One of my go-to side dishes is steamed green beans. Why? Because they’re so fast, they’re uncomplicated, delicious, and you can make them several different flavors to match your main dish. They’re just the perfect no-brainer side dish. If you’ve only ever had canned green beans, please promise me that you’ll try steaming fresh green beans at least once. They’re a whole different beast. A deliciously fresh beast. So, without further ado, let me show you how to steam fresh green beans, so you can have another simple, delicious side dish under your belt!
The One Secret to Good Green Beans
There is only one thing you need to know about making good green beans: DON’T OVER COOK THEM. Most people I come across who say they don’t like green beans have only ever had overcooked, drab, olive green, too-soft green beans (like the kind you get in a can). The trick is to cook them until they are bright green, tender, but still with a good bite. They’ll still taste fresh, vibrant, and green. Deeeelish.
What Equipment Do I Need?
Steaming green beans is so incredibly easy. All you need is a colander, pot or a deep skillet with a lid, and a steam basket. The steam basket holds the green beans just above the boiling water so they cook evenly and makes it really easy to lift the green beans out of the pot once cooked.
Do I Really Need the Steam Basket?
While the steam basket does help produce the best results, I’m not going to tell you that you can’t steam green beans without one. For years, before I had the few dollars to spend on a steam basket, I simply steamed my green beans directly in the one-inch of water. The bottom layer of green beans cooked slightly more than the rest, but guess what? It was barely noticeable. If you’re short on cash, follow the directions below minus the steam basket and you’ll do just fine.
Why Steam Instead of Boil Green Beans?
Because it’s faster. One inch of water takes a fraction of the time to come up to a boil compared to a full pot of water. Also, less nutrients are leached out of the green beans when they steam compared to when they’re fully submerged in boiling water. That’s two good reasons, if you ask me!
How to Flavor Green Beans
I’m a happy camper with the simple combo of melted butter, salt, and freshly cracked pepper on my steamed green beans, but there are so many different things you can add. Try these flavors:
- Sautéed garlic
- Lemon zest and juice
- Sesame oil and sesame seeds
- Crushed red pepper
- Crumbled feta
- Bacon
- Grated Parmesan
- Or any combination of the above!
Can I Use Frozen Green Beans?
Frozen green beans are blanched, or partially cooked, before freezing. So, while you can steam them using this method, they may need a different amount of time to cook. Check the package for recommended cooking times.
How to Steam Green Beans
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh green beans ($1.69)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.13)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Rinse the green beans in a colander. Snap the end off of any beans that still have an attached stem (see photos below). Snap each bean in half, or leave the beans whole for a more dramatic presentation.
- Place one inch of water in a pot or deep skillet. Place the steam basket inside the pot. The water should not be so deep that it comes up through the holes in the steam basket. Fill the steam basket with the washed green beans. Place a lid on the pot or skillet, turn the heat onto high, and allow the water to come to a boil (about 3 minutes).
- Allow the green beans to steam for about 5 minutes from the time the water begins to boil, or until they have reached your desired level of tenderness. Aim for green beans that are vibrant in color and tender but not mushy. You can test the tenderness of the green beans with a fork.
- Once cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the heat. Remove the steam basket with the green beans and discard the water from the bottom of the pot. Place the beans back in the pot without the steam basket and add some butter. Stir the butter into the green beans, allowing the residual heat to melt the butter. Season the beans with salt and pepper, then serve.
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Equipment
Nutrition
Want to try green beans another way? Try oven roasted green beans!
Serve Steamed Green Beans With:
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Homemade Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
- Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- BBQ Cheddar Baked Chicken
How to Steam Green Beans – Step by Step Photos
Rinse your green beans in a colander. Snap off any ends that still have a stem attached. You can see what the stem looks like in the photo above. The other end of the green bean will be pointy, but those are fine to eat. In fact, that’s my favorite part. You can snap your green beans in half or leave them long and whole for a more dramatic presentation.
This is the metal steam basket that I use. It has a loop in the center for lifting the basket out of the pot and the outer edges can close in or expand to fit the diameter of your pot. You can also buy bamboo or silicone steam baskets, but I find these old-school metal baskets to be inexpensive and pretty indestructible.
Place about an inch of water in a pot or deep skillet and place the steam basket on top. The water should not be so deep that it comes up through the holes.
Fill the steam basket with the washed green beans and place a lid on the pot. Turn the heat on to high and allow the water to come up to a boil (about 3 minutes).
Once the water begins to boil, allow the beans to steam for about 5 minutes, or until they reach your desired level of tenderness. Aim for green beans that are a vibrant green color and are tender, but still have a bit of bite. They shouldn’t be a drab green or mushy.
Remove the pot from the heat, lift the steam basket and beans out of the pot, then discard the water. Place the beans back into the pot without the steam basket, add some butter, and stir to melt the butter (heat is off). Season with a little salt and pepper, then serve!
The fresh green bean flavor on its own is so delicious that I usually only add a little butter, salt, and pepper, but you can have fun and get wild with the seasonings! Let me know what your favorite flavors are in the comments below. :)
Whenever I’ve tried to sauté green beans, they weren’t cooked. I’ve also tried boiling before sautéing but that’s just too many steps. These came out great in only one step. I think I cooked for more like 10 minutes. Also glad to know I don’t need to trim both ends! Added butter, garlic salt, and pepper.
My favorite spice to add to green beans is dried dill weed. Not too much but just a sprinkle as if you were sprinkling pepper. My mother taught me this years ago and been doing it every since!
Thanks for your great recipes!
A couple of decades ago, my brother told me about steaming veggies by putting them in/on a microwave safe dish (plate, bowl, etc.) and placing a wet paper towel on top. Depending on the amount of veggies, more water may need to be added to the towel. For large amounts in a bowl, like green beans or cabbage, I also have a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl. Stir as needed. Experiment with how much time needed, but don’t overcook. I usually prepare a lot at one time and undercook so when heated up they’ll be just right. Easy, fast, no special equipment, easy clean-up.
We always steam veggies when possible, certainly green bean and broccoli, and we both buy and grow lots of green beans. We do everything you have suggested, except we salt the beans in the steamer before cooking, and spray a spec of oil over them. Here, with an electric stove burner on high heat, anytime less that 10 minutes, and they will be underdone! Then we take them off the heat, and sprinkle same with a little Parmesan. Great instructions, my mouth is watering now!!! Cheers!
The other thing that’ s wonderful with steamed green beans is toasted almonds. I use slivered almonds – put them on a flat tray under the broiler in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes. No oil needed! They burn easily so be sure to watch them and take them out as soon as they are browned. Also, delicious mixed in with steamed rice. I never have rice without them!
Thrift shops are a good place to find steamer baskets.
I love steamed green beans, and I didn’t realize the pointy (non-stem end) is ok to eat, so thanks for that! As a kid I actually only like canned green beans. It took me several years to start liking them fresh.