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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Green beans are a delicious vegetable, but they can be a little underwhelming when they’re just boiled and served on their own. This classic Green Beans Almondine recipe takes them to the next level with crunchy almonds and a few simple ingredients that turn an everyday vegetable into a tasty side dish!

Looking for more ways to cook green beans? Try my Roasted Green Beans for an easy veggie side, or whip up a Green Bean Casserole that’s perfect for family dinners and holiday gatherings!

A white plate filled with cooked green beans topped with toasted almond slices, set on a white surface with lemon halves, garlic, and plates in the background.

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make and perfect for cooks of all skill levels!
Total Time: These green beans take only 15 minutes from prep to table – a great option for busy weeknights or holiday dinners.
Variations: Add crumbled, smoky bacon and grated Parmesan cheese for extra savory flavor, or toss in asparagus and mushrooms for even more nutrition. You can also switch up the crunch by replacing the almonds with toasted pistachios or pecans. Serve your green beans with my Grilled Chicken Breast, Smothered Pork Chops, or your favorite roasted meat for a well-rounded meal!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need a large pot for cooking the green beans, a large skillet for sautéing, a spatula for stirring, a knife for chopping, and a serving plate for plating your finished dish.

A hand uses wooden chopsticks to pick up green beans topped with sliced almonds. In the background, there are halved lemons and a plate of more green beans and almonds.

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Green Beans: Look for green beans labelled French haricots verts or haricots verts. These thin green beans have a tender texture that works beautifully in this recipe, and their smaller size makes them easy to prepare and serve.

Yellow Onion: Finely diced yellow onion adds a little sweetness and savory flavor to the dish, especially when sautéed with minced garlic. Karlynn’s Tip: For even more flavor and nutrition, try tossing in sliced mushrooms, asparagus, and extra lemon zest for a fresh citrusy touch.

A flat lay of ingredients on a marble surface: green beans, sliced almonds, butter, halved lemons, sugar, black pepper, chopped onion, garlic cloves, and a white kitchen towel in the corner.

Almonds: You can’t make green beans almondine without the almonds! You’ll sauté them in the pan with butter until golden and fragrant, then sprinkle them over the finished green beans for a delicious crunch.

Salt & Pepper: These classic seasonings bring out the natural flavors of the green beans and other ingredients. Karlynn’s Tip: For a little extra kick, try adding chili flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika, lemon pepper, or garlic powder to taste.

How To Make Green Beans Almondine

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

A pot of blanched green beans on a marble countertop, surrounded by small bowls of sliced almonds, minced onion, butter, ground pepper, lemon halves, garlic cloves, and a white towel.

A metal colander filled with fresh green beans sits on a white marble surface, surrounded by lemon halves, butter, sliced almonds, chopped onion, garlic, black pepper, and a white kitchen towel.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Boil the green beans lightly for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and slightly undercooked.
Drain and set the green beans aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the sliced almonds and stir for 2 minutes, until they start to turn a light brown.
Remove from the pan and set them aside.
Turn the heat down to low, then add 1 tablespoon of butter, the yellow onion, and garlic.
Sauté for 2 minutes, until everything is lightly caramelized.
Add the green beans and 1 tablespoon of water to the skillet and sauté until the green beans are tender.
Add the almonds, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping, as well as the lemon zest and juice. Toss gently to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste, top with the reserved almonds and some fresh parsley and serve.

A plate of green beans garnished with toasted almond slices, set on a white surface with garlic cloves, lemon slices, and stacked plates in the background.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Green Beans Almondine

Trim Your Green Beans: Before cooking, trim the fibrous ends off your green beans. These little tips are edible, but they can be stringy and slightly woody, so removing them makes for a better bite! If you have the time, trim each bean individually with kitchen scissors to minimize waste. In a hurry? Line up a handful of beans on a cutting board and slice off the ends all at once. You might lose a little more of each bean, but you’ll get the job done much faster!
Use an Ice Bath to Keep Your Green Beans Bright: Immediately transfer your lightly boiled green beans to a bowl of ice water, or rinse them thoroughly under cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps them retain their vibrant green color and crisp-tender texture!
Add Mushrooms for Extra Flavor: Green beans almondine is so rich and buttery, but if you’d like to add more savory, umami flavor, mushrooms are great options! Add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms to the onions and sauté until golden brown and the moisture has evaporated. Or, if you’re short on time, stir in a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup for a 1950s comfort-food twist! Just keep in mind that the soup will make the dish much saucier, so you’ll lose some of that lovely crisp-tender texture.

A white oval plate filled with green beans topped with sliced toasted almonds, placed on a white surface with a fork, garlic clove, and a sprig of parsley nearby.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Store your leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, following USDA food safety guidelines. Reheat them in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

Freezer: You can freeze this recipe, but I don’t recommend it, as the green beans can become soft and mushy once thawed. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy them fresh or store leftovers in the fridge!

More Delicious Side Dish Recipes

Why stop at one side dish when you can make two or three? Try one of these tasty Side Dish Recipes next:

These Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles wrap fresh beans in smoky bacon for a fun twist on your usual veggie side!
My Roasted Fingerling Potatoes are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and tossed with buttery garlic and rosemary.
These delicious Roasted Parsnips are cooked until golden and finished with a rich, herby sauce!

There you have it, folks! Sometimes the simplest recipes earn a permanent spot at the dinner table, and this one is a great addition to your veggie side dish rotation.

Give this recipe a try, enjoy every bite, and don’t forget to let me know how it turned out in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you served it with.

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn