roasted green beans with almonds

Here’s a recipe for classic roasted green beans with the addition of almonds. They are easy enough for a busy weeknight or festive enough to serve as a green side-dish for Thanksgiving or the holidays. 

I originally shared this recipe on August 14th, 2015. I have updated the recipe, text, photos and added a video today. 

This recipe for Roasted Green Beans is like a cross between two classic recipes, Green Beans Almondine and Roasted Green Beans. The combination of the two is greater than the sum of its parts.

Unlike green beans almondine, there’s no need to blanch and reheat the beans or saute the almonds in butter. Instead the green beans and almonds are cooked all at once on a sheet pan.

Additionally, the addition of sliced almonds to basic roasted string beans is so delicious. The almonds makes the roasted beans elevated and sophisticated just like that. Simple, easy and so delicious!

Let’s talk first about what you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store and then, in a second, we’ll walk through just how easy it is to make this recipe!

Ingredients For Roasted Green Beans

Fresh Green Beans

Start off by purchasing fresh green beans. In the summertime, that’s easy enough, but as we creep into the colder months of the year, green beans can be hit or miss.

If they are not looking particularly great, it’s totally okay to stand there in the produce department and pick them bean by bean. Or if you’re in a hurry, buy a little extra in case you end up tossing some when you trim them. 

If they’re available, feel free to use some yellow wax beans inplace of some or all of the green beans. They will cook just the same. 

Garlic

I buy fresh heads of garlic and always recommend that you dear reader do the same. The taste compared to jarred chopped garlic is not even comparable, and jarred garlic often contains preservatives. 

Almonds

Because green beans roast pretty quickly, you’ll want to buy sliced almonds. You can also substitute slivered almonds or another type of tree nut, chopped up. Examples of other nuts that would work well are walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans. If you don’t like nuts, or avoid them, you can 100% leave them out and this recipe will still work well. 

Oil

I use extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe because I like the slightly fruity taste it adds, if subtle, and also the health profile. It is high in monounsaturated fats which are heart healthy. 

Thyme

The flavor of the fresh thyme is what takes this recipe from great to really great! I have also made this with fresh half chopped thyme and half rosemary (I grow both in my garden) which is super yummy.

If you love a particular herb other than thyme, feel free to sub it in. Remember to stick to woodier herbs such as oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme. Tender herbs such as dill, cilantro and basil should be added at the end of cooking. 

Salt, or to taste

At first I thought this was too much salt, but I found that some of the salt stuck to the bowl and the pan. It ended up that the green beans were nicely seasoned but too much so. If you are salt sensitive, you can start with none or less and then add it in at the end, just to taste. Also, this recipe uses regular table salt, so make sure you don’t substitute another salt.

How To Make Roasted Green Beans

Before You Begin

Preheat your oven first, since that takes a little while. You can work on sorting and trimming the green beans while you wait. Oh, and before you turn it on, make sure that your rack is in the center of the oven. 

It is important to preheat the oven because otherwise the green beans don’t get as browned and will lack that delicious roasty toasty thing that happens that I was talking about in this recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts. 

You’ll also want to find a half sheet pan. I use a standard half sheet for pretty much every roasting recipe I ever do. They’re nice and heavy so they cook evenly. They have a lip to hold everything in, and they are not too dark which can cause burning. This is the kind I recommend. ( That’s an affiliate link.)

Sort and Trim Green Beans

Step 1. Sort through and trim the stem ends off the green beans.

• Line the green beans up on the cutting board, stem ends together. Chop off just the stem ends. The stem ends are pithy and not palatable. No need to cut off the other end. 
• Discard any withered or mushy green beans. 
• Trim of any broken ends.

Toss Ingredients in a Bowl

Step 2: Add the oil, almonds, garlic, thyme and seasoning and toss to combine.

Toss the green beans with the garlic, thyme, almonds, salt and oil in a big bowl. This ensures that the seasonings evenly coat the green beans. 

Then spread the mixture out oven the baking sheet. I like to use a rubber or silicone spatula to scrape out any almonds and seasoning that gets stuck to the bowl. 

Roasting Tips

Step 3. Spread the green beans out over a heavy rimmed sheet pan and roast until they are tender and browned in spots.

The sheet pan will be pretty full, so it is important to let the green beans roast undisturbed for several minutes before you stir them. This will give them a chance to brown where they are touching the sheet pan.

Then give the beans a good stir. I like to use tongs to do this for the best control. You should only have to stir the beans twice in the time it takes to roast them. Any more than that, and you may let out too much heat from the oven, or prevent them from browning where they are touching the sheet pan.

How To Know When They are Done

It takes about 15 or so minutes for the green beans to become that perfect balance of crisp tender and browned. So take a peek at them. They should be blistered in spots, you’ll see some wrinkles too! This is normal. Also some of the almonds will also brown a bit. 

The best way to tell if they are done is to eat one. But be careful because they will be very hot. If they are soft but still have a nice crispy toothsome bite, they’re just perfect. 

Make Ahead Tips

This recipe is best while the green beans are still hot out of the oven, but you can do some of the work ahead for meal prep, or if you are using this recipe for entertaining or Thanksgiving. 

1. Sort and trim the beans and seal them into a large resealable bag or glass containers. 
2. Chop the garlic and thyme, and combine them with the almonds in a small resealable container. 
3. When you are ready to cook them, toss the beans with the thyme and almond mixture along with the oil and salt to coat them. Then proceed with the recipe. 

If you do have leftovers, you can reheat them on high in the microwave. 

More Green Bean Recipes To Try

• The most popular recipe here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes is my Simple Skillet Green Beans. If you have yet to try them, I highly recommend it! They’re easy as can be! 
• In the summertime I love to make these Green Beans with Basil Vinaigrette. They’re great served chilled. 
• This recipe for Green Beans with Walnuts and Balsamic are a fan favorite. 
• My Cheddar Green Bean Casserole is one of those family traditions that just never gets old. 
• For a little something wild try these Dirty Green Beans or for a chill summer salad make these Green Beans with Corn.
• For a make-ahead option, these Orange Ginger Green Beans are great! 
• Check out my round up of Green Bean Recipes too. There are so many good ones! 

Thank you for reading. If you make this recipe, please come back and let me know by leaving a star rating and review. 

Roasted Green Beans

• Author: Katie Webster
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups 1x
• Category: side dish
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews

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Description

This recipe for Roasted Green Beans with Almonds is a simple and classic way to prepare green beans for a side dish.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss beans, garlic, almonds, oil, thyme and salt in a large bowl. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring the beans once or twice until the beans are softened and blistered in spots and the almonds are browning, 15 to 17 minutes.

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Notes

If you do not eat almonds you can omit them or substitute another chopped nut, such as walnuts or pecans.

Feel free to substitute yellow wax beans for some or all of the green beans.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2/3 cup
• Calories: 88
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 201 mg
• Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 9 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 3 g