We’re Calling It: Crispy Beans Are the Latest #FoodTok Trend You’ll Want to Try

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through food TikTok, you’re likely familiar with the ASMR-style cooking videos that are so aggressively CRUNCHY it’s jarring. You know the ones: Some dude slaps a breaded chicken cutlet onto a toasted ciabatta loaf and chops it in half with the enthusiasm of an axe murderer. All that to say, the crispety-crunchety texture has a hold on #foodtok. It makes sense, then, that crispy beans are the latest trend we’re seeing gain traction.

Crispy beans are basically what they sound like: Beans that have been cooked so they lose their inherent creaminess and instead gain a crispy texture. Think roasted chickpeas…or croutons made of legumes. The origins of such beans are unclear, which makes us think they existed long before TikTok gave them a chance.

You can find crispy beans on the platform in many forms, but the most viewed recipe comes from Justine Doiron, aka @justine_snacks, who lightly breads canned butter beans in all-purpose flour and seasoning before coating them in olive oil and roasting them on a sheet pan until golden and crisp. Another popular rendition pairs canned white beans (also dredged in flour and roasted in the oven) with none other than whipped feta.

Unlike the OTT, violently crunchy ASMR sandwiches that flash by our feed, we like the concept of crispy beans. For starters, you can used canned beans, so they’re a fast way to add not just texture, but protein, to your meal. They’re vegetarian friendly and a blank canvas, so you can pair them with everything from braised greens to chicken to hummus. Oh, and they’re ridiculously simple to make. Here’s how to do it.

Ingredients

2 cans white beans (such as cannellini or butter beans), drained and rinsed

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional: 1 teaspoon seasoning of your choice (for example, a blend of garlic or onion powder, cayenne and cumin)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Add the drained, rinsed beans to a medium bowl. Add the flour, a pinch of salt and pepper and seasoning, if using. Toss to coat the beans. Drizzle in a few tablespoons of olive oil, then toss to combine. (The more oil you use, the crispier the beans will be.)

3. Spread the beans onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, making sure they have plenty of space to roast (otherwise, they’ll steam). Transfer to the oven and bake, tossing halfway through, until the beans are golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.

If a plate full of beans doesn’t sound like a meal, don’t worry. You can combine the crispy legumes—on the same sheet tray, no less—with a few vegetables to make a nutritious side dish à la Inspiralized’s roasted garlic potatoes and broccoli with crispy white beans. Or, do as Jodi Moreno does in her recipe for crispy baked beans with fish and olive relish, and pair the beans with a few fillets of white fish and a ton of fresh lemon juice. And when in doubt…you can always put an egg on it.

_{Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.}