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This easy recipe for brown butter French green beans with toasted pecans bring together nutty browned butter with toasted pecans and tender-crisp green beans. This simple and delicious side dish feels like something gourmet, but only takes 4 ingredients and is ready to eat in only 20 minutes!
If you love easy side dishes like I do, then you’ll definitely want to try these recipes for pimento cheese deviled eggs and creamy and easy squash casserole.
Quick Look: Brown Butter French Green Beans Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 8 people
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: American with a French twist
- 🍽️ Calories: 201 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten Free (can be made Dairy Free)
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Stovetop
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: These tender green beans are buttery, lightly seasoned with salt, and have a touch of zing from the lemon and crunch from the pecans.
- 🔑 Top Tip: Cook the green beans for 5 minutes, then shock them in an ice bath to stop them from cooking immediately. This ensures bright green beans and a crisp texture.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: Pair with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a bright sparkling water with a splash of lemon.
- ❄️ Storage: This easy green bean recipe is best enjoyed right away, so I do not recommend making it in advance. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy Recipe: This recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep, and is ready to eat in just 20 minutes altogether!
- 4 Simple Ingredients: All you need is green beans, salt, butter, and pecans to make this easy and mouthwatering side dish.
- Easy to Customize: Garnish with lemon juice or shaved Parmesan cheese, or add other ingredients like garlic and shallots for a gourmet touch.
Table of Contents
I would have to say that fresh green beans are the vegetable I serve most at our table. There are other vegetables we all like, but everyone seems to appreciate nights when I set out a tasty main dish accompanied by buttery and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Casserole and brown butter green beans.
I love a green bean casserole, but I do not always have the time to prep it. Brown butter French green beans with toasted pecans are that fresh, little modified side dish that I never seem to have any leftovers of!
Ingredients
Grab these key ingredients, along with a couple others, and you’ll be ready to make this easy side dish! This easy method for brown butter takes the every day green bean to a whole new level. These French green beans with pecans swathed in nutty brown butter are among my top green bean recipes for Christmas, Easter, and even busy weeknights.
- Haricot Verts (French Green Beans): These tender French green beans are the star of the show in this simple side dish. If desired, trim off the ends for an easier-to-eat finish.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need some butter to make the brown butter sauce. I reach for unsalted, since it allows me to control the amount of salt in the final dish.
- Pecans: This Southern nut adds a delicious crunch that pairs beautifully with the green beans. Swap with another nut if you don’t like pecans.
- Optional Toppings: I love adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch of grated Parmesan cheese for a wonderful brightness and hint of creaminess.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- There are many optional add-ins that you could use to make it not entirely average. For starters, sautéed shallots or roasted garlic. I am a fan of garlic, but absolutely love sautéed shallot in this dish because it adds a touch of sweetness.
- Instead of using all butter, opt for half truffle oil or other flavored oil, such as rosemary oil. Be careful not to add too much as flavored oils are concentrated and can be strong.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or black pepper for extra kick.
- Bacon bits as well as pan crisped prosciutto lends a salty profile while diced ham keeps all of the flavors balanced somewhere in between sweet and salty.
- Want to try a different nut other than pecans? Consider sliced almonds or chopped and very lightly toasted macadamia nuts.
How to Make Brown Butter French Green Beans
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Cooking the Green Beans
Before you begin, prepare a large bowl with ice water. Bring a saucepan full of salted water (about 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt) to a boil and add the trimmed beans. Cook for 5 minutes. Use grab kitchen tongs and pull the beans directly from the boiling water and plunge them into the ice bath to immediately cease cooking. This also ensures brilliantly bright green beans.
2
Browning the Butter
Cut the unsalted butter into small pieces and place it in a light-colored skillet. (Light-colored cookware ensures you can see how dark the butter gets as it cooks, while small pieces enable it to melt and cook evenly.)
Melt the butter over medium heat. (I don’t recommend using high heat, as it can burn easily.) Watch the mixture closely and stir until the butter is lightly browned; it should be an acorn brown color and smell slightly nutty.
3
Browning the Butter
Immediately add the blanched green beans to the browned butter and toss to coat. Cook until the beans are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped toasted pecans and season with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or some grated Parmesan if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, brown butter goes perfectly with green beans! It also makes a delicious topping for vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green beans, and beets. You can also combine it with some Bourbon and marshmallows for a colossal homemade Rice Crispy treat!
French Green Beans, also called haricots verts, are a bean delicate in both flavor and in texture. They are visually easy to identify as they are longer and skinnier and appear to have a tail at one end. On a platter, they make a stunning presentation.
If your local grocer does not carry French beans, feel like you may substitute any variety of fresh green bean you like. If the beans are especially thick, allow for an extra minute in the boiling water to cook them to tender-crisp.
This easy green bean recipe is best enjoyed right away, so I do not recommend making it in advance. It takes so little time to assemble. If you are trying to shave the minutes, trim and rinse the French green beans ahead of time. Let them hang out in your refrigerator until it’s time to cook.
A drool-worthy platter of crisp green vegetables that surprisingly everybody wants a forkful of once they find out it’s made with brown butter! This dish is the dish that gets done last because it’s so darn easy. Plan on 20 minutes from start to finish.
The key to keeping it to 20 minutes is to have your beans prepped and ready to go. While your salted water is coming to a boil, toast the pecans. While the beans are boiling, use those 5 minutes to start the butter melting. While waiting for the butter to foam, chop the cooled toasted pecans.
Serving Suggestions
These French beans make a tasty side dish along with Mac and Cheese at Thanksgiving dinner. Or serve it along with a hearty main course like Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin, Pan Seared Pork Chops with Dijon Au Jus, Tender Beef Tips in Herb Pan Sauce, Cajun Steak with Grilled Patatas Bravas, and Crispy Chicken with Rice & Pan Gravy for starters.
Expert Tips
- Watch the pecans closely as they toast to prevent them from burning.
- Shock the green beans in an ice water bath to immediately stop them from cooking, which ensures a tender-crisp texture and bright color.
- Brown the butter over medium heat, watch it closely, and stir frequently to keep it from burning.
Other Side Dishes You’ll Love
Soups & Salads
Creamy Butternut Mac And Cheese Soup
Side Dishes
Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
Casseroles
Crazy Good French Onion Noodle Casserole
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Brown Butter French Green Beans with Pecans
Ingredients
For the Green Beans
- ¾ cup pecans
- 2 pounds French green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Optional Toppings
- squeeze lemon juice, fresh
- shaved Parmesan cheese, fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scatter the pecans on a large baking sheet and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the baking sheet as necessary. Remove from the oven and allow the pecans to cool. Chop.
- Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Set beside the stove.
- Add the Kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans; cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Using kitchen tongs, remove the beans from the boiling water and plunge them into the ice bath to end the cooking process. Remove to paper towels and allow to drain.
- Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the butter first foams, then turns a light brown and begins to smell nutty; be careful not to burn it. Add the beans and toss to coat.
- Cook until the beans are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped toasted pecans and season with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or some grated Parmesan if using.
Notes
- Watch the pecans closely as they toast to prevent them from burning.
- Shock the green beans in an ice water bath to immediately stop them from cooking, which ensures a tender-crisp texture and bright color.
- Brown the butter over medium heat, watch it closely, and stir frequently to keep it from burning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
