Please say hello to my new favorite way of making green beans! Caramelized Onions Sautéed Green Beans features charred green beans is tossed with sweet and flavorful caramelized onions, along with fresh garlic, butter, sea salt, and sliced almonds for that crunchy texture.
Inspired by green bean almondine, I also call this green beans, prepared the sophisticated way…
Sauteed Green Beans with Onions And Almonds (Green bean Almondine)
I strongly believe that green beans don’t have to be smothered in cream to be yummy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do like them smothered in cream like my decadent Fresh Green Bean Casserole recipe.
But just like Asian Style Green Beans or Oven Roasted Green Beans, here’s another lovely take on green beans that can be a lighter but just as delicious option.
This is my twist on green bean almondine, a French green bean recipe that is simple and delicious, and we love it as much for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays as we do for regular everyday dinners.
The common pitfall is to underflavor and overcook the green beans. We are NOT doing that in sauteed green beans with onions recipe. We sear green beans on high heat so that it gets roasted without getting soggy, and make sure to pack in the flavor.
For this green bean almondine recipe, green beans are sauteed then tossed with onions and almonds. Or more specifically, caramelized onions where they’re sautéed in butter until soft and sweet, then add a pinch of salt to open up all the beautiful flavor.
Ready under 15 minutes, we make this often and love that flavorful crunchy texture this dish brings. If you haven’t had green beans with caramelized onions and almonds, get ready to be blown away!
Ingredients
Just a few basic ingredients are needed to make this flavorful dish!
- Fresh green beans: Also known as French beans, these can be found in most grocery stores year-round. They are thin, tender, and have a delicate flavor. For best results, use fresh, not frozen or canned green beans and snap off the ends if they are brown or hard.
- White or yellow onions: Avoid using sweet onions which are pricier, and save those for when you truly need that distinct sweet onion flavor. We’ll be caramelizing the onions slowly and bringing out their natural sweetness instead.
- Salted butter: This is what gives the onions their rich flavor as they cook down. See the Variations And Substitutions section below if you’d rather use something else.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Garlic powder works in a pinch too.
- Almonds: Use unsweetened whole almonds or sliced almonds. Other nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, work well too. This provide a nice crunch and is a key ingredient in Green bean Almondine.
- Salt: To enhance the flavor profile.
- Vegetable oil: To oil the pan for sautéing.
How to make Green Beans with Onions and Almonds
Step 1: Caramelize the Onions
This is truly the secret ingredient to this dish. One of my favorite things about onions is that when cooked, it transforms from being pungent and spicy to sweet and flavorful.
Also, have you sautéed onions and smelled the lovely aroma of caramelized onions on a skillet? Swoon.
First, you’ll want to sauté the sliced onions in a couple tablespoons of butter under medium heat, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. Once they turn soft and slightly brown, sprinkle some salt, and voilà – caramelized onions!
Check out the before and after pics. Notice that after the onions are caramelized, they turn brown, shrink, and become crazy delicious.
The process will take at least 5 minutes (or maybe more), so be patient!
It’s worth it I promise.
Step 2: Sauté the Green Beans
Once onions are caramelized, remove from skillet and set aside.
Add more cooking oil if needed, then add green beans to skillet and cook green beans under medium/medium high heat.
If you want to char the green beans, you will need more cooking oil.
Cook until green beans turn darker green and are soft. If you prefer green beans crunchier, don’t cook it for as long.
Step 3: Add garlic and Bring it all together
Once green beans are cooked to your liking, bring caramelized onions back into the skillet and add garlic.
Toss everything to combine, then remove green beans from heat. Feel free to season to taste if needed.
Transfer green beans and onions to a platter, then top with almonds for a nice crunchy texture.
And there you have it, my rendition of green bean almondine that I love with my whole dang heart.
If eating veggies has been a chore for you, make eating veggies fun again (or for the first time) with these fabulous Green Beans with Caramelized Onions.
If there is any dish that can accomplish that, I suspect this is it …
Variations And Substitutions
This green bean almondine is easy to riff on depending on what you have on hand, how you like to cook, or what you’re in the mood for. Here are a few of our favorite ways to switch it up:
No Butter On Hand? Here’s What To Use Instead
- Olive oil: A great everyday swap – it won’t give quite the same richness as butter, but it caramelizes the onions beautifully and keeps things a little lighter.
- Ghee or clarified butter: Works just like regular butter here, with an even higher smoke point if you like to cook your onions a bit hotter and faster.
- Avocado oil: Another neutral, high-heat-friendly option if you’d rather skip butter altogether.
Prefer To Boil Or Blanch The Green Beans First?
If searing green beans over high heat isn’t something you’re able to do (or just isn’t your favorite way to cook), you can boil or blanch them first instead. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the green beans for 2-3 minutes, just until they turn bright green and are crisp-tender.
Drain them well (pat them dry if you have a few extra minutes – this helps them pick up more flavor in the skillet), then toss them into the pan with the caramelized onions and garlic over medium heat, just long enough to warm everything through and coat the beans in flavor.
You’ll lose a bit of the char, but you’ll still get all that caramelized onion flavor, with a lot less standing over a hot pan.
Ways To Add Even More Flavor
- Bacon: Cook a couple slices until crisp, crumble it in at the end, and use a spoonful of the bacon fat in place of some of the butter or oil.
- Bell peppers or mushrooms: Sauté them alongside the green beans for extra color, texture, and heartiness.
- Black pepper: A simple finishing touch that brightens up all the savory, sweet flavors in this dish.
- Parmesan cheese: A light shower of freshly grated parmesan right before serving adds a salty, savory finish.
- A squeeze of lemon: A little acid at the end balances out the richness of the butter and brings everything into focus.
Tips and Tricks
The truth is, green beans with onions is such a simple recipe, but one that produces so much great flavors, and definitely not simplistic. Here are some tips!
- Choose the right skillet: Use a large skillet (the largest one you have!) that retains heat really well.
- Cook in batches: At the beginning, we sauté the onions and green beans separately because they cook at different rates and we want to make sure we cook each of them well before bringing them together. This also prevents the skillet from being overcrowded and subsequently cooking the ingredients unevenly.
- Avoid crowding the skillet: If you are feeding a lot of people and want to double or triple the recipe, make sure you are not crowding the skillet when you sauté the green beans. Sauté green beans in batches if necessary!
- Adjust for your texture preferences: I like my green beans slightly charred (see pictures for the beautiful char-ness), but if you don’t like the slight char, simply lower the heat, cook the green beans slower, and remove them promptly once they look done.
- Season the onions partway through, not right at the start: Adding salt too early draws out moisture and can slow down browning. Wait until they’ve softened and started to turn golden.
- Don’t over-stir the onions: Give them time to sit in the pan between stirs so they actually brown instead of just steaming.
- Prep everything before you start cooking: Slice the onions, mince the garlic, and trim the green beans first – the onions caramelize fast enough near the end that you won’t want to be chopping mid-cook.
- Look for bright green, not olive drab: That’s your cue the green beans are done – if they start looking dull or army-green, they’ve gone too far.
- Turn it into a full meal: Add cooked bacon, shredded rotisserie chicken, or serve alongside a roasted protein to make this a heartier plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
I personally prefer to not use frozen green beans in a recipe like this. The texture for frozen green beans will be soggy and you wouldn’t get the crunch you’d get using fresh green beans. In addition, there’s going to be a lot of extra moisture that will prevent the green beans from searing well.
It’s best served fresh, but you can partially prepare it. Caramelize the onions ahead of time and refrigerate. When ready to serve, quickly sauté the onions and green beans together.
Cook on high heat, avoid overcooking, and remove green beans from heat as soon as they are tender-crisp. Serving immediately also helps maintain their texture.
Green beans may lose their texture when frozen and thawed. It’s best to store leftovers in the refrigerator and consume them within a couple of days for optimal taste and texture.
Not for the main method, but it’s a great option if you’d rather not cook over the stove. See the Variations And Substitutions section above for how to do it.
Yes, just be careful not to crowd the skillet – cook the onions and green beans in batches if needed so everything browns instead of steaming.
This pairs really well with a roasted or grilled protein – think pork chops, baked chicken, or a piece of fish – for a simple, well-rounded dinner.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
Other veggie dishes
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Whole Carrots
- Easy Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
- Greek Cucumber Salad
- Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob with Parmesan Herb Butter
- Sautéed Garlic Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
- Garlic Roasted Cheesy Green Beans (by Mireille at The Tortilla Channel)
Caramelized Onions Sautéed Green Beans (Green bean Almondine)
Ingredients
- 1 white onion or yellow onion
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vegetable oil or more
- 16 oz fresh green beans
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/8 cup almonds
Instructions
- Slice onions into thin slices and chop garlic. Wash green beans and if desired, remove ends.
- Heat 2 tbsp of salted butter in a large skillet under medium heat. Once skillet is heated and butter is melted (not browned or burned), add sliced onions.
- Cook onions under medium heat for a few minutes (it takes a while!) or until it is soft and slightly brown on the edges. Stir continuously. Add 1/2 tsp salt, stir for a few seconds to mix well, then remove onions and set aside.
- Add vegetable oil to skillet. Once oil is heated, add green beans. Saute under medium high heat for a few minutes until green beans are cooked and turn darker green. If you want to char your green beans, cook under high heat and add more vegetable oil. Add more butter or other forms of oil if needed at any point to fully cook the green beans. Cover if necessary.
- Add garlic and caramelized onions to skillet, and stir to combine. Add the other 1/2 tsp of salt (or more to taste). Mix well.
- Remove from heat once green beans is fully cooked. Garnish with almonds.
- Serve and enjoy!
When do you recommend adding the garlic? As you caramelize the onions or when you cook the beans?
Add them when you cook the green beans. I just added it to the instructions – thanks for reaching out and asking! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
You had me at caramelized onions, I am with your husband, not a huge fan, strange as that is, but these look so delicious!
Haha! You gotta try it! Seriously caramelized onions make EVERYTHING better!
These green beans made such a delicious side dish and the caramelized onions were the perfect addition! I love how easy these are to make! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you love the caramelized onions! It’s a game changer!
Loved these green beans! So good! The butter added a nice and savory flavor! Great recipe. Will make again.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Amanda! I love it too!
Simple but yet a perfect veg dish. Love the caramelised anion and garlic flavor and the almond toppings too.
I ADORE how simple yet delicious this is as well! Cannot get enough of it – still make it all the time today!
I served these tasty green beans with grilled pork chops. The bit of smokiness and the crunch of the almonds was perfect.
What a delicious pairing! So glad you enjoyed it, Amy.
I paired this with fish. It was so yummy. Easy to follow recipe and delicious!
That sounds delicious, Maggie!
You’re right! This is pretty much the best way to have green beans, lol! The flavor of the caramelized onions is a great match for the fresh beans. A new favorite weeknight side dish in my house for sure 😉
Thank you so much! So happy it’s a part of your family’s dinner menu 🙂
I love making green beans, but this just elevated my plain green beans to a new level!! Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s a new favourite 🙂
That’s great, Cathleen! I love hearing that from my readers! 🙂
THIS! Yes, I love everything about this green bean recipe! Adding onions is the perfect way to bring out the best in your green beans!
Yay! So glad to hear!
Loved these green beans! The caramelized onions add such a nice richness, and I love the little crunch from the almonds.
Yay! Caramelized onions are the best! 🙂 So glad you love them!
Caramelizing the green beans in this dish adds so much flavor to the beans and onions. A side dish winner!
I have to agree! 🙂 So glad you liked the combo!
Such an epic combo! We had this today with a little bacon too and it was sooooo good!
Oh yum!! Bacon sounds AMAZING in this!
Have you ever made this in advance and frozen them in a ziploc?
I have not. The texture of the green beans may change a bit (less crunchy, more soggy) – other than that I think it should be fine!
Do the almonds need to be toasted?
Nope! You can if you want to, but it’s not necessary.
Please let me know what you think when you make it! 🙂