Are Beans a Good Substitute for Chicken?

December 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, beans are a nutrient-dense powerhouse, providing excellent sources of protein, fiber, and various micronutrients. So, are beans a good substitute for chicken when planning your meals? The answer is a resounding yes, though the substitution comes with important nutritional and culinary considerations to get the most out of your plant-based meal.

Quick Summary

This article explores the feasibility of swapping chicken for beans by comparing their nutritional profiles, and highlighting key differences in texture and flavor. It provides specific bean recommendations and preparation techniques, along with a comprehensive table to help you decide when and how to make the switch effectively.

Key Points

Nutritional Differences: Chicken is a complete protein, but beans provide more fiber and fewer saturated fats and calories, offering distinct health benefits.
The Right Bean Matters: Choose specific bean types to match the texture of the dish; for example, chickpeas for shredded chicken and lentils for ground meat.
Flavor is Key: Beans are a versatile canvas. Use strong seasonings, spices, and umami-rich ingredients like tomato paste or soy sauce to enhance flavor.
Budget and Environmental Benefits: Opting for beans over chicken is significantly more affordable and reduces your environmental footprint.
Make a Complete Protein: Combine beans with whole grains like rice to ensure you consume all nine essential amino acids in a plant-based diet.
Versatile Cooking Methods: Adjust the beans' texture by mashing, pureeing, or roasting them to suit various recipes from salads to soups.

Nutritional Comparison: Beans vs. Chicken

At a glance, both beans and chicken are excellent protein sources, but their overall nutritional composition differs significantly. While chicken is a complete protein source, beans offer a suite of benefits that meat lacks, including high fiber content and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Understanding these differences is key to a successful substitution.

Protein Quality and Quantity

Chicken: A 3-ounce serving of cooked chicken breast offers a significant amount of complete protein (around 26 grams), containing all nine essential amino acids.
Beans: While not complete proteins on their own (with a few exceptions like soy), beans are rich in protein. A half-cup serving of most cooked beans provides 7–8 grams of protein. The solution for a plant-based diet is to combine beans with other foods, like whole grains such as rice, to create a complete protein profile over the course of a day.

Fiber Content

Beans are fiber champions, and this is one of their biggest advantages over chicken, which contains no fiber at all. A half-cup of black beans contains approximately 8 grams of fiber, helping to promote satiety, regulate digestion, and improve heart health. This high fiber content can help manage weight and cholesterol.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Fat

Beans: Offer a wide range of micronutrients, including folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They are naturally cholesterol-free and contain minimal fat, particularly saturated fat.
Chicken: Rich in B vitamins, particularly B12 and niacin, as well as selenium. However, it contains more fat, including saturated fat, and cholesterol compared to beans.

Environmental and Budgetary Benefits

Beyond health, swapping chicken for beans has significant perks for the planet and your wallet. Beans are considerably cheaper per serving than chicken, making them an excellent choice for budget-friendly meals. Furthermore, producing plant-based proteins like beans generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less land and water than producing meat, offering an eco-friendly option for sustainable eating.

Choosing the Right Bean for Your Recipe

To successfully substitute beans for chicken, selecting the right type based on the recipe's desired texture and flavor profile is crucial. Here are some of the best choices:

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): The most popular substitute for shredded chicken, especially in dishes like "chicken" salad sandwiches or wraps. Their mild flavor and firm texture, particularly when mashed or roughly chopped, perfectly mimic poultry. Roasting chickpeas also creates a delightful, crunchy texture for salads or snacking.
Black Beans: Excellent for Mexican-style dishes like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, where their earthy flavor and soft texture can replace ground chicken. Spiced black beans can create a hearty, flavorful filling.
Lentils: These are a fantastic stand-in for ground chicken in sauces, sloppy joes, and soups. Their small size and ability to absorb surrounding flavors make them a versatile option. Red lentils, in particular, cook down to a soft, creamy consistency, ideal for stews and curries.
White Beans (Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern): With a creamy texture and mild flavor, white beans work well in soups, stews, and casseroles. They can be pureed to create a creamy base or left whole for texture.

Cooking Techniques for Flavor and Texture

To ensure your bean dishes are as satisfying as their chicken-based counterparts, consider these techniques:

Spice it Right: Since beans have a more neutral flavor, they require robust seasoning to shine. Use spices, herbs, and aromatics like cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, and onion powder to build flavor.
Enhance Umami: Chicken's savory umami flavor is often missing in bean dishes. Combat this by adding ingredients like mushrooms, tomato paste, or a splash of soy sauce or tamari.
Vary the Texture: Manipulate the beans' texture to match the dish. For a "chicken" salad, mash chickpeas with a fork. For stir-fries, roast them until crispy. For a creamy soup, puree white beans until smooth.
Rinse and Drain: For canned beans, always rinse them thoroughly to reduce sodium and remove the starchy liquid, which can affect the final dish's taste and texture.

Chicken vs. Beans: A Quick Comparison


Feature	Chicken	Beans	Notes
Protein	Complete, high quantity	Incomplete, moderate quantity	Pair beans with grains (rice) to get a complete protein profile.
Fiber	None	High content	Crucial for digestion, satiety, and heart health.
Fat	Can be high (incl. saturated fat)	Very low, no cholesterol	Significant health advantage for beans.
Micronutrients	Rich in B vitamins, selenium	Rich in folate, iron, magnesium, potassium	Both offer important nutrients, but different types.
Cost	More expensive	Very affordable	Beans are a budget-friendly protein source.
Environmental Impact	Higher greenhouse gas, land/water use	Lower greenhouse gas, land/water use	Plant-based options are generally more sustainable.
Cooking Time	Can be quick (breasts)	Varies (soaking dried vs. canned)	Canned beans are very fast; dried require more time but are cheaper.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the question isn't whether beans can replace chicken, but rather how you can effectively use them to create delicious, satisfying, and nutritionally sound meals. By leveraging different bean varieties and understanding how to build flavor and texture, beans can be an excellent, versatile, and complete replacement for chicken in a variety of dishes. Whether you're aiming for a healthier diet, a smaller carbon footprint, or a tighter food budget, beans offer a robust and reliable solution.

How to get started with bean substitutions

To get started, try swapping half the ground chicken in your next chili with black beans and red lentils. Another easy switch is making a "chickpea salad" sandwich by mashing chickpeas with vegan mayo, celery, and herbs. These small steps demonstrate the effectiveness of using beans as a versatile meat alternative.

For a comprehensive guide on different cooking methods for legumes, see the Forks Over Knives guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can get sufficient protein from beans. While beans are not a complete protein, combining them with other foods like whole grains (e.g., rice) throughout the day provides all essential amino acids, meeting your body's needs.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the best substitute for shredded chicken. When roughly mashed with a fork, their texture and mild flavor are remarkably similar to shredded poultry, making them ideal for dishes like chicken salad.

Beans generally have a lower calorie density than chicken. This means you can eat a larger quantity of beans for the same number of calories, which, combined with the high fiber content, can help you feel full and support weight management.

For most dried beans, soaking is recommended to reduce cooking time and improve digestibility. However, smaller legumes like lentils cook quickly without soaking. Canned beans are already cooked and ready to use.

Vary your cooking methods. For a fibrous, meat-like texture, you can roast chickpeas until crispy. For a softer, ground meat substitute, use lentils or black beans. Pureeing white beans can create a thick, creamy consistency for soups and sauces.

Yes, beans have a different flavor profile than chicken. It's crucial to add plenty of seasoning, herbs, and umami-rich ingredients like mushrooms or tomato paste to develop a deep, satisfying flavor that complements the beans.

Beans are often considered a healthier option for heart health. They are cholesterol-free, low in fat (especially saturated fat), and rich in fiber, all of which are beneficial for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.