I asked 3 chefs the best canned pantry staple, and their favorites are worth stocking

Canned pantry staples have come a long way from their reputation as simple emergency backups. Today, they're a cornerstone of smart home cooking, offering convenience, affordability and surprisingly high quality.

While fresh produce certainly has its place, many canned ingredients are packed at peak ripeness or prepared to preserve their flavor and nutrients, making them reliable options year-round. That means you can whip up a hearty pasta sauce, a comforting soup or a protein-packed salad without making an extra trip to the grocery store.

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Professional chefs know this better than anyone. Restaurant kitchens depend on consistency, and canned ingredients provide dependable flavor regardless of the season. They also reduce prep time, minimize food waste and make it easier to create restaurant-worthy meals on busy weeknights.

Whether it's tomatoes destined for a slow-simmered marinara or beans transforming a simple soup into a satisfying dinner, these pantry staples prove that convenience doesn't have to come at the expense of taste.

To find out which canned ingredients deserve a permanent spot in every kitchen, I asked three chefs to name the product they never want to be without. While they highlighted two pantry MVPs, there was one clear theme—these ingredients are the workhorses of both professional and home kitchens, capable of turning everyday ingredients into flavorful, nourishing meals.

Our Panel of Experts

• Chef Tony Biggs is a globally experienced chef, culinary consultant and media personality with over 35 years in the industry, known for his leadership in fine dining and international hospitality. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, he has cooked for royalty, including the King of Jordan, and held executive culinary roles across hotels and programs worldwide. He currently serves as director of culinary arts for Certified Angus Beef, where he develops recipes, leads culinary education and works with chefs globally to elevate beef cookery.
• Chef Billy Parisi is a classically trained chef and recipe developer dedicated to helping home cooks build confidence in the kitchen through approachable, from-scratch cooking. A graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Parisi brings more than 15 years of professional restaurant experience and a deep passion for classical French and Italian cuisine. His recipes combine timeless cooking techniques with fresh, everyday ingredients, making restaurant-quality meals accessible for cooks of all skill levels. Through his website, videos and educational content, Billy inspires millions to elevate their home cooking with practical tips, expert techniques, and delicious homemade recipes.
• Chef Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN, is a nationally recognized culinary nutrition expert, educator, spokesperson and author of three cookbooks. She is the director of teaching kitchen and culinary medicine at St. Barnabas Hospital and founder of ChefAbbieGellman.com, where she creates cooking and nutrition content across video, media and publications.

The Unanimous Winners: Why Chefs Swear by Canned Tomatoes and Beans

Although two chefs chose canned tomatoes and one championed canned beans, all three agreed that these pantry staples are among the most valuable ingredients a home cook can keep stocked.

Chef Tony Biggs calls canned tomatoes "incredibly versatile, affordable and available year-round at a consistent quality." He points out that unlike fresh tomatoes, which fluctuate with the season, canned tomatoes are "typically packed at peak ripeness, giving cooks a dependable ingredient that delivers excellent flavor every time."

Chef Billy Parisi echoed that sentiment, saying he always keeps San Marzano tomatoes on hand because they're "less acidic and sweeter than regular canned tomatoes," making them perfect for everything from pomodoro sauce to vegetable beef soup.

"I'm not sure there is another canned ingredient that is used more, both in the restaurant world and my house than tomatoes," he says. "There are only so many things you can do with black beans, corn, anchovies, olives, etc. that will have as much impact, or even be the hero of the dish, as tomatoes are."

Meanwhile, chef and registered dietitian Abbie Gellman made the case for canned beans as the ultimate convenience food. "It provides plant-based protein and complex carbohydrates plus it is extremely versatile and can be used so many different ways for any meal period or time of day," she says. "You can eat it as-is, puree them, add them to other dishes, mix with a bunch of different ingredients... Sky's the limit."

Biggs agrees that beans deserve just as much love. "A good can of cannellini, chickpeas or black beans can transform a simple meal into something hearty and nutritious within minutes," he says. "From a chef's perspective, canned beans are one of the smartest convenience products available."

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How to Best Use Canned Tomatoes and Beans

Canned Tomatoes

The beauty of these pantry staples is their versatility. For tomatoes, Biggs says the classics are just the beginning. "Of course, classic tomato sauce is an obvious choice, but I also love using canned tomatoes in beef braises, chili, shakshuka, tomato butter sauces and hearty soups." He also recommends thinking beyond traditional recipes by using tomato liquid in vinaigrettes, marinades or Bloody Mary mix, or blending tomatoes with roasted garlic and olive oil for homemade pizza sauce.

Parisi's list is equally impressive. "My favorite ways to use this sauce are in recipes like spaghetti sauce, Italian pot roast, goulash, pizza sauce or even chili," he says. "The applications are endless." He even suggests draining and dicing canned tomatoes into salads or incorporating them into barbecue sauce, Egyptian koshari or baked beans.

Canned Beans

Beans are just as adaptable. Gellman says she regularly tosses them into salads or serves them as a simple side dish, but one of her favorite tricks is blending them into soups. "I love adding beans to pureed soups in place of dairy like cream," she explains. "It takes a typical vegetarian soup like butternut squash and adds protein and fiber without adding heavy cream or dairy."

Biggs also recommends pureeing cannellini beans into sauces and soups to create "natural creaminess without adding heavy cream," while chickpeas become homemade hummus and black beans bulk up chili, grain bowls and salads.

The Best Brands to Buy, According to the Pros

Best Canned Tomatoes

When shopping for canned tomatoes, both Biggs and Parisi emphasize reading the label.

Biggs recommends San Marzano D.O.P. products, Cento, Bianco DiNapoli and Muir Glen. "I look for tomatoes packed in their own juice with minimal ingredients—ideally just tomatoes, tomato juice and perhaps basil or a touch of salt," he says. He also avoids products with excessive citric acid, calcium chloride or unnecessary additives.

Parisi also favors San Marzano tomatoes with the D.O.P. certification. "The easiest thing to look for is the D.O.P. on the label," he says. "That is the signature of approval that they are what they say they are and where they come from." His go-to brands include Cento, Isola, Mutti, Rega and Strianese. Even outside of San Marzano varieties, he says he avoids tomatoes containing citric acid because "it can really overpower the tomato."

Best Canned Beans

For canned beans, Gellman recommends looking for low-sodium or no-added-sodium varieties. "I prefer low-sodium or no-added-sodium canned beans so that I can drain and rinse them without overdoing my salt intake," she says.

Her preferred brands include Bush's Beans and Eden Organic. Choosing lower-sodium options gives home cooks more control over seasoning while still delivering all the convenience canned beans offer.

Related: I Asked 3 Chefs What They Always Buy at Costco—Their Answers Completely Changed How I Shop

Are Canned Foods as Nutritious as Fresh?

All three chefs agree that canned foods deserve more credit nutritionally.

"Fresh is wonderful when tomatoes are in peak season and locally grown," Biggs says. "However, for much of the year, canned tomatoes can actually offer superior flavor because they are harvested and packed at their ripest point." He also notes that canned tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that becomes even more concentrated during processing.

Parisi acknowledges that fresh tomatoes may contain slightly more vitamin C and that canned versions often have more sodium, but says the overall value is hard to beat. "The cost versus fresh versus overall flavor just cannot be beat with a good canned San Marzano tomato," he says. He also appreciates their long shelf life. "They're always in the cabinet and never come close to the expiration date because I use them in so many different ways."

Gellman says canned beans offer essentially the same nutrition as dried beans once cooked. "The nutrition is the same as making dried beans," she explains, noting that sodium levels are the primary difference. Draining and rinsing canned beans can help reduce sodium while preserving their protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Final Thoughts

The chefs' advice is clear — don't overlook the canned aisle. Whether you're stocking up on flavorful tomatoes for pasta night or protein-rich beans for soups and salads, these humble pantry staples deliver exceptional flavor, convenience and value.

Sometimes the secret to better cooking isn't buying the freshest ingredient — it's choosing the one that consistently helps you make delicious meals any day of the year.

Related: We Asked 3 Chefs the Best Thing To Make With Canned Tuna, and They All Said the Same Thing