Crisp-tender, buttery, and topped with golden toasted almonds, this Green Beans Almondine is the elegant side dish your holiday table needs! Sweet shallots, garlic, and a bright lemony final touch make these incredible.
It comes together in just 20 minutes, and you can par-cook the green beans the day before, so Thanksgiving Day is really easy to manage.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 mins, Cook Time: 15 mins, Total Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Blanched, sautéed
- Main Ingredients: French green beans, sliced almonds
- Flavor Profile: Buttery, nutty, bright, garlicky
- Ideal for: Thanksgiving sides, weeknight sides, make ahead
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Love Green Beans? Try my smoky Green Beans with Bacon and these bright Lemon Green Beans next. Both are made on a skillet.
Ingredient Notes
- French green beans: I highly recommend French green beans (haricots verts) over regular ones. They’re thinner and more tender, so they cook quickly and evenly, and they look so elegant lined up on a platter. Regular green beans work too.
- Sliced almonds: The signature topping of green beans almondine! Thin sliced almonds toast up fast and evenly, adding a delicate, nutty crunch.
- Unsalted butter: We use it twice, a little to toast the almonds and the rest to sauté the aromatics. Unsalted gives you control over the seasoning since the beans are already cooked in salted water.
- Shallots and fresh garlic: Shallots sliced into thin rings turn soft and sweet, with a milder flavor than onion. I’d recommend fresh garlic here (rather than jarred) since it’s such a simple dish.
- Fresh lemon: Both zest and fresh juice. The zest blooms in the butter for a fragrant base, and a squeeze of juice at the end brightens up these almondine green beans and cuts through the richness.
- Salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Frozen green beans: Skip the blanching. Thaw, pat very dry, and sauté a few extra minutes until heated through. The texture will be a bit softer and the color less vibrant.
- Nuts: For a sweet holiday twist, top with my easy candied pecans.
- Dairy-free: Use olive oil or a plant-based butter in place of the butter.
- Extra toppings: A sprinkle of grated parmesan or crumbled crispy bacon.
How to Make Green Beans Almondine
- Toast the almonds. Melt a little butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, then add the sliced almonds. Stir often for about 3 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant, then transfer to a plate. Tip: Stay by the stove! Almonds go from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Blanch the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Shock in an ice bath. Immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and lock in that vibrant color. Drain and pat dry. Tip: Pat them dry very well with paper towel.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Sauté the shallots for about 2 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and lemon zest and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Toss in the green beans. Add the blanched beans to the skillet and toss until coated in all that buttery goodness. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through, then season with salt and pepper.
- Finish and serve. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like. Top your green beans almondine generously with the toasted almonds and serve warm!
Tips for Success
- Salt the water generously. Season it like pasta water. Blanching is your only chance to season the beans all the way through.
- Have the ice bath ready. Set it up before the beans hit the pot. Even an extra minute in boiling water can turn them soft and dull.
- Use a large skillet. A 12-inch pan gives the beans room to toss freely and heat evenly instead of steaming in a pile.
- Add the lemon at the very end. Acid dulls the bright green color the longer it sits, so squeeze it on right before serving.
- Top with almonds just before serving. This keeps them crunchy instead of soaking up moisture from the beans.
Make Ahead and Reheating
This recipe for green beans almondine is a holiday hero because almost everything can be done ahead. Here’s my Thanksgiving game plan:
- Up to 2 days ahead: Toast the almonds. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- 1 day ahead: Blanch, shock, and dry the green beans. Wrap them in paper towels and store in a zip-top bag or airtight container in the fridge. Slice the shallot, mince the garlic, and zest the lemon. Keep them covered in the fridge.
- Day of: Sauté the aromatics, toss in the cold beans (they may need an extra minute or two to heat through), then finish with lemon and almonds. About 10 minutes, start to finish!
Make ahead and storage: Make ahead completely or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Reheating: You may notice that the butter will solidify when refrigerated. Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a small pat of butter for 2 to 3 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch, but the beans will soften a bit.
Recipe FAQs
It means a dish cooked or garnished with almonds. You’ll see this recipe called both green beans almondine and green beans amandine.
Yes! Slivered almonds work well. They’re thicker, so give them an extra minute or two in the skillet and stir often so they toast evenly.
Yes, you can cook them straight in the skillet. Add a few tablespoons of water, cover, and let them steam until crisp-tender. Then uncover, let the water cook off, and finish with the butter, aromatics, and lemon as written. They won’t be quite as vibrant green as blanched beans.
Absolutely. Blanch the beans in batches so the water stays at a boil. Then sauté them in two skillets, or in batches, so they heat evenly instead of steaming.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
These almondine green beans pair with just about any main dish, holiday or not.
Holiday mains: Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, Dry Brine Turkey, or Upside Down Turkey.
Special dinners: Try them with my Apple Cider Pork Roast or Braised Beef Short Ribs.
Something cozy: Round out the plate with Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, or pair it with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus.
More Green Beans Recipes
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Green Beans Almondine
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 16 ounces French green beans - rough ends trimmed
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter - divided
- 1 medium shallot - peeled and thinly sliced into rings
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice - to taste
Other
- 1-2 cups ice - for the ice bath
Instructions
- Toast the almonds: Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced almonds and toast for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Tip: Keep an eye because they tend to burn quickly.
- Blanch the green beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Prepare an ice bath for the green beans. Transfer the green beans immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Then drain and pat dry.
- Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and lemon zest, and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add green beans: Add the blanched green beans (patted dry) to the skillet and toss until coated. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Top with the toasted almonds generously and serve warm.
Notes
- Green beans: French green beans (haricots verts) are best here. They are thinner and have a crisper bite. If you use regular green beans, add 1 to 2 minutes to the blanching time.
- Pat dry the beans well: Extra water will splatter in the hot butter and keep the light coating of butter from clinging.
- If using frozen green beans: Skip the blanching. Thaw, pat very dry, and sauté a few extra minutes until heated through.
- Add the lemon juice and toasted almonds right before serving to keep the beans bright green and the almonds crunchy.
- Make ahead for the holidays: Blanch, shock, and dry the beans up to 3 days ahead, and store them wrapped in paper towels in the fridge. Toast the almonds up to 5 days ahead and store at room temperature. Cold beans may need an extra minute or two in the skillet.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, storing the almonds separately if possible.
- Reheating: Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a small pat of butter for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Nuts: Use slivered almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts.
- Dairy-free: Swap the butter for olive oil or plant-based butter.
- Toppings: Add parmesan, crispy bacon, or candied pecans.
- No blanching? Steam the beans in the skillet with a splash of water, covered, then finish as written.
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