White chicken chili
November 11, 2025
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Ranch Style Beans are the Texas brand of seasoned pinto beans in a slightly spicy tomato-and-chile sauce, the canonical chuckwagon-cooking pantry item. The pre-seasoned can saves the spice-blending step in chili, taco soup, and Tex-Mex stews. Reader favorites built on it include Chicken Taco Soup and White Chicken Chili where a can of Ranch Style Beans goes in directly with the canned tomatoes and seasoning, contributing both the beans and a layer of spiced sauce that builds the broth.
Ranch Style Beans is a specific brand (currently owned by Conagra) that started in Texas in 1935 as a chuckwagon-style canned bean. The recipe is pinto beans in a tomato-based sauce flavored with chile, cumin, garlic, and other spices. The product has a regional Texas-and-Southwest loyalty similar to how Northeasterners feel about Boston Baked Beans.
For chili-style soups, Ranch Style Beans go in as both a bean and a seasoning component. Using one can of Ranch Style + one can of regular pinto or black beans gives both the bean variety and the seasoned-sauce depth. The pre-seasoned sauce means you may need less salt (used in Homemade Hamburger Helper and Egg Free Cottage Cheese Muffins) and chili powder (seen in The Best Ground Beef Chili and The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup) in the recipe.
For substitution, the closest replacement is regular canned pinto beans + 1 tablespoon tomato paste (such as in The Best Homemade Sloppy Joe and The Best Sheperds Pie) + 1 teaspoon chili powder + 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (as in Chicken Marinade and Easy and Smooth Hummus) + 1 minced garlic (used in Ground Beef and Tater Tot Casserole and The Best Slow Cooker Goulash) clove. The flavor is similar but not identical. Brands like S&W and Bush’s make Tex-Mex pinto bean products in similar seasoned styles.
For Texas-style chili (the no-beans version is a regional debate), Ranch Style Beans add complexity even when added at the end. The pre-seasoned bean sauce blends into the chili gravy and emphasizes the cumin-chile flavor profile. Texas purists object to the addition but most home cooks use them anyway.
For 7-can-soup, Ranch Style Beans is one of the standard 7 cans alongside corn, black beans, kidney beans, hominy, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth (seen in Halal Chicken and Rice and Easy Chicken and rice casserole). Add seasoned cooked ground beef or shredded chicken to make a complete meal that comes together in 20 minutes.
For storage, unopened cans keep 2-5 years at room temperature. Once opened, transfer to a glass container; keeps 5-7 days refrigerated. Once incorporated into a soup or chili, the leftover dish keeps 4-5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen in airtight containers.
Ranch style beans are typically made with pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, onion, and various spices for a rich and savory flavor.
Some ranch style beans are vegan, but others may include animal products like bacon or broth, so it’s important to check the ingredients.
You can use ranch style beans in chili, tacos, casseroles, soups, and as a flavorful side dish.
Cook pinto beans with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and spices like chili powder and cumin until tender and flavorful for a homemade version.
For more Texan-and-Tex-Mex pantry options, see our pinto bean and black bean recipes.