The Best Canned Chickpeas Are Goya Organic

Canned chickpeas are my tried-and-true pantry fallback for those days where I get home late with no game plan and no energy to cook. More than just about any other canned bean, they retain their shape and texture really well. However, the flavor, size, texture, and salt content varies widely between brands. Because we’re curious about stuff like this at Basically, we did the dirty work of blind-tasting a variety of brands and picking our favorite.

We tried 5 different brands sourced from large grocery chains and sampled them straight out of the can. The all-around winner was pretty clear: Goya Organic. It had a clean, slightly sweet and nutty flavor with a smooth, yielding texture that was neither mealy nor mushy. Visually, the chickpeas came out of the can intact and had an even, pinkish-beige color—not broken down or grey-ish like other brands. And while some brands were packed with sodium, Goya Organic had big bean flavor with less salt overall. It beat out the competition in terms of taste and texture, though the organic chickpeas from Eden were a close second—good texture, but not as deliciously bean-y as Goya Organic.

Canned chickpeas have terrific range, which is why I make sure I always have at least a can or two lying around at home. They puree easily into a smooth and creamy hummus or crisp into crunchy little nuggets as a component of a sheet tray dinner. For super quick applications, I like to throw them into everything from salads to pasta to soups. Do yourself a favor and buy a half dozen cans the next time you’re at the store to start your own stockpile. Because as long as you have canned chickpeas around, dinner doesn’t feel so hopelessly out of reach.

Buy It: Goya Organic Chickpeas, 24-pack of 15.5-oz. cans, $36.72 on Jet.com

And go makes some hummus!

Classic Chickpea Hummus