Don’t have any canned green beans? This recipe is a quick and easy way to use them up. A few ingredients make a veggie the family will love!.
I always like to have a stock of canned goods in my pantry. Most of the time, I have canned vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and broccoli in my freezer or fresh vegetables from my garden. But sometimes I need to quickly make some vegetables if I want to have dinner ready on time. This is where this easy canned green bean recipe comes in!.
Put green beans from a can into a pot, heat them up, and serve. I beg you. Your kids probably wont eat them. And then youll be mad and never want to make dinner again. And thats just way too sad! Instead, make this canned green bean recipe.
Green beans are a versatile and healthy vegetable that can be prepared in many delicious ways. However plain steamed or boiled green beans can be bland and boring. The good news is there are lots of simple ingredients and cooking techniques you can use to add flavor to green beans and make them taste amazing.
In this article, we will share 13 creative ways to add flavor to green beans so you can take this side dish from bland to grand. From herbs and spices to different cooking methods, there are so many options to kick up the flavor of green beans. Keep reading for tasty recipes and ideas to give this veggie a flavor boost!
1. Add Bacon
One of the most popular ways to add flavor to green beans is by cooking them with bacon. The smoky, salty flavor of crispy bacon complements the fresh taste of green beans perfectly To make bacon green beans, cook chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp Remove the bacon but leave the rendered fat in the pan. Then sauté the green beans in the bacon grease, adding the cooked bacon back at the end. The leftover bacon fat infuses the beans with mouthwatering flavor.
2. Toss with Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs add a pop of flavor and fragrance to green beans. Some great options include basil, thyme, rosemary, dill, chives, parsley or a combination. Coarsely chop the herbs and toss them with the cooked green beans along with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice. The fresh herbs brighten up the flavor of the green beans.
3. Sprinkle with Spices
Spices and spice blends are an easy way to season green beans with bold flavor. Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, curry powder, Italian seasoning, jerk seasoning or Old Bay seasoning all taste fantastic on green beans. Just sprinkle the spices over the cooked beans and toss to coat evenly. Feel free to experiment with your favorite spice combinations.
4. Sauté with Garlic
Garlic and green beans are a perfect pair. Sautéing green beans in olive oil and minced garlic transforms this veggie from plain to brilliant. The garlic adds a robust, aromatic flavor that enhances the natural sweetness of the green beans. For extra flavor, sauté some diced onions along with the garlic before adding the green beans.
5. Add Soy Sauce
For an Asian twist, try cooking green beans with soy sauce. Stir fry the green beans in a little sesame oil then splash the beans with reduced sodium soy sauce. You can also simmer green beans in chicken or vegetable broth flavored with soy sauce and sesame oil. The salty umami taste of the soy sauce boosts the flavor of the green beans.
6. Toss with Lemon Juice and Zest
Fresh lemon juice and zest brighten up steamed green beans with a tangy citrus flavor. The acidity of the lemon cuts through the grassy taste of the beans. For the best flavor, toss the hot green beans with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest immediately after cooking. The lemon adds a nice spark to plain green beans.
7. Roast with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
For deeper flavor, try roasting green beans in the oven. Toss the beans with olive oil, spread them on a sheet pan, and roast at 400°F until browned and tender. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt just before serving. The high oven heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the green beans, bringing out their sweetness.
8. Sauté with Onions and Mushrooms
Cooking green beans with onions and mushrooms adds savory, earthy flavor. First, sauté sliced onions and mushrooms in olive oil or butter until softened. Then add the green beans and sauté everything together until the beans are crisp-tender. The umami taste of the mushrooms and sweetness of the onions balance beautifully with the green beans.
9. Toss with Balsamic Vinegar
For an Italian-inspired side, dress up cooked green beans with a splash of balsamic vinegar. The syrupy sweet and tangy balsamic perfectly complements the fresh, vibrant taste of just-cooked green beans. Simply drizzle the hot green beans with good quality balsamic vinegar and toss gently to coat. Top with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.
10. Sprinkle with Brown Sugar
Here’s a surprising ingredient that adds wonderful flavor to green beans – brown sugar! Sprinkle a little brown sugar over hot cooked green beans and toss to mix. The brown sugar caramelizes and gives the beans a lovely hint of sweetness and richness that offsets their earthy taste. It’s a simple way to take green beans from boring to scrumptious.
11. Simmer in Chicken or Vegetable Broth
For extra flavor, simmer green beans in seasoned broth instead of water. Chicken or vegetable broth adds a savory depth of taste to the beans. Try chicken or veggie broth enhanced with garlic, onion, herbs or a splash of lemon juice or wine. Simmer the beans until the liquid reduces to a glaze to concentrate the flavors.
12. Sauté with Crispy Pancetta
Pancetta is Italian cured meat similar to bacon. Sautéing green beans with diced pancetta adds a delightful smoky, salty, meaty flavor. Cook the pancetta in olive oil until crispy, then add the green beans and sauté until tender. The rendered pancetta fat gives the beans incredible richness. Pancetta jazzes up green beans fabulously!
13. Toss with Compound Butter
Compound butters flavored with herbs, citrus or other ingredients mix wonderfully with green beans. Try compound butters made with ingredients like parsley, basil, lemon zest, roasted garlic, blue cheese, sundried tomatoes or chipotle peppers. Just melt the compound butter and toss with hot cooked green beans for instant extra flavor. Get creative with your own compound butter blends.
So there you have it – 13 easy ways to make green beans taste amazing. From cooking techniques like roasting and sautéing to flavorful ingredients like spices, herbs and more, there are so many possibilities. Next time you cook green beans, try one of these ideas to take the flavor to the next level. Your taste buds will thank you! Enjoy experimenting with fabulous flavor combinations for this healthy and versatile veggie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Seriously, its so easy. But so dang good.
- Butter, onion powder, salt, and pepper are the only things you need. Simple but magical!.
- Make this dish to use up garden-fresh beans that you’ve canned at home or when they’re on sale at the store.
- Canned green beans, any cut
- Butter
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Pepper
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Easy & Flavorful Canned Green Beans
- Green beans should have half of their liquid drained off. Add the beans to a skillet along with the half of the canning liquid that was saved.
- Add butter, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and simmer, stirring every now and then, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Yes, but only drain half of the liquid from the can of beans. The rest of the liquid is needed for the cooking process.
Yes! You can scale this recipe up as needed. We usually make 2 or 3 cans at a time and just adjust the seasonings accordingly.
The green beans will need to be cooked until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Since you’re using canned green beans, they are already soft. All that’s left to do is warm them up and cook them for long enough for the seasonings to soak in.
- To make this recipe work, you need to let the liquid simmer out all the way. This helps the butter and seasonings stick to the green beans, making every bite tasty. If you don’t drain the beans, the good stuff you add will be lost when you serve them.
- A great addition to this recipe is some bacon. Because everything is better with bacon. Especially veggies. Is that an oxymoron? Never mind, dont answer that. I don’t want to be right if bacon and vegetables are wrong.
- You can make more of this recipe if you need to. We usually make two or three cans at a time and just change the seasonings to fit.
How To Jazz Up Canned Green Beans and Make Them Taste Better | The Simple Way
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