Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Add a flavorful side dish to your meal with these roasted Lemon Garlic Green Beans. Crispy, slightly charred, and seasoned with zesty lemon, garlic, and aromatic ingredients, these green beans make for a great addition for any weeknight dinner!

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Note: This recipe was originally published in July 2020, but has been improved and re-photographed. We hope you enjoy the new look!

With a little bit of time, you can have a delicious side dish that can complement any main course you are craving. It's a great appetizer for the entire family and an easy clean-up!

If you need more quick and easy veggie salad ideas (that aren't made with lettuce!), try this cold asparagus salad, this Italian green bean salad, this green bean feta salad, or this cabbage and carrot salad!

Looking for more great main dishes to serve this with? Try this seafood boil, this lemon herb chicken, or this bavette steak!

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❤️Why we love this recipe
🧄Ingredients
✨Substitutions & variations
🔪Prep work
📋Instructions
✨Tips & tricks
💭Frequently Asked Questions
🍽What to serve these with
More Recipes To Consider
📖 Recipe
💬 Community

❤️Why we love this recipe

Crispy and satisfying. The roasting method creates a crispy bite to the green beans that is very satisfying!
Quick and easy recipe. Great for on-the-go, this green bean recipe is easy to make and comes together in 30 minutes. The cooking process is simple and doesn't require boiling water or an ice bath for blanching!
Fresh flavors. The bright flavor combo of lemon, roasted green beans, and minced garlic comes together for a fresh, light, and delicious bite!
Easy to customize - With such a simple recipe, it's quite easy to add or reduce seasonings, serve with your favorite dip, and make this dish right to your liking.

🧄Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

Fresh green beans - Fresh, trimmed green beans give the best taste, but frozen green beans work if thawed.
Olive oil - We used extra virgin olive oil, but any olive oil will do.
Red pepper flakes
Lemons - For lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.
Garlic - Fresh garlic will give you the best flavor.
Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Basil - For ribbons to give an herby flavor to the dish.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & variations

Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.

Green beans - Swap the green beans with another green vegetable like string beans, asparagus, or broccoli.
Spice - You can make this dish spicier by increasing the red pepper flakes, or adding chili powder, smoked paprika, or cayenne for extra heat.
Nuts - Add your favorite nuts (sliced or crushed) on top of the green beans for extra crunch and texture. Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are great options for this.
Herbs - Swap the basil for fresh parsley, thyme, cilantro, or rosemary for a more herbaceous flavor to this recipe.
Sauce - Serve the green beans with your favorite sauce. Our Cowboy Butter recipe works great for this!
Cheese - Top with your favorite cheese (like parmesan cheese) right before baking for a cheesy bite.

🔪Prep work

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Cut the basil into ribbons.
Wash the green beans and pat them dry with paper towels. Trim the ends of the green beans.
Measure out all ingredients.

📋Instructions

On a baking sheet, arrange the green beans in a single layer and top with olive oil, lemon zest, and half of the lemon juice. (Image 1)

Green beans on a baking sheet, seasoned with lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and half ribbons. (Image 2)

Green beans on a baking sheet seasoned with red pepper flakes, black pepper, fresh minced garlic, basil, and kosher salt.

Bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven for a crunchy, but softened bite. Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining basil and lemon juice. (Image 3)

Roasted green beans topped with more lemon juice and basil.

Garnish with lemon wedges, more basil strips, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest, and enjoy!

Lemon garlic green beans dish topped with lemon wedges, red pepper flakes, basil, and other ingredients.

✨Tips & tricks

Use fresh green beans - Choosing bright, green, and firm green beans will ensure the best flavor for this recipe. Avoid any that are damaged, discolored, or wilted for the fresh-tasting green beans.
Wash and dry - Washing the green beans and drying off the excess water with paper towels will give you the crispest result. Too much water can prevent them from roasting properly.

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💭Frequently Asked Questions

How to store the leftovers?

This dish is best served immediately. However, if you need to store leftovers, you can store this dish in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can I use frozen green beans instead of fresh?

Yes, you can use frozen but make sure to thaw and pat them dry before cooking them.

Can I cut my green beans into smaller bites?

Yes, you can! Using a chef's knife, you can trim off the ends of the green beans (if you don't prefer whole) and slice them in half or into thirds.

🍽What to serve these with

Not sure what to serve with steak bites? Here are a few suggestions!

More Recipes To Consider

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