It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without green beans on the table. Your family might be firmly in the casserole camp and crispy onions are a non-negotiable. Or maybe they prefer sautéed green beans, for a brighter, lighter side to help balance out the richness of the mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
Quick or slow cooked, with or without bacon, these green bean recipes are the perfect side for any Thanksgiving menu, whether your spread is traditional or unconventional. With crunchy toppings like crispy onions and elevated flavors from dill and ranch, these Thanksgiving green bean recipes will make you want to eat your veggies and might even have the pickiest of eaters reaching for seconds.
Credit:
Caitlin Bensel
Cheese and bacon will never fail to make a dish extra tasty. In this recipe, they team up to add tons of flavor to a straightforward side dish. Increase the shredded cheese if you really want to taste the Parmesan.
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Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
If you prefer your Thanksgiving green beans cooked down with flavorful bacon drippings and onion, then this is the side dish for you. It’s a no frills recipe that requires few ingredients and just a little patience as the beans slowly cook.
Credit: VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL
Our list of green bean recipes wouldn’t be complete without this old-school favorite. Instead of canned cream of mushroom soup, we make our own cheesy mushroom cream sauce. Bake for 30 minutes, dig in, and reminisce about Thanksgivings past.
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Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
If you want to make green beans like Grandma used to, this is the nostalgic side for you. Topped with crunchy bits of bacon and flavored with fresh thyme, this recipe will also keep the stove clear for the mashed potatoes.
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Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This virtually no-cook recipe respects snappy pole beans by giving them a quick blanch before tossing them with peppery radishes, loads of fresh dill, and a tangy buttermilk dressing. What a fresh approach to the holiday bean recipe.
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Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins
If you freeze batches when harvested, just thaw and drain and they work well with this recipe. Instead of employing the usual creamy soup base, ham hocks, or lard as the fat agent, these beans benefit from the luxurious texture of a milk and butter bath. This recipe delivers tender green beans with just the bits of milk clinging to them and tons of flavor that lets them stand on their own.
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Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
A sizzling hot cast-iron skillet and bacon drippings give green beans a nice char. This recipe cuts the rich smoky flavor with a snappy vinaigrette, resulting in a wonderful, flavorful side for the Thanksgiving table.
Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This is yet another riff on Thanksgiving green beans, with the added bonus of one of our favorite holiday sides in the mix. If you are taking this to a party, chill the cooked potatoes in the dressing for 30 minutes, and then assemble the salad (with the green beans, radishes, chives, and remaining dressing) on a platter just before serving.
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Rob Culpepper; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Assistant Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This five-ingredient recipe is a Thanksgiving classic. They’re creamy thanks to cream of mushroom soup, heavy whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese while fried onions add the perfect crunchy element.
Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin
The term almondine may sound fancy or complicated but is a fairly simple way of making any vegetable taste great. It’s the French cooking technique of garnishing something with crunchy almonds, a touch of fresh lemon, and browned butter. In this recipe, we use it to bring nutty flavor to green beans.
Credit:
Caitlin Bensel
Stovetop and oven space are tight on Thanksgiving. Free up some room with this slow-cooker side. For a special twist, we’ve replaced the can of cream of mushroom soup with jarred Alfredo sauce for extra cheesy, savory flavor.
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Daley
Add this fresh and vibrant side dish to the menu to balance all the other rich and cheesy Thanksgiving dishes.
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Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
This recipe brings two Thanksgiving classics together into one delicious vegetable side. Dried cranberries and maple syrup add a cranberry sauce-like sweetness to the green beans.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
A side dish ready in 15 minutes? Yes, please! Slightly less traditionally Thanksgiving with their Asian flavor profile, all you have to do is toss the trimmed green beans in a quick sauce and pop them in the air fryer.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
What isn’t made better with ranch? Toss the beans with a packet of ranch dressing mix and crumbled bacon for an easy and flavorful side.
Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith
This easy side requires little prep and just a handful of ingredients, but guests will never know, because it looks and tastes so sophisticated. The balsamic vinegar brings the right amount of tang and subtle sweetness to balance out the savory onions and garlicky beans.
Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis
For a recipe with so few ingredients, it really packs a flavorful punch on the plate. The tomato paste and chicken broth cook down to a glaze that “smothers” the beans. Sprinkle with bacon for a finishing touch.
Credit: VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL
Why make two separate vegetable sides when you can roll them into one delicious dish? Plus, this Thanksgiving green bean recipe can be made up to three days in advance for the ultimate stress-free side. Bake on the day of and sprinkle with bacon and crispy fried onions.
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This elegant side looks beautiful on any holiday table. Halved shallots roast with the green beans in the oven to fully develop their flavors. A honey vinaigrette and plump golden raisins dress the dish and add color and shine.
Credit:
Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Call it a holiday appetizer, or Thanksgiving green beans. Either way, you need to make more of these than you think you do. Don’t let the process intimidate you; once you try a beer batter coating on green beans, you’ll be repeating the same technique with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, and more.
Dining and Cooking