Easy Green Beans Almondine (with frozen green beans)

Name: Easy Green Beans Almondine
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 tsp olive oil; 24 oz frozen green beans; 4 tbsp sliced almonds (toasted); 1 lemon (juiced); 2 tbsp butter

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Green Beans Almondine is a fast and easy side dish using frozen green beans, fresh lemon, and toasted almonds. Both flavorful and healthy, this recipe is a win-win that can be done in under 15 minutes!

Green Beans Almondine Overhead — Green Beans Almondine is a fast way to make a healthy and flavorful side dish that goes with a variety of main dishes!

Green Beans Almondine is a classic dish of tender, lemony green beans with toasted almonds. It is my favorite way to eat green beans and for good reason. The lemon makes it bright and flavorful, the almonds add a satisfying crunch, and it can be made in one skillet, start to finish in 15 minutes. Best of all, green beans are packed with nutrients, so it is a guilt-free side dish that tastes AMAZING.

If you’re in the market for a quick, inexpensive way to feed your family healthy food, this recipe should be on the top of your list. Since it uses frozen green beans, it makes a great last-minute side for those crazy weeknight dinners.

🍋 Ingredients

Oil: Preferably olive oil for the extra flavor.
Green beans: Frozen green beans turn out perfect and are an easy item to keep available in the freezer. Fresh turn out great as well!
Butter: Creates a delicious, buttery sauce.
Toasted almonds: Buy them already toasted or toast them in a skillet in 5 minutes.
Lemon: The key ingredient for bright, fresh flavor.

🔪 Instructions

Toasting the Almonds

If you are toasting your own almonds, start here. Using sliced almonds, cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often until they are golden brown.

Making the Green Beans

Start with heating the oil in a skillet on the stove. Cast iron skillets are my absolute first choice for this recipe. In fact, cast iron skillets are really your best friend in the kitchen! They get extra hot and retain their heat, which helps the green beans cook faster and develop beautiful color. Plus they last forever and are super easy to clean. What more could you ask for? Shameless plug over 😉

The secret to great green beans is to let the skillet get very hot. Once it is screaming hot, throw in the frozen green beans. Stir them enough to prevent burning, but resist the urge to stir them constantly. You want them to get brown and blistered.

Green beans in skillet — Cook the grean beans until they are tender-crisp and start to brown.

Once the green beans are tender-crisp, about 10-12 minutes, add the butter. As it melts it will create a delicious sauce to coat the green beans. Now just top with toasted almonds and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd

If you want to double or triple this recipe to serve to a crowd, I recommend making each recipe in its own skillet. If the skillet is overcrowded, the beans won't cook evenly and may even start to steam instead of roast (which causes soggy green beans 😬). That being said, it is totally worth it to make multiple recipes in different skillets! Every time I serve this to a group of people someone asks for the recipe. It's that good!

🙋 Questions & Answers

Can I use fresh green beans instead?

Yes, you can use fresh green beans instead. Trim the ends, then cook them roughly the same, watching for browning, blistered skin and a tender-crisp texture.

Can I make these ahead?

These green beans are honestly best when served hot and fresh. I don't recommend making them ahead.

Are green beans good for you?

Yes! Green beans are full of vitamins and minerals, specifically folate (which is a B vitamin). They also can be a good source of fiber. Of course, like all foods, eat them in proportion and with a variety of other healthy foods for a well-rounded diet.

What do I serve with green beans?

Green Beans Almondine is the perfect side for Chicken Breasts in Lemon Sauce, 5 Ingredient Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin, or Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast.

Close-up of Green Beans Almondine — Serve green beans with grilled or skillet chicken, pork, or steak dishes.

📖 More great side dishes

Twice Baked Potato Bake is one of our all-time favorite side dishes. Creamy potatoes filled with bacon, cheese, and chives. Yum!
Pan Roasted Frozen Corn is ALWAYS a hit. It's made with frozen corn, onion, and garlic for a super easy side dish.
Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts (despite popular belief) are crispy, slightly salty, and absolutely delicious! Cook them right and you'll fall in love.

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

Use a cast iron skillet to cook the green beans faster and develop more wonderful color.
Get the skillet super hot before adding the green beans. If you don’t, the green beans cook slower and won’t brown.
Add the butter after the green beans are cooked. If you add the butter with the oil in the beginning, the green beans will have a harder time browning… seeing a theme here?
Use skinny green beans if possible. They cook faster and (you guessed it) brown better than the larger ones.

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