40+ Green Bean Recipes for Thanksgiving

Prosciutto Green Bean Bundles with Crispy Mushrooms Recipe

Though it may look complicated, this recipe is quite easy to prepare. To save prep time, look for bags of prewashed, pretrimmed beans in the produce section. If you can’t find the slender haricots verts, you can use regular green beans—they’ll just need to cook a few minutes longer in step 1. You can blanch the beans and prepare the dressing the day before, but wait to combine them; the acid will discolor the beans.

Green Beans Amandine Recipe

Adding lemon juice and water to the browned butter mixture creates a lovely, glossy sauce that coats the beans beautifully. The overall impression is that there’s far more butter than is actually there. You can easily get a head start by completing step 1 up to two days ahead; then the recipe can come together in the last few minutes before the feast.

Charred Sesame Green Beans Recipe

One taste of these quick-charred green beans, and you’ll never just steam again. Letting the beans sit in the hot skillet without stirring is the secret to getting a nice char; adding the sauce to the still-hot skillet helps it reduce quickly and cling to the crispy, smoky beans. Serve with roasted pork or salmon.

Italian-Style Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Artichoke hearts, breadcrumbs and parsley add Italian-style flair to this holiday staple. 

Skillet-Charred Green Beans with Salsa Recipe

Resist the urge to stir the green beans often­—that’s the secret to getting a nice amount of char. For even better flavor, use 13 oz. of fresh green beans from your local farmers market; trim them yourself before steaming in a covered container in the microwave.

Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Recipe

We upgraded this classic holiday side dish with a tangy balsamic glaze and sweet caramelized onions.

Quick and Easy Green Beans Recipe

Here's a fast, efficient way to cook green beans (and other vegetables), eliminating the fuss of bringing a large pot of water to a boil or draining the veggies. (Cost for 4: $1.12)

Garlicky Blistered Green Beans and Tomatoes Recipe

The broiler does all the work in this easy, impressive side. Pile leftovers on a sandwich or add to a big salad.

Green Bean Casserole with Cauliflower Cream Recipe

Once simmered in milk and pureed, cauliflower transforms into a silky, luscious cream sauce—a dead ringer for the classic yet with a much better profile, saving nearly 500mg sodium and 4g fat per serving. We intensify the mushroom presence by using meaty cremini and shiitake mushrooms and roasting them first to cook out the excess liquid. If you can’t find shiitakes, use 2 (8-oz.) packages of cremini mushrooms. Skip the fried onions and use torn whole-wheat bread for a rustic, crunchy topper.

Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Who doesn't love a classic? This traditional recipe is everything you could want in a holiday side—and more! Frozen veggies make this classic green bean casserole simple and speedy, which leaves you ample time to focus on the rest of your Thanksgiving feast. Hungry for more inspiration? Find more than 200 recipes for appetizers, side dishes, dinners, and desserts at our Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide. 

Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Lemon-Almond Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Farro, Green Bean, and Kale Salad Recipe

This recipe goes with: Farro Salad Lunch Box

Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Recipe

You might have a go-to green bean casserole recipe, but you have to try this one. These thin, crispy fried leeks are an absolutely delicious casserole topper and look way more elegant than the canned fried onions. The leeks fry up very quickly; keep a close watch on them as they cook.

Lemon-Feta Green Beans Recipe

Searing lemons is one of our favorite tricks for upping the ante on any dish. The tart juice mellows out, providing the perfect balance for the briny capers and feta in this skillet side. If you have any leftovers, try adding halved cherry tomatoes and enjoying as a cold salad; some cooked chicken or shrimp would turn it into a lovely main dish.

Green Beans with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce Recipe

Substitute fresh thyme or dill for the tarragon, if you prefer. To blanch haricots verts, cook them in boiling water 2 minutes, and immediately transfer to an ice bath to cool.

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Hold the mayo. Replace the usual creamy potato salad dressing with this lively lemon-dill vinaigrette. Easy to make and easy to transport, you will love this fresh take on the picnic staple. If you are taking this to a party, chill the cooked potatoes in the dressing for 30 minutes, and then assemble the salad (with the green beans, radishes, chives, and remaining dressing) on a platter just before serving.

Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad Recipe

Green Bean and Radish Sauté Recipe

A side dish that is as delicious as it is versatile, green beans and prosciutto is a savory flavor marriage that works with nearly any main dish you’re serving. Cut prep time in half—and use fewer dishes—by crisping prosciutto in your microwave.

Prosciutto-and-Almond Green Beans Recipe

Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs Recipe

Looking for a simple side dish to make for dinner? These green beans and carrots are a delicious way to eat your veggies and they come together in under 15 minutes. The tarragon carrots really steal the show with their fresh, herbaceous flavor, while the haricots verts add a little crunch.

Tarragon Carrots with Green Beans Recipe

Slow-Cooker Green Beans Recipe

This recipe frees up precious stove-top space and reminds us of the traditional green beans our grandmothers used to make.

Skillet Green Bean Casserole Recipe

We've shortened (and lightened) this holiday classic by bringing everything together in one pan and using the stovetop and broiler rather than baking. To save yourself even more time, you can substitute panko in place of homemade breadcrumbs. 

Green Bean Fries with Spicy Mayo Recipe

A light cornmeal coating and chipotle chile dip make these green beans as addictive as french fries. If you like more texture, use medium-grind cornmeal.

Steamed Green Beans with Cracked Pepper and Chèvre Recipe

The combination of tender, sweet green beans and the tartness of chèvre makes this side dish a nice complement to most main dishes. And it adds color to the plate.

Crispy Garlic and Mushroom Green Beans Recipe

We love meaty shiitakes here, but any mushroom will work. Crisping the garlic adds great texture to the finished dish.

Sweet Heat Green Beans Recipe

Sambal Oelek, a fiery chile paste typically found on the Asian foods aisle, adds kick to bowls, salads, and vegetables. Here, it's tossed in crispy green beans and mixed with honey for the perfect sweet-meets-spicy, Asian-style veggie dish. Serve this as a side or bring it to a potluck for a flavorful surprise.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Radish and Green Bean Quinoa Recipe

Radishes become tender and blushing pink when sautéed, a lovely addition to the quinoa. Paired with a simple lemon-garlic shrimp, this is an easy dinner to add into your weeknight rotation. It's simple and refreshing, and with 23g of protein, there's no doubt that it's satisfying. Sub out your favorite whole grain if you don't have quinoa.

Lemon-Sauteed Green Beans Recipe

You can turn any ordinary side of green beans into an extraordinary accompaniment with the help of lemon.

Red Pepper and Pesto Green Beans Recipe

For this quick side, Red Pepper and Pesto Green Beans, we toss roasted green beans with a parsley-pistachio pesto. Traditional pesto is made with walnuts and basil, but we went with pistachios and parsley to switch things up in the kitchen. This vegetable side comes together in minutes and tastes best straight out of the oven. Bring it to a potluck or serve it as a side with dinner that the whole family can enjoy. Save the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Marinated Dill Green Beans Recipe

Choose fresh green beans that are crisp and blemish free for this dish. Marinate for several hours to allow the dill, garlic and onion flavors to permeate. Grated lemon rind brings fresh acidity and sharp flavor to this strong, aromatic blend of herbs. Combining the herbs with vinegar and letting the concoction sit for several hours allows for the different flavors to combine and create a salty, slightly pickle-like taste that brings these green beans to a whole new level.

Green Beans in Vinaigrette with Feta Recipe

Washed and trimmed fresh green beans are a real time-saver. Cook them and toss with a homemade vinaigrette to liven up any dinner plate. Top with fresh crumbled feta cheese for a zingy, salty twist that brightens the flavor of the vegetable. Ready in no more than 15 minutes, this is a super simple recipe that brings excitement and a cheesy punch of flavor to green beans. We opted for feta with basil and sun-dried tomatoes for an added dose of herbs and sweet flavor.

Green Bean Potato Salad with Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette (Wade's Potato Salad) Recipe

This vibrant and colorful side dish is sure to be a total show-stopper in any cookout, picnic, or potluck scenario--it's anything but your typical, creamy, mayo-based potato salad. Crisp, delicately sweet green beans pair up with tender, fluffy petite red potatoes for the base of this dynamic salad. The super simple lemony dressing is balanced by the salty kick of soy sauce, a touch of toastiness from sesame oil, and just a bit of heat from crushed red pepper. And the finishing touches put this recipe right over the top: mint leaves for a touch fresh herbaceousness and toasted almonds and sesame seeds for added nutty crunch. 

Lemony Green Bean Pasta Salad Recipe

Lemon and shallots marry for a bright taste that's ideal for a ladies' lunch or light supper.

Green Beans with Dilly Sauce Recipe

Dunk crisp-tender green beans in the buttermilk sauce, a cooling contrast to the spicy burger.

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic Recipe

Simple, garlicky beans are a great side dish to any meal.

Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole Recipe

The garlic factor is no joke here—vampires beware. But don’t be alarmed: As garlicky as it is, it just makes you appreciate the green snap of the veggies and the salty richness of the bacon all the more.