These roasted green beans are ready in 15 minutes and offer a nutritious accompaniment to any meal. As they roast, their exteriors transform, taking on a lightly browned and blistered texture that enhances their natural flavors.
For more simple yet elegant side dishes, try my roasted carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted brussels sprouts.
Recipe Science
- Roasting green beans at high temperatures causes the natural sugars to caramelize and the moisture to evaporate, resulting in a concentrated flavor and a crisp texture.
- The high heat of the oven promotes the Maillard reaction on the surface of the green beans, enhancing their savory, roasted flavor.
- Tossing green beans in oil before roasting helps conduct heat evenly, preventing them from drying out and encouraging a golden, crispy exterior.
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Why It Works
Whether a grand holiday feast or a hectic weeknight dinner, this oven-roasted green beans recipe stands out for its simplicity and speed. While a classic green bean casserole remains a beloved Thanksgiving staple, embracing the straightforward elegance of oven-roasting offers an easy alternative that infuses rich flavors using minimal ingredients.
We often overlook the potential of roasting green beans, defaulting instead to blanched green beans or sautéed green beans. However, this recipe requires nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of black pepper. The oven’s intense heat and the pan’s hot embrace work together to perfectly blister and brown the beans’ exterior, adding flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beans: Use fresh green beans or thinner haricot verts (French-style green beans) for the best texture. Avoid canned and frozen beans that are already cooked and moist, as they stay soggy in the oven.
- Olive Oil: This type of cooking oil adds a pleasant fruity flavor. The higher smoke point works well with the brief cooking time.
- Seasoning: I only use salt and pepper, but it’s optional to layer on more fresh spices or dried herbs.
- Citrus: Add lemon wedges to the sides of the baking sheet. The tart flavor mellows when roasted, adding an interesting squeeze of lemon juice.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
- Oil: Use avocado oil, coconut oil, safflower, or clarified butter. Meanwhile, butter should be melted and tossed with the beans before serving so they don’t burn.
- Herbs: Add dried Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence to the olive oil coating. Roast with fresh sprigs of thyme or rosemary for aromatics. Wait to add freshly chopped herbs like chervil, dill, tarragon, chives, or basil until right before serving.
- Alliums: For allium flavor, add garlic powder or slices of fresh garlic. Avoid adding minced garlic because the tiny pieces tend to burn and taste bitter.
- Peppers: If you want to spice things up, sprinkle the beans with red pepper flakes, chili powder, or cayenne.
How to Make Roasted Green Beans
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set the temperature to 450ºF (232ºC). This temperature will quickly tenderize and blister the beans in less than 20 minutes.
Step 2: Clean the Green Beans
Wash the beans with cool running water to remove any surface debris.
Dry them well between paper towels or a kitchen towel. Removing the moisture on the surface ensures that they roast instead of steam.
Step 3: Cut off the Stems
Trim off the string ends, which are a bit tough and chewy. The pieces should be about 4 to 5 inches long. You can cut them in half if needed.
Step 4: Season the Surface
I keep the seasonings simple with salt, pepper, and olive oil, as the browning that forms on the surface adds a lot of flavor.
Step 5: Roast the Green Beans
Roast at 450ºF (232ºC) for 15 minutes in the oven, tossing after about 10 minutes to ensure even browning.
The beans should be lightly browned with a tender texture.
Pro Tip: I use a large-rimmed baking sheet to make this a one-pan side dish. Spread the seasoned and trimmed green beans in a single layer. Unlike cramming the beans into an air fryer, this pan has a large surface area for better color development. Add lemon wedges to each corner of the baking sheet for a hint of citrus aroma and taste.
Step 5: Garnish and Serve
Transfer to a serving platter, add a few black pepper cracks, and serve with the roasted lemons on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, blanching is not required before roasting. That would overcook the green beans, making them too soft. Roasting in a hot oven is sufficient for thorough cooking.
In a 450ºF (232ºC) oven, it takes about 15 minutes to roast green beans. Look for golden brown and lightly blistered skin. The beans should be tender. Cook them a few minutes less if you want a more crisp-tender texture. Thinner haricot verts will cook in less time compared to thicker string beans.
Besides salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs like chopped thyme and rosemary are good additions. Don’t add minced garlic, as it could burn at high temperatures. Grate parmesan cheese or sprinkle on chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts for crunch. Salty crisp bacon is also a nice topping.
The beans won’t brown as evenly if you try to overcrowd the pan. One pound of beans fits perfectly in a sizeable 11×17-inch pan. To double the recipe, it’s better to roast two separate trays, one at a time. With enough heat, the starches will convert to sugar, tenderizing tougher pods and making them tender and flavorful.
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If you tried this Roasted Green Beans recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, or haricot verts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 lemon wedges, optional
Instructions
- Preheat Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 450ºF (232ºC).
- Rinse the Green Beans – Wash green beans thoroughly in a colander under cool water and drain. Dry them well between paper towels or a kitchen towel.
- Remove the Stems – Use a sharp knife to trim off the string ends. If the beans are very long, cut them in half, they should be about 4 to 5 inches.
- Add Seasonings – Line a large-rimmed sheet pan with foil. Add the green beans, and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat. Spread into a single layer. Place one lemon wedge on each pan corner, not touching the beans.
- Roast – Roast for 10 minutes. Use tongs to redistribute the beans on the pan for even browning. Continue roasting until tender with golden brown spots, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- To Serve – Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with roasted lemon wedges.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 4 cups
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and cook in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot. On the stovetop, cook over medium heat until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Maria T. says
Made these last night to go with pan fried salmon and rice. They were really good. Sweeter in flavor, a bit softer to chew and more interesting in flavor and appearance (they had a nice shine and some browning) than blanched or steamed green beans. Aside from taking a bit of time to roast in the oven there wasn’t much to do. Prep was easy. The green beans did their thing and I was free to work on the rest of my dinner. I will definitely make these again.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback, Maria! It’s so neat how green beans can transform in taste and texture with various cooking methods. Love your food pairing!