Brown butter green beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
The most simple way to cook green beans, with nutty brown butter and crunchy breadcrumbs!
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon for breadcrumbs
- 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Cut butter into a few chunks and add to a large frying pan. Set over medium heat. Cook butter, stirring occasionally, until it begins to foam and sputter a bit. At this point, keep a close eye on it as it begins to change color.
- Once the butter is a light amber color and you start to see a few brown bits at the bottom of the pan, immediately add the green beans. Toss quickly to combine.
- Add salt and keep cooking, tossing occasionally, until beans are to your liking (I love a crisp-tender green bean!), adjusting the heat as necessary.
- Transfer green beans to your serving platter.
- Keep the pan on the stove at around medium heat, and add another tablespoon of butter.
- Once melted, add breadcrumbs and garlic and toss to combine.
- Cook until breadcrumbs get brown and toasty.
- Turn off heat and add lemon zest. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over green beans right before serving.
Notes
- If you prefer a more well-cooked green bean but don't want to burn them, feel free to parcook them in boiling, salted water for 30-45 seconds. Drain and dry before adding to the butter!
You are not going to believe how easy these green beans are. Like, seriously. So easy. But so good!
Green beans are a staple on my Thanksgiving table, and I'm pretty sure it's the same for you. While my family has never been big on a green bean casserole, my mom makes the most amazing green beans on the planet.
There are not those (sorry), but they are similar in their simplicity! Just green beans and a few (important) flavors that make them shine!
Obviously, we have the brown butter. Nutty, rich, perfect. It's the perfect little holiday twist to green beans.
And then.
AND. THEN.
There are crunchy, garlicky bread crumbs.
(!!!!!)
No idea why I decided to put bread crumbs on my green beans, but not sure I can ever eat a green bean without them now.
This is one of those side dishes that comes together super quickly. Brown that butter, cook those beans, top with bread crumbs. I don't even parcook my green beans (because I like a crunchy guy), but you totally could and it still wouldn't add much to your total cook time. You can easily make this right before you're ready to serve and I promise it won't add any extra stress to your day (you'll have enough of that elsewhere, I'm sure).
Enjoy!
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