Roasted garlic green beans are the ultimate easy side dish when you need something hands off but full of flavor. Five minutes to prep, 20 minutes to roast, and so delicious you just may find yourself sneaking a few — or a lot! — before they hit the dinner table.

Small serving bowl filled with roasted garlic green beans.

A Roasted Green Bean is a Happy Green Bean

We eat plain old steamed green beans all the time, not least because it is on the short list of vegetables both of my kids will eat happily on the average day. But sometimes you just need a little something more, preferably without any extra effort. This is where roasting comes into play.

Roasting always brings out the natural sugars in vegetables, and also has amazing tenderizing effects. The end result here is a tender bean with lightly charred spots and a pleasant mix of natural sweetness mingling with the light tang of garlic.

Garlicky roasted green beans for the daily dinner win. Honestly, however, I would serve these for Thanksgiving or another holiday meal, as well. They are that tasty, and sometimes it’s nice to have something truly light and green on the table.

What You’ll Need

  • About one pound of green beans or haricots verts. This recipe works equally well with either thicker American-style green beans or with haricots verts. The latter, also known as French beans, are more slender, tender, and refined in flavor.
  • Garlic powder.
  • Olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Why use garlic powder rather than fresh? The tiny granules coat the green beans more evenly than would be possible with even the most finely-minced garlic clove, leading to a more consistent flavor. Plus, any reduction in chopping is a win! That said, you can certainly use fresh garlic if you prefer: start with 2-3 cloves. They can be minced or thinly-sliced, then tossed in with the green beans as directed.

How to buy good green beans?

To select the best green beans, look for ones with a vibrant, bright color. They should have few if any visible blemishes, wrinkles, or exposed seeds. Lastly, if you are buying from a farmers market or bulk bin and have the opportunity to pick your own, look for beans with some crunch. They should snap pretty easily when bent in half.

How to trim green beans?

The one thing to do before cooking green beans is trim off the tough, stringy ends.

  • You can trim a small handful of beans at once. Grab 5-6 and turn them so the stringy ends are all facing the same direction.
  • Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut just before the green parts end. You can do this with kitchen shears, as well, but it is usually faster to tackle with a knife.
  • The other ends of the green beans are most likely fine to eat as-is, but if any bits look brown, shriveled, or stringy, you can remove those, also.

Of course you can also buy packages of pre-washed, pre-trimmed green beans at most grocery stores. This makes this side dish even more of a snap.

Rimmed sheet pan filled with uncooked green beans.

How To Roast Green Beans

  1. Warm oven to 425 degrees F. A nice, hot oven is key to roasting these quickly and getting those delightful char marks.
  2. Toss trimmed beans in olive oil and seasoning. Do this directly on the rimmed sheet pan; no need for a separate bowl.
  3. Roast for 15-20 minutes.

Cooking Times: Haricots verts cook more quickly than American green beans, so if using haricots verts, check them around the 15 minute mark. Thicker beans will take 18 minutes or more.

Rimmed sheet pan filled with roasted green beans.

Do I need to blanche green beans before roasting?

No! There is no need to blanche green beans prior to roasting. Once trimmed, they can be simply tossed with olive oil and seasoning and place straight in the oven. They will come out perfectly, no blancheing or other steps necessary.

More Easy Side Dishes

Love the ease and taste of baked vegetable sides? Me too! Roasted baby carrots, roasted asparagus, and roasted broccolini are some of our favorites.

Prefer a simple salad? A white bean tomato cucumber salad is always delicious, as is a spinach nectarine, spinach strawberry, or everyday Italian tossed salad.

Enjoy these green beans? Have any questions about additional substitutions or methods? Let me know in a comment below.

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5 from 2 votes

Roasted Garlic Green Beans

Five minutes to prep, 20 minutes to roast, and so delicious you just may find yourself sneaking a few before they hit the dinner table.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder see note
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12-15 cranks fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly rinse the green beans, if necessary, and trim off any long dried ends.
  • Place beans on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands or with kitchen tongs until evenly coated, then spread out the beans into an even layer.
  • Place in the oven and roast for about 18 minutes, until the beans are tender and have dark brown spots. Sample, add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve right away. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Garlic Powder. Why garlic powder rather than fresh? The tiny granules more evenly coat the green beans than is possible with even the most finely-minced garlic clove, leading to a more consistent flavor. Plus, any reduction in chopping is a win! That said, you can certainly use fresh garlic if you prefer: start with 2-3 cloves, and they can be minced or thinly-sliced, then tossed in with the green beans as directed.
  • Cooking Time: Haricots verts cook more quickly than traditional green beans, so if using them, begin checking for doneness around the 15 minute mark.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 67 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 298 mg, Potassium: 244 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 782 IU, Vitamin C: 14 mg, Calcium: 42 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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