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Get It NowThis green beans almondine recipe brings me right back to our honeymoon in France where I first enjoyed it many years ago. While I love simple green bean recipes like sauteed green beans or roasted green beans, I make this one when I want something more elegant. With garlic, lemon, and (of course) almonds, it’s a tasty side dish works with just about any main. My fave pairing is a filet mignon for a special meal, but it comes together in just 10 minutes, so it’s also perfect for casual busy nights, too.
The American term “green beans almondine” is actually known as “green beans amandine” in French, which simply means green beans with almonds. This type of topping is also common for fish, and is sometimes even used for asparagus or potatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Green Beans Almondine Recipe
- Irresistible flavor and texture – Sweet, tender green beans. Crunchy, nutty almonds. Garlicky, buttery sauce. Perfection.
- Just 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) – You’ll find everything you need at just about any grocery store. Actually, you might even have it in your fridge and pantry!
- So easy – Some recipes for green beans almondine require you to blanch and drain the green beans first, but in my experience they saute just fine without this step. No fuss or extra steps required!
- So fast – The entire dish is ready in just 10 minutes. That’s my kind of recipe.
- Versatile side dish – This vegetable goes with just about anything. (See ideas below!)
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose ingredients for this green bean almondine recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Fresh Green Beans – Trim the ends before cooking. I sometimes get bagged string beans that are already pre-trimmed, for an easy shortcut. You can also substitute haricots verts (French green beans) if you like, but keep in mind that these cook a bit faster because they are thinner.
- Olive Oil – For sauteing the green beans. Use an extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor (and that’s what I always saw the restaurants use in France, too), but regular olive oil or avocado oil will also work.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter to toast the almonds for extra flavor, and highly recommend it. It’s SO good! But, you could just do toast the nuts in a dry pan, and then add a little more olive oil before adding the garlic.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes the best, but I often use 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic for convenience. I’ve also made green beans almondine before using thinly sliced garlic cloves instead of minced, for an extra pop of garlic flavor. If you don’t have any garlic on hand, you can just season the green beans with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder instead, but fresh tastes much better.
- Almonds – You can use sliced or slivered almonds. Buy them in whatever final form you want, because slicing or slivering them yourself is a huge pain.
- Lemon Juice – Brightens up the dish at the end! I recommend fresh lemon juice, plus more lemon wedges for serving.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Green Beans Almondine
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Cook the green beans. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until they are bright green and crisp tender. Remove to a plate or large bowl, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Toast the almonds. Melt butter in the same pan, then add sliced almonds and cook until golden.
- Saute the garlic. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Combine. Return the green beans to the pan. Toss to coat in garlic lemon butter and mix with the toasted almonds. Heat green beans almondine just until hot.
Tips For Best Results
- Use raw almonds, not roasted. If you use roasted ones, toasting them in the pan for this recipe is basically doing it twice.
- Cook green beans just until crisp tender. Sorry-not-sorry, but mushy, overcooked green beans are the worst. It should only take a few minutes for the green beans to turn bright green in the first step. That’s how you know to move to step 2. At the end, don’t heat for too long either, just long enough to mix and get them warm.
- Cook time can vary depending on your pan. This is my go-to skillet that cooks everything super fast. If your pan is not cast iron, it might take a little longer.
Recipe Variations
If you want to change it up, consider these add-ins, though they are not traditional:
- Bacon – Pan fry the bacon, remove, and crumble. Use the same skillet to make the green beans and almonds, then toss the crumbled bacon back in at the end. Or, if you have a cooked batch on hand from baking bacon, you can just chop and throw it in.
- Aromatics – Saute some diced shallots or onions along with the garlic for extra flavor.
- Mushrooms – Saute sliced mushrooms in the skillet before adding the green beans.
- Lemon Zest – Add a teaspoon of lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice. This is equivalent to the amount you’d get from one lemon.
- Parmesan – My kids love shredded parmesan cheese on, um, everything, so they sprinkled it on top of their green beans almondine. I tried it and it was actually very delicious!
Storage Tips
- Store: Green beans with almonds really taste best fresh, as both components lose their crispness when you store them. But if you have leftovers (and hate throwing away food like me), keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Meal Prep: You can trim the green beans and mince the garlic ahead of time to help this dish come together even faster.
- Reheat: Warm up leftover green beans almondine in a skillet over medium heat. The microwave works in a pinch, but they get very mushy.
- Freeze: These really won’t taste the same after thawing, but if you really want to, transfer them to a zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for ideas to serve with this 10-minute side dish? Try any of my healthy dinner recipes, or choose one of my favorite pairings:
- Beef – Like I said above, this dish is absolutely perfect with filet mignon, but you can also serve it with a classic sirloin steak or a stunning sirloin tip roast.
- Pork Chops – For a quick and easy weeknight dinner, whip up some air fryer pork chops. You can make green beans almondine in the time it takes for them to cook! Another option I like to do is make pan seared boneless pork chops in the same pan afterward for less cleanup.
- Fish – My favorite fuss-free fish dinner to go with these green beans is parmesan crusted tilapia. But you can’t go wrong with regular baked tilapia, simple baked flounder, or even nut-crusted baked haddock if you want to get a little fancy.
- Chicken – The hints of lemon in this green beans almondine recipe pair beautifully with lemon garlic chicken or spinach stuffed chicken breast, but many of my other chicken recipes would also work well.
- French Starters – Start your meal with some elegant chicken liver pate or tomato bisque soup.
More Easy Elegant Side Dishes
Looking for more side dish ideas that are easy but look special? I’ve got more:
Green Beans Almondine (10 Minutes!)
This easy green beans almondine recipe is garlicky, lemony, and packed with crunchy almonds! Make it with just 6 ingredients in 10 minutes.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and crisp tender. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
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Reduce heat to low. Add the butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the sliced almonds. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until the almonds are golden.
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Add the garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice.
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Return the green beans to the pan and toss to coat in garlic lemon butter. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until hot.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
50 Comments
Sarah
0Green beans are one of the only veggies that my whole family will happily eat, so I’m always looking for new ways to cook them. This almondine recipe is our new favorite — simple and delicious!
Connie W
0My favorite side dish. I make it all the time and goes perfectly with everything!
Sharina
0Wouldn’t miss this green beans almondine every steak night! It’s flavorful and delicious. Highly recommended!
Laura Luna
0Very good use for the green beans! I never know what to do with them. Hubby and teen daughter ate them without buts, I loved them too. Found myself stealing the leftovers after dinner.
Skye
0I’m gonna be honest, when I read the ingredients I thought this was gonna be whack but it turned out surprisingly good! I’m actually excited to try the variations with bacon and mushrooms next time!!
Angie Jacklin
0This was easy to make and so delicious! A real nice change from a salad or just some steamed veggies. My husband and daughter liked them as well!
Gail Ouellette
0This is one of our favourite recipes! The garlic really makes the beans so flavourful and the almonds not only add flavour but crunch. My family loves this…even the non-keto family!
Kathi B
0Love this recipe. Great side for any meal and so easy.
Freddi
0These green beans came out tender without being soggy, and I loved the mix of flavors from the lemon and almonds. Great side dish. Went over well at Thanksgiving this year.
Soleil
0Such an easy, tasty side dish for any meal! I love anything garlic and the almonds really made this dish special. It’s officially a new favorite in our household!
Emily
0This dish was so quick and easy to make! I’ve been making this as my regular side dish now for my steak and pork chop recipes. Love the almond crunch! thanks for sharing this easy side dish recipe. 🙂
Darlene
0These green beans were a last-minute addition to our Thanksgiving table. I am always paranoid that there won’t be enough food (I am always wrong), so I headed to the store yesterday morning and bought the few simple ingredients for this recipe. I am glad I did. They were so easy to make and everyone really enjoyed them.
Fayee
0Just whipped up a batch of this Green Beans Almondine, and I’m seriously impressed! Seriously, a lifesaver for those busy evenings. I ended up serving it with a simple filet mignon, and the pairing was spot-on. I love that it’s fancy enough for a dinner party but easy peasy for a laid-back dinner.
Susan Withrow
0Very yummy green bean recipe. I did cook the green beans longer than called for – probably about 10 minutes because I didn’t want them crunchy. The almonds and butter made the dish taste decadent but it’s vegetables so still healthy!
Anna Barth
0Recipe sounds very good, however I would have listed the ingredients first and not at the end.
I am still going to use it. Thanks
Barbara Ann Kinnear ❤
0Do you have a recipe for yum casaroll?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barbara, I am unfamiliar with yum casserole. Maybe you can explain it to me.
Katie
0This is one of those things that seems so much fancier than it actually is! I love the pairing of green beans and almonds.
Samantha
0I’ve been trying to find some new recipes that increase my protein and I LOVE that this has almonds in it to do that! What a delicious side dish!
Lisalia
0We loved this side dish. What an easy way to prepare green beans. And those toasted almonds took it to the next level!
Amy L Huntley
0The crunchy almonds with the beans are perfection. Much kids even wanted seconds!
Nancy Eddins
0Very good recipe!! The only change I made was to cook the beans for 13 minutes, we like it more on the tender side. Everything else was perfect including bits of bacon. Will make it again!
Kristyn
0I think these are the tastiest green beans I’ve ever had!! I will be making them this way from now on. Even some of my picky eaters liked them.
Scarlet
0So easy and yet so fancy. This green been side dish was perfect with fish.
Camille
0I love this! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer
0I love this side dish! The crunch from the almonds and the crisp tender beans are the perfect combination!
Natalie
0I love the added crunch!! They bring a delicious flavor. A great & healthy side dish for any meal!
Krystle
0This side dish is so easy and flavorful. We make it at least once per week.
Paula
0Made these for supper club and they were a huge hit!
Kara
0Made this with some fresh green beans from the garden. Delicious! I love the crunch of the almonds!
Beth
0This recipe is so easy to make for a dinner side! We have always been fans of green beans and we are going to love the crunch the almonds bring!
Sarah
0Is this a freezable dish?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sarah, Yes you can freeze this dish. When you are ready to eat it, let the frozen green beans thaw and then reheat in the oven. Enjoy!
Sue
0I like the recipe, I was making this for only two people, so I need to work on proportions. Mine was a bit bacon heavy. I will make this again.
Donnie
0This green bean recipe sounds great going to fix tomorrow. Thanks
Carol
0The recipe was tasty, but the prep and cook time was completely inaccurate. Fortunately, I started early, or I would have missed the potluck dinner to which I was taking the beans.
No way did it take 5 minutes to get the beans washed and snip off the tips, and get the bacon cut, and the garlic minced. It took time for the water to boil, and the almonds to turn golden brown and the bacon to get crispy. This was NOT a 25-minute dish. Start to finish, I think it was closer to an hour and a half, or more.
It would be helpful to know if the dish should be reheated when you get to your destination, or if it can be served cold or if it can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. And how do you make the almonds/bacon/garlic stay on top of the beans instead of sinking to the bottom of the bowl? They just wouldn’t stay on top.
Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Carol, You can reheat this recipe in an oven, crock pot, or microwave. It is good served at room temperature too, if you desired.
Cheryl
0Can yellow beans be used instead of green?
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Cheryl, Yes, definitely!
Candy
0Just made this as a side for bbq chicken. It was wonderful! Added shallot. Will definitely make again.
Nick
0Good recipe.
Liz
0I’m obsessed with pan fried green beans. These are SO good! Perfect for an easy side dish.
wilhelmina
0These beans are the perfect flavorful side dish!
laurel
0love the recipe…. turned great….loved the video idea and execution.
Christy
0I can’t wait to mak this tomorrow for dinner with hour crispy chicken thigh recipe! How much is one serving? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0One serving is 1/2 cup. Thanks for stopping by, Christy! Have a nice day!
Sharon
0This sounds great!
Can frozen green beans work also?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sharon! Sure, you can make it with frozen green beans.
Tessa
0Loved this! Loads of flavor, great crunch! Thank you for a yummy side!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tessa!