Tender but still crisp, these lemon garlic roasted green beans are popping with garlic flavor in every bite! They are made with just a few staples and finished off with a squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest for a simple but well-rounded flavor.
As much as I love classics like green bean casserole and green beans almondine, there's something so delicious about simple roasted green beans.
Add in a little garlic and lemon zest and dinner just got even better! This recipe is adapted from the green beans in my stewed red bean bowls. I liked the green beans in that recipe so much that I decided they needed their own recipe.
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Recipe features
- Flavor: Sliced cloves of fresh garlic add a punch of garlicky flavor that's rounded out by a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Quick: Green beans roast in just about 15 minutes, so this recipe is ready in just about 20 minutes total!
- Texture: Roasted green beans are tender but still hold their texture and have a bit of a bite to them.
- Minimal ingredients: All you need is green beans, garlic, olive oil, a lemon, salt & pepper to make this recipe.
- Versatile: Serve as a side with dinner or with holiday meals like Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- Green beans: For convenience's sake, I usually buy 12 ounce packages of pre-trimmed green beans. Any fresh green beans work well with this recipe.
- Garlic: Choose fresh garlic cloves, not minced garlic from a jar. Trust me, it's worth it.
- Lemon juice and zest: Just a touch of acidity from fresh lemon juice really takes these roasted green beans to the next level.
- Olive oil: This is my go-to oil, so it's what I usually use for roasting vegetables. Any neutral oil like avocado oil or canola oil works here.
How to make
Making roasted green beans is super simple. I like to prepare everything directly on the sheet pan to minimize clean-up, but you can also use a large bowl.
If using whole green beans, make sure to snap off the bottom half inch of the green beans. Although I grew up snapping green beans with my hands, it's actually easier (and quicker) to use a knife.
Add the green beans and roughly chopped garlic to a baking sheet. Feel free to line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean-up.
Drizzle with olive oil. Use clean hands to toss the green beans in the oil until they are thoroughly coated.
Place in the oven on the middle shelf. Roast for 12-15 minutes, or until the green beans are golden and starting to shrivel. The garlic should also be golden.
Cooking tips and variations
- Garlic: Because garlic burns easily, I recommend roughly chopping it into thick pieces instead of mincing it. This allows the garlic to be distributed across the green beans without the risk of it burning in the oven.
- Frozen green beans: I have not tested this recipe with frozen green beans, but it should work. Frozen vegetables are usually par-cooked, meaning they require less time to roast. Start with 10 minutes and adjust cook time as needed.
- Serving size: 12 ounces of green beans serve 3-4 people. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on your needs.
Storage tips
- Leftovers: Best within 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated in a closed container.
- Reheating: For the best texture, I recommend sauteing the green beans over medium heat. This will take their texture back to how they were after initially roasting. You shouldn't need to add any extra oil to the pan. Otherwise, just reheat in the microwave until hot but note that the texture will be softer.
- Freezing: I have not tried freezing roasted green beans, but it should work. They will be much softer after freezing, so I recommend reheating them on the stovetop.
More vegetable side dishes
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Garlic Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole green beans ends trimmed
- 4-5 cloves garlic roughly chopped; see note #1
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small lemon juiced and zested
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the green beans and roughly chopped garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Use clean hands to toss the green beans in the oil until they are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with salt.
- Place in the oven on the middle shelf. Roast for 12-15 minutes, or until the green beans are golden and starting to shrivel. The garlic should also be golden.
- Remove from the oven. Just before serving, squeeze with half of a lemon and sprinkle with lemon zest. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Garlic: Chop each garlic clove into 5-6 pieces. Do not use minced garlic as it is more likely than chopped garlic to burn.
- Leftovers: Best within 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated in a closed container.
- Reheating: For the best texture, saute the green beans on the stove over medium heat. You shouldn't need to add any extra oil to the pan. Otherwise, just reheat in the microwave until hot but note that the texture will be softer.
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