Easy enough for a weeknight, but flavorful enough for the holidays, these Blistered Green Beans are made with clean ingredients and are ready in under 15 minutes!
This recipe was originally published October 28, 2020. It was updated on September 10, 2021.
Article Summary:
Say "goodbye" to boring green beans! These blistered green beans are ready in a snap and are full of fresh and savory flavor. Season them simply or use one of my seasoning blends to take the beans up a notch. Read on to learn how to make this recipe, make recipe adjustments, and to learn recipe pro-tips.
Table of contents
These blistered green beans are a recipe I've been making for a while now but am just now getting around to sharing.
Being that they are so simple to make, they show up on our family's menu quite often. Since they come together so quickly, I often throw them together in a pinch. And since they're so versatile and healthy, it's not uncommon for me to round out a meal with them.
But, even with how healthy, easy, and simple they are to make, these fried green beans are also impressive enough to serve with a holiday meal.
Whether you dress them up with my additional seasoning options (toasted sliced almonds, anyone? See my notes below for even more ideas) or just present them as-is, they're a tasty and festive, yet lighter alternative green bean dish.
This pan fried green beans recipe is perfect for a smaller holiday gathering or you can double the recipe to suit a larger crowd. They're perfect for times that you need flexibility and options.
So, customize the recipe to fit your family's needs and celebrate the holidays in a way you can feel great about and enjoy.
These sautéed green beans are...
- Crisp
- Fresh
- Tender
- Naturally sweet
As extreme as this may sound, fresh and perfectly cooked green bean taste like nature's candy. And when this treat is ready in 15 minutes, it's one you can enjoy any day of the week!
Ingredients
- Whole green beans -- the fresher and better quality beans you use, the better.
- Olive oil -- a decent quality extra virgin olive oil is perfect here!
- Salt
- Lemon juice -- fresh is best but bottled also works
Substitutions
- Oil - you can also use avocado oil or ghee for this recipe
- Lemon juice - balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar are all delicious on these green beans.
- Beans - trimmed whole green beans are perfect for this dish, but you can also use cut green beans. If using cut beans, only cook them for 7-9 minutes, or until blistered. Similarly, haricot verts (a slimmer french green bean) also work well in this recipe, but you won't need to cook them as long either. 8-9 minutes in the pan should do the trick!
More green bean seasoning combinations:
Replace the lemon juice with any of the following seasoning blends:
- Almond green beans - season the green beans with red wine vinegar and sprinkle ¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds on the beans before serving
- Balsamic Italian green beans - season the beans with salt and ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Toss the beans with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the beans with 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese before serving
- Greek green beans - season the beans with salt and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano. Sprinkle the beans with 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice. Toss the beans with 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese and ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes before serving
How to make these sauteed green beans...
- Heat the non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil to the pan until it's hot enough to sputter when flicked with water.
- Add the green beans to the pan and sauté 9-11 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
- Season the beans with salt and lemon juice and toss.
- Season with extra salt, to taste, and serve hot!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Use a hot pan. You want to wait until your pan is totally preheated to add the oil and beans. We need high heat to shock the green beans as they cook, causing them to blister.
- Use quality green beans. Quality is key in a recipe where the ingredient is the star of the show. Look for green beans that have a great expiration date or come from a local farm, if possible. I like to get my green beans at a farmer's market or Whole Foods, whenever I can.
- Season adequately. Seasoning the green beans is key. So, unless if you are on a low-salt diet, season the beans with the directed amount of salt and then season to taste with additional salt, if needed.
- Don't skimp on the lemon juice (or the vinegar, if using). Acid makes the flavor of the green beans that much brighter. It takes the recipe from "OK" to "wow!" Use as much lemon juice (or vinegar) as directed and add more if you want an even greater flavor pop in the recipe!
- Prepare the beans to cook ahead of time by trimming the green beans up to 1-2 hours before cooking. This is helpful to do when making these beans as side for a large family dinner or holiday meal when the last 30 minutes of cooking are always the most frantic.
Recipe FAQs
Blistering green beans means that you are cooking the beans at a high enough temperature that they start to wrinkle and brown, or "blister." You can blister green beans by sautéing them or broiling them. In this recipe, we will be sautéing them!
Though you don't have to trim your green beans I recommend you do! That way, you don't have to eat around the stems. To save the hassle of trimming your beans, look for pre-trimmed green beans are your grocery store. Most major grocery stores in the United Sates now carry them.
If the wrinkled green beans are cooked, or blistered, to be wrinkled they are not bad if the recipe was made with fresh green beans. If the uncooked beans are wrinkled, discolored, or have a film on them they are likely no longer fresh or good to eat.
Yes, you can make these blistered green beans with frozen beans.
Follow the directions as listed, sauteing the beans for 11-13 minutes (instead of just 9-11), or until the beans are blistered and cooked through.
Serving suggestions:
These green beans are so versatile! They're great served along with the following dishes for a weeknight dinner:
These beans are also perfect to serve with roasted turkey, ham, or a beef roast for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or any other holiday dinner! Add them to the spread as-is or toss them with red wine vinegar and almonds and you have a festive and delicious side dish. 🙂
Storage directions:
These beans last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They do not freeze well.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- 12" Non-Stick Skillet
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden saute paddle
- Lemon juicer
- Cutting board & chef knife (optional)
More healthy side dish recipes:
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Air Fryer Vegetables
- Roasted Cumin Carrots
- Mashed Butternut Squash
- Corn Soufflé
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes (No Butter or Oil!)
- Cranberry and Edamame Brown Rice Salad
- No Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Healthy Sweet Potato Soufflé
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5-stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Blistered Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat up a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil to the pan and heat until the oil sputters when flicked with water.
- Add the green beans to the pan and saute for 9-11 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, or until the green beans are cooked through and blistered throughout.
- Remove the beans from the heat. Season the beans with salt and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
- Season with additional salt to taste. Serve the green beans hot!
Notes
1. Leftover green beans last covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
2. You can also use cut green beans. If using cut beans, only cook them for 7-9 minutes, or until blistered.
3. Haricot verts (a slimmer French green bean) also work well in this recipe, but only cook them for 8-9 minutes, or until blistered.
4. You can make this recipe with frozen green beans, as well. Just follow the directions as listed, sautéing the beans for 11-13 minutes (instead of just 9-11), or until the beans are blistered and cooked through.
5. More green bean seasoning options. Substitute the following seasoning blends for the lemon juice:
- Almond green beans -- season the green beans with red wine vinegar and sprinkle ¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds on the beans before serving
- Balsamic Italian green beans -- season the beans with salt and ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Toss the beans with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the beans with 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese before serving
- Greek green beans -- season the beans with salt and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano. Sprinkle the beans with 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice. Toss the beans with 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese and ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes before serving
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 85Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 134mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 2g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Mackenzie Burgess says
Love this one pan recipe! So simple and perfect for the holiday season!
Mae's Menu says
Thanks, Mackenzie!! So glad you liked it-- it's totally one of those less is more dishes!!