra layer of unexpected flavor worked really well here.

If you're looking for canned beans to make chili and other dishes dominantly featuring kidney beans, this option from Bush's is exactly what you're looking for. Grab a can for yourself to see exactly why they ended up as our top canned kidney beans.

I chose canned kidney beans for inclusion in this article from my local Shoprite and Walmart in the Vineland, New Jersey area, only including dark red and light red kidney beans, and leaving out any white kidney beans to narrow down the extensive selections available. After heating up each can, I tasted them exactly as-is, rather than being included in any recipes. so that I could get the best feel for the beans' natural flavor profiles. Taste and texture were my primary considerations when ranking.

To make my judgments, I used more than 15 years of food industry experience and roughly 30 years of cooking at home. Prior work for Daily Meal also contributed, including similar articles like my ranking of canned baked bean brands and my ranking of store-bought chili brands for hot dogs. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.