8 Best Canned Foods to Stock Up On This Summer

When temperatures rise, the last thing you want to do is heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven. If you’re armed with a well-stocked pantry and summer’s abundant seasonal produce, though, you might just get away with keeping the oven off until after Labor Day. With some canned black beans, you can whip up an easy bean salad or vegan burger patties in minutes. Got a tin of anchovies on hand? You’re well on your way to a light pasta dish or flavor-packed tapenade. A tropical smoothie? Easy to DIY with a can of coconut milk. 

Simply put, the eight items below pair beautifully with summer tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers and more—and can be the cornerstone for much of your summer cooking, so stock up before you need to keep the AC running full-time. 

1. Tuna 

Seafood and summer go hand-in-hand, and while a can of tuna is no replacement for some grilled shrimp or fresh lobster, it does satisfy that craving in a pinch. Use a can to make not only sandwiches for lunch, but also a quick Nicoise salad with fresh summer green beans. Combine your tuna with some sriracha and mayo, and you’ve got the beginnings of a spicy tuna poke bowl. And if you really want to feel like it’s summer in New England, you can even use canned tuna to make tuna cakes—just like crab cakes, but easier on the wallet.

2. Chickpeas 

Chickpeas are a pantry staple for me all year long, but I feel like I go through more cans in the summer when I find myself reaching for cold dishes more often. They are perfect for adding to cucumbers, feta, tomatoes and olives for a bit more protein in your Greek salad (or any salad, for that matter!). In fact, 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas delivers around 7 grams of satisfying protein. Plus, with a few pantry staples, you can mix up a chickpea salad, which makes for a great no-cook sandwich filling. 

3. Anchovies 

When I want to feel like I’m summering on the Mediterranean coast, I mix up pastas that are heavy on seafood—think fresh pasta with clams or mussels marinara. When I’m looking for that same feeling, but it’s a Tuesday night and I haven’t even thought about grocery shopping, a can of anchovies adds flavor to a quick and simple aglio e olio. Plus, these protein-packed flavor bombs are great on toast, key for a simple Caesar salad and can even be used to make a tapenade or bagna càuda—a perfect no-cook dinner. 

4. Chile Peppers

Eating spicy foods in the summer may seem counterintuitive, but doing so can actually trick your brain into cooling you down by causing you to sweat and making you flush. Stocking up on cans of diced green chiles, chipotle peppers in adobo or hatch chiles will make it easy to add some more heat to your summer dishes. 

5. Coconut Milk

When the weather warms up, I always seek out tropical flavors—especially in my drinks. Keeping a few cans of coconut milk on hand means I can easily add an island vibe to fruit smoothies or whipped lemonade. Other frozen treats, like coconut margaritas, are also simple to whip up at home when you have a few cans around. And you can even use canned coconut milk to make overnight oats, like our Almond Joy–inspired jars.

6. Corn 

Yes, fresh corn is in peak season over the summer, and while I’d never suggest swapping in canned corn for corn on the cob, I do think canned kernels work great in corn salads. (Plus, it’s much easier to break out your can opener than to remove kernels from the cob!) So when you’re looking for a quick corn salad to serve as a weeknight side dish with grilled chicken or pork chops, or combining corn with butter beans, summer squash and tomatoes for an easy succotash, you’ll be glad you have a few cans on hand. 

7. Black Beans 

Black beans make an ideal side or plant-based protein in Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex dishes, which I gravitate toward in the warmer summer months. Stir some up with canned chiles, then use them to top rice and sautéed veggies for an easy burrito bowl. Canned black beans are also key for making some black bean burger patties—perfect for grilling and topping with slices of fresh summer tomatoes. 

8. Olives 

A charcuterie or snack board will save you on summer nights when you’re looking to keep dinner light, not to mention make for an ideal meal on your patio or picnic blanket. Keep cans or jars of Kalamatas or Castelvetranos on hand, and you’ll have a great accompaniment for aged cheeses and cured meats and summer fruits like peaches or plums. Even better, these fancy olives can elevate your next desk-side salad to something that feels like it could be served at an outdoor bistro table.

The Bottom Line

Stocking up on these eight canned staples means you can whip up low-effort, flavorful meals all summer long. These canned goods help spruce up no-cook or stovetop dinners, so you don’t have to turn on your oven in the heat of summer. They also pair perfectly with fresh summer produce, so you can use them in cool salads, tropical smoothies, savory pastas and more.