KIDNEY Beans and RED Beans: What's the Difference?

Red beans, aka adzuki beans — Red beans, picture by Lukasz Rawa via Unsplash

Kidney beans and red beans—same thing or totally not? They look similar, but each brings its own vibe in terms of taste and texture. Let’s break it down so you know exactly when (and how) to use each!

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In This Post:

Red Kidney Beans and Red Beans
Can You Swap One for the Other?
Other Kidney Bean Colors
The Big Book of Beans
Bean-ilicious Recipes

Let’s talk beans. Kidney beans. Red kidney beans. And just… red beans? Some recipes call for one, some for the other.

But are they the same? Can you swap them?

Short answer: Nope, not the same.

Red beans and red kidney beans are two different varieties. But sometimes—sometimes—you can swap them, as long as you know how to tweak the other flavors to keep things balanced.

And yes, we’ll take a closer look at just kidney beans (beyond the "red"), too.

Let’s break it all down. (Also, please appreciate my self-control in not saying ‘let’s spill the beans.’ Thank you, thank you.)

Red Kidney Beans and Red Beans

Red Kidney Beans

Meet the big, bold, and "beefy" star of the bean world: red kidney beans. They’re meaty, come with that deep red, glossy coat, and belong to the kidney bean family. They are perfect for hearty dishes having an earthy flavor and being firmer than most beans when cooked.

Like every bean relative from the kidney bean family, red kidney beans will look quite like miniature kidneys when cooked (hence the name).

🔸 MAINLY USED IN:
Chilis, Indian curries, and Latin American dishes. They’re made for soaking up spices and bringing a little extra oomph and richness to your dish.

🔸 WHERE TO BUY:
Red kidney beans are easily available at the supermarket or online, both cooked/canned or dried.

🔸 COOKING TIP (Don't Skip This!):
If you’re using dried kidney beans, soak them for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better). Then drain, rinse, and boil them for 10 minutes before letting them simmer for 45–90 minutes. Raw kidney beans have a natural toxin that can mess with your stomach, so boiling is necessary to destroy that toxin.

Red Beans

They're small (a lot smaller than kidney beans), smooth, and have a sweet, mild flavor that makes them super versatile.

Red beans are commonly known as adzuki beans. Unlike red kidney beans, they don't belong to the kidney bean family.

🔸 MAINLY USED IN:
Asian and Caribbean dishes. That dreamy red bean paste in desserts (like mochi or moon cakes)? Yep, that’s them. Red bean rice? A classic.

🔸 WHERE TO BUY:
Not as easy to grab as kidney beans—most grocery stores don't carry red beans, at least in Germany. But check your local Asian supermarket or specialty deli, and you’ll probably score a bag of dried red beans (online, too).

🔸 COOKING TIP (Easy Peasy!):
Unlike kidney beans, no soaking required (woohoo!). Just boil and simmer them for 45-ish minutes.

Can You Swap One for the Other?

While red beans and red kidney beans may look similar, they have distinct differences in taste (red beans are slightly sweeter) and texture (red beans cook up softer and creamier).

So, can you swap red beans for red kidney beans?

If a recipe specifically calls for one or the other, it’s best to stick to what’s listed. BUT, if you're in a pinch? Yes, you can swap them, with a few tweaks.

🔸 SAVORY SWAPS:
Red kidney beans are a little bolder and earthier, while red beans have a mild, slightly sweet flavor. If you're using kidney beans instead of red beans, try balancing things out—like in my corn and kidney bean salad. Since red beans bring a little natural sweetness, tweak the acidity: instead of 3 tablespoons of balsamic and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, use 2 tablespoons of each.

Red kidney beans and red beans can be swapped in a bean salad — Corn and kidney bean salad

🔸 SWEET SWAPS:
In desserts, you might need to adjust the sweetener a bit. Since red kidney beans aren’t as naturally sweet as red beans, a little extra sweetener might do the trick.

Other Kidney Bean Colors

Okay, we know now that "kidney beans" is the name of a whole bean family.

So if there are "red" kidney beans, there have to be other colors, right? In fact, if you love Italian food you've probably already met at least one of them.

White kidney beans, aka cannellini beans! Those creamy white cuties are a staple in Italian cuisine. Think creamy soups, luscious spreads, hearty stews...oh, the possibilities!

Then there are the dark red, light red, and even some speckled kidney bean varieties to keep things interesting.

Variety of kidney beans — White, red, and speckled kidney beans; picture by Tijana Drndarski via Unsplash

Quick heads-up: If a recipe just says "kidney beans" without specifying a color, chances are it's talking about red kidney beans. They're the go-to, the ones you'll find in chili and bean salads and that people think of when referring to "kidney beans". So unless the recipe tells you otherwise, red kidney beans are your safest bet!

The Big Book of Beans

There’s an entire cookbook dedicated just to beans. And the only thing more fascinating than the book itself is its creator.

Steve Sando is wild about beans—like, in the best, most passionate way possible. He’s all about heirloom and heritage beans, and if you want to understand just how deep his bean obsession goes, do yourself a favor and check out his interview: From Underdog to Topdog: Steve Sando and His Beans.

His New York Times bestselling cookbook The Bean Book is a total dream for bean lovers and kitchen nerds. Basically, the bean bible!

One heads-up, though—it’s not strictly vegetarian or vegan. There are a few vegan recipes, but they’re not labeled, so you’ll have to do a little digging. That said, the bean knowledge in here is next-level great. And I think with all the vegan meat swaps available today, you can easily tweak most of the non-veg recipes.