Canned Green Beans Recipe
Apr 22, 2025
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Canned green beans have always been a staple in my pantry. They are convenient, budget friendly, and a great when I need a quick side dish. Over the years, I’ve come up with a few simple ways to turn them into something flavorful and delicious.
As a busy mom of 3 teenagers, I’m always in search of ways to get vegetables on the table that my kids will eat, bonus if it can be ready in under 10 minutes. That’s why I love this canned green beans recipe. It’s one that I have been making on a weekly basis because it’s fast and flavorful.
I know it’s a good recipe when my picky daughter asks for seconds. She always gets excited when she sees these beans on her plate for dinner. They are so good, I recommend making a double batch. They also reheat great!
All you need are a few pantry staples to have a side dish that feels like serious home cooking. I love serving them for a quick dinner but that are tasty enough to be included on your Thanksgiving table.
If you are looking for some other easy side dishes be sure to check out these buttered noodles, broccoli salad with raisins, and mashed red skin potatoes.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Pantry staple. Upgrade your can of beans with just a few ingredients.
- Packed with flavor. Loaded with rich flavor.
- A great side dish. This pairs well with a wide variety of meals.
Canned green beans recipe ingredients
- Canned green beans – Use your favorite canned green beans. You can use whole, cut, or French style green beans.
- Butter – Unsalted butter adds richness to the beans. You can substitute with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Garlic powder – Adds delicious flavor to the beans.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
This is a simple recipe and it’s easy to adjust the seasonings to your taste. One of my favorite ways is to substitute the salt, pepper, and garlic powder with Montreal Seasoning.
How to make canned green beans better
It can get much easier than this side dish recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Step one: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the green beans, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Step two: Cook the green beans for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Heather’s recipe tips
- Drain the green beans. If you would like, you can also rinse them under cold water to remove any extra sodium.
- Substitute butter with oil. If you don’t want to use butter, substitute with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Be careful not to over cook. You don’t want the beans to turn mushy, so I recommend not cooking more than 5 minutes.
Variations
There are many ways to take a can of green beans and make it special. Here are a few ideas:
- Southern style: Add in chopped bacon, onion, and garlic for amazing flavor like these Texas Roadhouse green beans.
- Asian inspired: After draining the beans, toss them with soy sauce, sesame oil, and some sesame seeds.
- Lemon garlic: Add lemon pepper seasoning, fresh lemon juice, and garlic.
What to serve with green beans
Seasoned canned green beans pair well with a variety of dishes. I especially love them with pork tenderloin, air fryer BBQ chicken breast, Lipton Onion Soup meatloaf, or a simple sizzle steak.
Storage instructions
Store: Let the green beans cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals or on the stove until heated through.
Common questions
Yes, I recommend draining them before cooking.
Since they are already pre-cooked, you want to make sure to just cook them until heated through. I recommend 4-5 minutes. If they cook too long, they can become mushy.
Yes, if you are feeding a crowd, you can double the recipe. You might want to cook the beans in a larger skillet so that they cook through.
More easy canned recipes
- Canned cranberry sauce recipe – Upgrade your canned cranberry sauce.
- How to make canned refried beans taste like a restaurant – An easy way to get restaurant style beans.
- Canned salmon dip – A cool, creamy dip made with canned salmon.
- Canned pumpkin recipes – A list of recipes that use canned pumpkin.
Canned Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5) ounce cans green beans, drained
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the green beans.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the green beans, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Video
Notes
-
- Drain the green beans. If you would like, you can also rinse them under cold water to remove any extra sodium.
-
- Substitute butter with oil. If you don’t want to use butter, substitute with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
-
- Be careful not to over cook. You don’t want the beans to turn mushy, so I recommend not cooking more than 5 minutes.
- Store: Let the green beans cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat: Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals or on the stove until heated through.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
