A recipe and how-to for pickled beans that you can make at home and season with garlic, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes (to your taste). There is just the right amount of spice, salt, and sweetness in these pickled green beans for salads, antipasto plates, appetizers, and snacks.
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I had never thought to buy pickled green beans before I started growing my own vegetables, including green beans. I don’t think I had even eaten them before!
I knew I had to find a way to can all the beans I was picking besides eating them fresh, but I only knew how to use a water-bath canner, which meant that I would have to pickle the beans first. (To can beans with water safely, you need a pressure canner. ).
Update: I didn’t like regular frozen beans at the time, but now that I know this easy way to freeze green beans with less of the texture problems that turned me off to them, we happily eat frozen beans. I also learned how to use a pressure canner, but we didn’t like the canned beans as much as the frozen ones that hadn’t been blanched, so now I freeze green beans and make these tasty pickled beans too!
Everyone in my family loved the pickled beans I made, even though the first batch wasn’t the best (they were too sweet and didn’t have enough flavor). So the search was on for a recipe with the perfect balance between spicy and sweet.
In the end, I combined a few recipes (always using the same safe liquid measurements from the Ball Blue Book) to make our favorite pickled beans ever. They tasted like garlic and spices (no dill, I wasn’t going for cucumber pickles), and they were delicious. Table Of Contents.
As a veggie lover, I’m always looking for new ways to jazz up ordinary vegetables. While green beans are healthy, they can be a bit boring on their own. But by adding spices and other flavors, you can transform basic green beans into an exciting side dish or snack. In this article, we’ll look at different options for spicing up green beans to take them from bland to grand.
Why Try Spicy Green Beans?
Green beans pack a nutritious punch on their own. Low in calories and carbs but high in vitamins A, C, and K, fiber, and antioxidants, they support a healthy diet. But spices take green beans to the next level by:
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Adding tons of extra flavor
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Providing their own health benefits
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Satisfying cravings for something bold and zesty
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Complementing other ingredients like garlic citrus, or onions
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Allowing you to explore different cuisines and spice blends
Whether you go mildly spicy or fiery hot, spices make green beans much more exciting. The possibilities are endless!
Best Spices for Green Beans
Many spices pair deliciously with green beans. Here are some top options:
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Crushed red pepper – Provides mild to moderate heat
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Cayenne – Brings on the heat and smoky flavor
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Chili powder – For a combo of heat, smokiness, and depth
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Cumin – Earthy, nutty flavor popular in Mexican cuisine
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Curry powder – Complex blend of spices with turmeric, coriander, and more
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Paprika – From mild and sweet to smoky and hot
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Garlic – Not technically a spice but delicious combined with spices
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Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper adds punch without much heat
Start with small amounts of dried spices until you gauge the heat level and flavor. You can always add more next time. Now let’s look at some delicious spicy green bean recipes to try!
Quick and Easy Spicy Sautéed Green Beans
For a fast and easy weeknight side, try this simple sautéed green beans recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
- Add green beans. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in crushed red pepper. Sauté 2-3 more minutes until beans reach desired tenderness.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
The crushed red pepper infuses the green beans with mild heat while the garlic adds rich flavor. Sautéing keeps the prep easy and quick. Adjust the spice amount to your taste.
Oven-Roasted Spicy Green Beans
For a bolder spice flavor, try roasting green beans coated in spices.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss green beans with olive oil on baking sheet.
- In small bowl, combine spices. Sprinkle spice mix over beans and toss to coat evenly.
- Roast 15 minutes, tossing halfway. Cook until tender with browned spots.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Roasting concentrates the flavors and allows the spices to really permeate the beans. The chili powder, cumin, and cayenne add Southwestern flair.
Spicy Pickled Green Beans
For a spicy twist on pickled green beans, add crushed red pepper and cayenne.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 tbsp pickling salt
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Sterilize pint jars and lids. Pack raw green beans into jars.
- In saucepan, bring vinegar, salt, garlic, and spices to a boil.
- Pour hot brine over beans, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal jars.
- Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
The brine infuses the beans with heat and garlicky flavor. Enjoy them as a spicy snack or relish tray item. Adjust spices as desired.
Indian-Spiced Green Beans
For an Indian-inspired dish, bloom spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric before sautéing beans.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed and halved
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add green beans. Sauté 8-10 minutes until tender.
- Season with salt. Serve hot.
Blooming the spices intensifies their flavor. The cumin, coriander, and turmeric add an aromatic, warming taste. Add other spices like ginger, paprika, or cayenne for extra kick.
Spicy Green Bean Casseroles
You can also add spices to classic green bean casserole. Simply add cayenne and black pepper to the creamy mushroom sauce. Or top with spiced fried onions made with chili powder or cumin. Spice it up to your liking!
Tips for Avoiding Mistakes with Spicy Green Beans
Spicing up green beans is fun, but here are some tips to avoid potential pitfalls:
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Don’t add spices too early when sautéing. Add near the end to preserve flavor.
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Start with less spice and add more next time if needed. You can’t take away spice once added.
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Dried spices bloom best in oil. Try sautéing them briefly in the oil before adding beans.
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For pickling, add whole spices to jars rather than boiling them in the brine which can dull flavors.
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Roast veggies at high heat for best caramelization and spice flavor infusion.
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Adjust recipes based on your spice tolerance. Add less cayenne if you don’t like too much heat.
Satisfy Your Cravings with Spicy Green Beans
In the mood for something spicy? Skip the hot sauce and try one of these flavorful spiced green bean recipes instead. From quick sautés to oven roasting to pickling, there are many options for adding a kick of heat and excitement to everyday green beans. Adjust amounts and spice blends to find your favorite combo. Just remember to start slowly and layer flavors for the best results. Turn up the heat on green beans tonight!
How to Make Canned Pickled Beans
There are exact amounts and steps in the full recipe box below, but here are some extra tips to help you with each step:
1. Start by washing a lot of green beans.
Most of the time, I don’t weigh them; I just start cutting up what I have in the garden and putting it in jars. But for you, I did – of course.
Green beans should weigh between 4 and 5 pounds for every 7-pint (or 12-oz) jar load. It varies some depending on the size of your beans and how many will fit in each jar.
2. Cut the beans and fit to the jars and fill canner with water to start heating.
As shown in this canning tutorial, you should do this one jar at a time. Take out a clean, warm jar that has been waiting in the sink full of hot water, fill it with beans and spices, cover it with brine, put on the lid, and then put it on the raised rack of a canner before moving on to the next jar.
This is done so that there are no broken jars or beans that float when cold jars are put into the canner’s simmering water.
How Do You Use Pickled Green Beans?
Lots of ways! Here are just a few of our favorites:
- Chopped up on top of a green salad.
- On a vegetable plate next to carrots and celery.
- On an antipasto platter/charcuterie with olives, meats, and cheeses.
- As part of a super easy, super tasty appetizer.
- When it’s holiday time, put a small plate of pickled beans next to the olives and cranberry sauce (staples for us).
Some members of my extended family now like pickled beans, even though I don’t think they ever did.
Pickled beans are just as easy to make as pickled asparagus. The only thing that takes the most time is cutting the beans to fit in the jars. In fact, when it comes to the canning part, it takes literally minutes.
- Green beans – about 4-5 pounds as fresh as possible.
- White vinegar is what I use, but apple cider vinegar would also work.
- Cane sugar—many recipes for pickled beans call for twice as much as I do, but I’ve cut it down as much as we like to keep the right amount of sour and sweet. I haven’t tried honey instead, but you could or could use half honey.
- A good pickling spice mix gives my food a lot of different tastes. You can leave it out or just use mustard seeds, which I believe are the most important part of the mix.
- You can also use plain fine sea salt instead of pickling salt. The salt you want to use should not have any additives or anti-caking ingredients.
- Two whole garlic cloves are needed for each jar (TIP: cutting them in half will make them taste better).
- Red pepper flakes—I can’t live without this for the spice we love, but you can cut back on it or leave it out altogether.
Spicy Pickled Green Beans – Everyday Food with Sarah Carey
FAQ
How can I enhance my green bean flavor?