Want a side dish that is surprisingly quick and easy to make but tastes great? This recipe for sautéed frozen green beans is perfect for weeknight dinners or a fancy dinner party.
There is no need to thaw the green beans first. Just put them and your chosen dried seasonings into a skillet, and stir-fry until the beans are bright green and tender-crisp. In just 10 minutes, your tasty and healthy side dish will be ready.
Sautéed frozen green beans are my new favorite simple side dish for dinner. They’re as healthy as they are easy, and kind of a blank canvas. You can keep them plain or add your favorite easy flavors such as garlic, black pepper, or lemon.
What I also love about cooking green beans quickly in a skillet is that they get just the right amount of soft, browned, and golden.
But what I don’t love so much is prepping fresh green beans for cooking. Also, green beans don’t always stay fresh for very long in the fridge. It’s a race against time to use them before they go past their best!.
Frozen green beans are an underrated and versatile ingredient. With just a bag of frozen green beans, you can make easy, delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert! Here are 25 amazing recipes to give you inspiration on what to do with frozen green beans
Savory Dishes
Frozen green beans are great in savory dishes like soups, casseroles, sides, and more. The top flavors that pair well with green beans are bacon garlic, mushrooms shallots, and cheese. Here are some savory recipe ideas
Soups
Green beans add nice texture, color and flavor to soups. Try adding them to chicken noodle soup, vegetable beef soup, or minestrone. The Hearty Vegetable Soup recipe uses both frozen green beans and canned garbanzo beans to make a filling, healthy soup.
Casseroles
Casseroles are a classic way to use up frozen vegetables. Green beans go well in casseroles with chicken, tuna, beef, or even just on their own. The Chicken Amandine recipe combines frozen green beans, chicken, mushrooms, pimientos and a creamy sauce for a delicious baked casserole.
Sides
Frozen green beans make an easy side dish for any meal. Cook them on the stovetop with olive oil, garlic, and seasoning. Or try roasting them in the oven with olive oil and salt. Recipes like Zesty Garlic Green Beans or Bacon and Garlic Green Beans jazz up plain green beans.
Salads
Thaw those frozen green beans and add them to a fresh salad! Their crunchy texture adds nice contrast to leafy greens. Toss them in a vinaigrette, or try something like the Tangy Bacon Green Beans – a Pennsylvania Dutch-style bean salad with bacon and a sweet-tangy dressing.
Skillet Meals
Thanks to frozen vegetables, you can pull together a skillet meal in minutes. Sauté chicken in a pan, then add frozen green beans and seasonings and cook until heated through. Check out the Chicken Rice Skillet recipe for inspiration.
Breakfast
Believe it or not, green beans also work great in breakfast dishes! Their mild flavor pairs well with eggs, cheese, potatoes and other breakfast ingredients.
Omelets
Chopped frozen green beans can be sautéed along with other veggies like onions, mushrooms or peppers, then folded into an omelet. Cheese like cheddar, feta or goat cheese adds a nice flavor contrast.
Breakfast Casseroles
Make a breakfast casserole by combining frozen green beans, diced potatoes, cheese, eggs, sausage or bacon, then baking until set. You can assemble it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.
Breakfast Burritos
Thaw some frozen green beans and add them to your next breakfast burrito! Along with scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa, they add nutrition and texture.
Lunches
Frozen green beans are handy to keep on hand for quick lunches. Here are some recipes that transform them into fast, filling midday meals:
Green Bean Salad
Thaw green beans, dice, and combine with cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, and your favorite dressing for an easy, healthy salad.
Soup and Sandwich
A bowl of hot soup with a sandwich makes a comforting lunch. Use frozen green beans in the Garden Vegetable Beef Soup or Hearty Vegetable Soup. Pair it with crusty bread or sandwiches.
Green Bean Pasta Salad
Mix thawed green beans with pasta shells or rotini, cherry tomatoes, pesto or vinaigrette dressing, and parmesan cheese. Chill before serving for a flavorful pasta salad.
Snacks and Appetizers
Even snacks and appetizers can benefit from the addition of frozen green beans. They make the perfect veggie for dipping and pairing with fun flavors.
Green Bean Fries
For a twist on french fries, thaw green beans and coat them in breadcrumbs, then bake until crispy. Serve with ketchup or ranch dressing for dipping.
Bean Nachos
Pile tortilla chips with thawed green beans, cheese sauce, salsa, and jalapenos for a fun, Mexican-inspired nacho platter.
Green Bean Hummus
Add some thawed and chopped frozen green beans to your favorite hummus recipe. The green beans add texture and make it more nutritious. Serve with pita chips or fresh veggies.
Desserts
It may seem odd, but green beans can actually work in sweet desserts, too. Their natural grassy, vegetal flavor pairs surprisingly well with chocolate and mint.
Chocolate-Dipped Green Beans
Melt chocolate chips and dip thawed green bean “fries” for a sweet, unexpected treat. Drizzle with more melted chocolate or sprinkles.
Green Bean Brownies
Purée thawed green beans and stir into brownie batter. The beans add moisture while remaining undetectable.
Green Bean Ice Cream
Make a minty green bean ice cream by blending frozen green beans with mint, honey and cream. The beans create a nice, smooth texture.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless when cooking with frozen green beans! They are budget-friendly, nutrient-dense and available year-round. With this wide variety of recipes, you’ll never again have to wonder what to do with a bag of frozen green beans.
Why you’ll love them
✔ Always fresh. Green beans not in season? No worries – just grab the bag of frozen beans. And no worrying about beans going brown in the fridge.
✔ A perfect last-minute side dish option. Ready in just 10 minutes.
✔ No pesky prep necessary. I keep things super simple by using only dried seasoning.
✔ Nutritious. News flash: Frozen green beans are just as healthy as fresh green beans.
✔ Easy to customize. Do you have a picky eater in the family? Add some butter to the beans before you serve them, and everyone will eat them up!
Fun fact. The word “sauté” comes from the verb “sauter,” which means “to jump.” When you sauté something, you cook it quickly in a small amount of fat, usually until it turns a little brown. Now I know you’re imagining your green beans jumping around in the pan as they cook .
This super easy green bean recipe is such a great option for a last minute side dish. You only need frozen green beans and maybe some seasonings. Dried green beans are best because you don’t have to wash, peel, or chop them!
Here’s what you need to know.
Oil (for cooking): I usually go for olive oil to cook my beans in. Feel free to substitute with any oil of your choice. You can even use butter if you like the idea of buttery sautéed green beans instead!.
Green beans: There are a lot of different kinds of frozen green beans at the store. You can get them whole, cut, sliced, baby, or thin. Sometimes they are even called snap beans, string beans, or haricots verts (the French name!).
Any of these will work, but my personal favorite is whole or baby beans. They look classier and also seem to crisp up slightly better in the pan than the cut varieties.
Most of the time, I don’t wash, peel, or chop anything when I make this recipe for frozen green beans. I simply add pinches and sprinkles of various DRIED flavors from my pantry.
Here are some ideas.
- ½ teaspoon salt + ¼ teaspoon pepper (black or white)
- ½ teaspoon of either/both garlic powder and/or onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
- ½ teaspoon of mixed herbs, like Italian seasoning or herbes de provence
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- a pinch of chilli flakes
That doesn’t mean that you CAN’T use fresh flavorings if you prefer, such as fresh garlic or herbs. I most often use dried flavors for quickness, but scroll down to ‘Variations’ below for more ideas!.
Top tip: The amounts are to taste. I’ll be honest: I don’t use a measuring spoon! Instead, I just shake in a bit of this and that based on how many frozen green beans I’m cooking.
How to sautée frozen green beans
Step 1: Grab your beans out of the freezer and your chosen seasonings out of the pantry. This will take you a minute or two, tops!.
A large amount (about a tablespoon) of oil should be added to a large skillet, frying pan, or cast iron pan. Set it on medium-high heat and wait for the end of a frozen bean to sizzle a little when you dip it in.
Step 2: Add the beans to the skillet. Toss briefly to get them evenly coated with the cooking oil.
Step 3: Sprinkle over your chosen seasonings. Stir the green beans around a few times more as you cook them for another six to eight minutes.
For slightly softer, chewier-in-the-center beans, simply cook for a minute or two longer!
Step 4: Remove from heat and, if desired, add a new topping. Serve and enjoy!
- I think you should use the biggest frying or sauté pan you have. Even if some beans touch each other, you want most of them to touch the hot pan so they brown instead of steam.
- If you’re cooking for more than four people, a big Dutch oven or wok is best. Alternatively, you can cook in two batches (or pans!).
- Green beans don’t need to be stirred all the time while they’re in the pan. Just toss them around a few times. In the end, the beans are cooked just right—soft in the middle and lightly browned on the outside, but not burned.
If you like, here are some ideas for “fresh upgrades” that will make the sautéed string beans taste even better. Why not try a different variation each time?.
- Add sliced or minced fresh garlic instead of ground garlic.
- If you want really buttery sautéed green beans, melt a little butter over the top before serving.
- Adding lemon zest or juice to green beans will make them taste like they have lemon in them (like in my pictures!). You could even go the extra mile and add some of this easy-to-make but tasty lemon
- To serve, sprinkle fresh herbs on top, like basil leaves, oregano, parsley, dill, or thyme.
- Along with your green beans, fry some bacon or chorizo. After briefly cooking the bacon, I’d add the beans to the pan along with the bacon grease (yum!).
- Add some grated Parmesan cheese to the beans near the end of the cooking time. Or sprinkle some over at the end. Cracked feta cheese, blue cheese, or goat cheese are some other cheeses that will also work.
- Add some pine nuts or crushed nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, or slivered almonds to the beans to toast them with the beans.
- Add some honey and/or balsamic vinegar to the beans before you serve them.
- Put some panko breadcrumbs or even croutons that have been lightly toasted on top.
- If you want, add a thinly sliced chili and some fresh coriander and lime juice on top.
- If you want to serve these beans with an Asian dish like this amazing Thai chicken butternut squash curry, toast some coconut with them.
How To Cook: Frozen Green Beans – Easy, Tasty Recipe
FAQ
Should I thaw frozen green beans before cooking?
Are frozen green beans precooked?
Are green beans good after being frozen?
What to do with frozen green beans?
It’s also a great recipe for when you have a partially used bag of frozen green beans you need to use up. A classic dish of tender green beans coated in a rich, buttery, lemon juice sauce and topped with crunchy toasted almonds. It’s both flavorful and healthy a win-win that’s done all in one large skillet, in under 15 minutes!
Can you freeze refried beans?
Freezing refried beans is a simple and practical solution for dealing with leftovers. You can reheat them on the stove or in the microwave.
How do you cook frozen green beans?
Transform your everyday ingredients into a delicacy that will tickle your taste buds. In a large skillet, steam the frozen green beans with 1/4 cup of water until they become slightly tender and thawed, about 4-5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the green beans for 3 to 5 minutes.
Can you freeze green beans?
Convenience – As you’ll see in many of the recipes below, if you grab a bag of frozen green beans anytime you’re at the grocery store, and keep one always tucked in your freezer, you can quickly cobble together a side dish with other pantry staples in just a few minutes. Any time, any night.