Turn ordinary string beans into something special! This recipe for fresh buttered green beans recipe is a must try — the tender-crisp beans are sauced with nutty brown butter and topped with chopped almonds or hazelnuts and fresh thyme.

A photo showing an oval serving dish with yellow and green string beans topped with butter and chopped hazelnuts.

Green bean recipes are everywhere, but this one is a simple way to elevate an everyday string bean into something special. You could even say dinner-party worthy!

From start to finish, this easy dish takes about 15 minutes to make. They will elevate the whole meal served as a side wih my brown sugar-rubbed pork chops or classic roasted chicken.

Fresh, raw yellow and green string beans in a black wire colander.

The best recipes for fresh green beans and string beans tend to keep the process plain and simple. Green beans were always a lifesaver when my kids were little — because they were a green vegetable on the dinner table they would actually eat!

How to boil green beans

Friendly and versatile green beans really don’t need much more than quickly blanching them in boiling water, then tossing with butter and seasonings.

  • Fill a large saucepan or pot with water. Bring to a boil and add 1-2 tablespoons salt. This step is key to locking in a vibrant green color, as well as seasoning the beans.
  • Don’t overcook the beans. Taste and test after 2 or 3 minutes.
  • A good sign the beans are almost ready is when you can hear them popping in the boiling water.
Photo of a frying pan with melted brown butter and hazelnuts.

Make brown butter!

Let’s hear a round of applause for French cooks: They invented one of life’s pleasures, beurre noisette, which I believe translates as “butter heated until it turns nut brown and tastes amazing.”

It definitely makes sense that noisette also happens to be the French word for hazelnut (or filbert, if you prefer).

Although it may sound fancy-pants, making brown butter isn’t hard to do. All you need is a pan, a stove and a healthy chunk of good butter.

In addition to its glowy amber color and fantastic nutty aroma, brown butter adds a beautiful finishing touch to just about anything edible. Seriously, I’m guessing an old catcher’s mitt would taste delicious slathered with it!

Close up photo showing a serving dish with yellow and green string beans topped with butter and chopped hazelnuts.

Cooking tips for buttered green beans

  • It goes without saying for such a simple recipe, but I’ll say it anyway: Use good, fresh unsalted butter. If you can track down high-butterfat cultured butter (sometimes called European-style butter), even better. Look for lactic acid on the ingredient label, which means the butter will have a subtle, tangy flavor.
  • If you can, choose a pan with a lighter surface to make the brown butter so you can better see the color changing as it cooks.
  • If you want to make buttery green beans almondine style, use an equal amount of chopped whole almonds instead of the hazelnuts.
5 from 8 ratings

Nutty Buttered Green Beans

Karen Tedesco
Turn ordinary string beans into something special! This recipe for fresh buttered green beans recipe is a must try — the tender-crisp beans are sauced with nutty brown butter and topped with chopped hazelnuts and fresh thyme.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound (450 g) green beans, tops and tails trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup (40 g) chopped hazelnuts, or almonds
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • Flaky sea salt

Instructions
 

  1. Drop the green beans in boiling, generously salted water and cook 3-5 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
  2. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt and bubble, swirling the pan. When the butter begins to foam, turn up the heat to medium-high and cook until the butter turns amber and smells nutty — this should take just a few minutes.
  3. Take the butter off the heat and stir in the nuts and thyme. Pour the butter over the beans and sprinkle with sea salt.

Notes

  • Use straight-up green beans, or a mixture of yellow and green when they’re in season.
  • If you want to make buttery green beans almondine-style, use an equal amount of chopped whole almonds instead of the hazelnuts.
  • The recipe doubles easily if you’re serving a crowd.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 199kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 4g Fat: 18g Sodium: 8mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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