Healthy Bean Main Dish Recipes

Herb-coated roasted chicken is served with a bounty of roasted vegetables and beans in this Mediterranean-inspired main dish. Serve with a slice of crusty bread.

Having a stash of flavorful bean burritos in your freezer means you'll always have a satisfying plant-based meal ready for a grab-and-go breakfast on a busy morning or to take to the campsite for an easy campfire meal. Our vegan breakfast filling--made with tofu and prepared to mimic scrambled eggs--is tossed with beans, veggies and salsa for a delicious and ultra-satisfying meal.

The stringy texture and mild flavor of canned jackfruit mimics chicken in this vegan curry recipe. Chickpeas add delicious crunch and protein for a satisfying meal. Serve over brown rice for an easy, healthy dinner.

These tasty turkey and bean burritos are the perfect choice for a quick dinner or lunch. Shredded lettuce and Cheddar cheese are wrapped up in warm whole-wheat tortillas with cooked turkey, salsa and beans--yum!

Beans stand in place of ground beef in this hearty vegetarian sauce that's ready when you are--thanks to the crock pot. The prep is quick and easy to do in the morning before heading off to work. When you get home, just cook up some whole-wheat pasta to serve it over and dinner is ready. If you have leftovers, freeze them for an easy meal another day.

Floribbean dishes often use a lot of peppers, but their spiciness is moderated by gentle flavors such as key lime, mango, almond or honey. The ribs in this recipe are flavored with a spicy-sweet mango sauce and served up with a fresh grilled pineapple salsa that's chock-full of high-in-fiber black-eyed peas.

Skip frozen burritos and make your own by spicing up a can of refried black beans with chopped pickled jalapeños. Serve this easy vegetarian dish with tortilla chips, if desired.

Any type of canned bean will work in these easy layered enchiladas, but our favorite combination is a mix of black and pinto beans. Serve as a vegetarian main dish or as a tasty side for roasted pork or chicken.

This delightful vegetarian sandwich boasts tons of flavor from the yogurt sauce and quick-pickled veggies, and it's only 400 calories! You can make the pickled vegetables, falafel mixture and tzatziki sauce ahead of time for easy meal-prep lunches or dinner later in the week.

Making falafel in the air fryer is practically foolproof. Just combine all your ingredients in a food processor, form into patties and drop in the air fryer. The countertop appliance is like a mini convection oven, so the falafel will cook up quickly and with way less oil than if you pan-fried them. Serve them with tahini sauce for dipping (see associated recipe).

Transform leftover chicken into a hearty burrito filling! You will be thrilled to have a stash of frozen burritos on hand that you can microwave for an instant healthy lunch or on-the-go dinner for a busy night.

Revamp traditional Shepherd's pie with this Tex-Mex take on the classic comfort food with taco seasoning, black beans and a little jalapeño. The flavor- and veggie-packed filling gets topped with cilantro-lime sweet potatoes for a satisfying and healthy dinner recipe.

Pureed chickpeas, seasoned with the characteristic flavors of falafel, make excellent veggie burgers. We use a two-stage method for cooking the patties, first browning them in a skillet and then finishing them in the oven. Garnish the burgers with tzatziki or tahini sauce (see associated recipes), pickled red onions, lettuce and tomatoes.

This vegetable curry comes together fast thanks to the help of a multicooker. Coconut milk makes it creamy, while keeping this easy dinner vegan, and the potatoes and chickpeas help bulk up the dish for a satisfying meal. Serve over Basmati rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.

To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy pre-cut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

Yellow curry paste is generally spicier than green but not as spicy as red, making it just right for this easy stir-fried chicken thigh recipe. Sizzling the curry paste in oil before making the curry gives it a boost in complexity.

This delicious chicken stew is traditionally made with sour oranges, which are prolific in Iran--if you find them, use the juice of two in place of the citrus called for here. Serve with rice to pair with the flavorful spinach sauce.

This simple recipe for slow-cooked sloppy joes is perfect for vegetarians as the traditional beef is replaced with heart-healthy lentils.

Shredded Parmesan cheese is baked for the perfect crispy addition to this salad.

Beans and rice are staple foods so we've made them irresistible by adding smoked turkey sausage and a fresh tomatillo topping. This recipe comes in at under 200 calories per serving and is ready in just 45 minutes.