This is the BEST canned green bean recipe because it's cheap, easy, and pretty flavorful too! Perfect for a fast and simple side dish to complement any meal.
Recipe: $1.14 | Per Serving: $0.29 | Servings: 4
You'll never need another canned green bean recipe again, although it doesn't hurt to keep this Air Fryer Canned Green Beans recipe handy.
Seasoning our green beans in a skillet with some butter adds so much flavor with minimal effort. I love this recipe so much that my family asks for it often. I usually swap it out for our Easy Canned Corn Recipe to keep us from getting bored (as if that were possible).
This is one of our go-to recipes for all of the right reasons. I'm sure you're going to love them just as much as we do! And if you want more canned veggie recipes, be sure to try our Air Fryer Canned Corn too!
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's really simple. All you need is just a can of veggies and some basic pantry staple seasonings. The preparation takes hardly any time at all, and all you'll need is a skillet and a can opener.
- You can double or triple the recipe. Looking to make green beans for a crowd, or simply wanting bigger-sized portions? Just multiply the recipe as needed, and make sure to use a large skillet. Note that instead of using 4 or 5 cans of green beans, you can just get a 10-pound can from Sam's Club (usually Del Monte brand).
- It's customizable. You can adjust the seasonings as needed to suit your own taste, add more spice, omit some spice, etc.
🎥 Video
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Canned green beans- Use a can of your favorite green beans. I like to select the ones that have the least amount of sodium, as some can contain very little while others can contain a ton. Note that you can use French style or "fancy cut" green beans.
If you have more green beans, be sure to check out our Sausage Green Bean Potato Casserole and Creamy Turkey Dumpling Soup.
Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter, depending on what you have on hand. Margarine is also okay to use.
Seasonings- You will need onion powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes to give these green beans a lot of delicious flavor.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
📖 Variations
Add Bacon! Adding bacon is a great way to enhance the flavor of these green beans, transforming them into a southern favorite.
Instructions: You can simply toss in some Costco bacon crumbles at the end, or cook bacon in the skillet, drain the grease (leaving the brown bits in the pan), and then cook green beans as directed before adding chopped bacon back into the skillet.
Tip: If you choose to add bacon, consider waiting until the very end before adding salt to these green beans, just in case your bacon adds saltiness.
🔪 Instructions for the Canned Green Bean Recipe
Step 1: Drain the green beans and rinse them off with cold water in a colander. (This removes extra salt from the brine and helps to remove the "tin can taste."
Step 2: Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until sizzling.
Step 3: Add in the green beans and seasonings.
Step 4: Cook, uncovered while stirring occasionally until fully heated through.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve warm.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Check Labels: Review the sodium content on the back of canned green bean cans at the store.
- Watch for "Organic": Some brands labeled "organic" may have higher sodium levels.
- Rinse: Draining and rinsing beans with water helps remove excess sodium, mostly found in the liquid.
- Handle with Care: Stir green beans gently as they're prone to squishing.
- Preferred Cut: Regular-cut green beans are more forgiving than French-cut ones, but use what you have on hand.
🍳 Reheating
Skillet Reheating: You can reheat these green beans in a skillet on the stove over medium heat.
Microwave Reheating: Alternatively, you can reheat them on a microwave-safe plate for about 30 seconds in the microwave. I prefer the microwave if I'm heating 1-2 servings, but the skillet can be handy for a larger portion.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Keep your green beans stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Green beans are full of great vitamins and nutrients like vitamin K, calcium, potassium, fiber, and folic acid. Canned veggies can be just as healthy and nutritious as fresh or frozen veggies because canning helps to preserve these qualities.
You don't "have to" rinse your green beans, but I recommend doing it whenever a recipe specifically asks for it (like this one does). This helps to improve the flavor and helps the green beans to retain shape when cooked.
By adding flavors! If you simply reheat a can of green beans without adding anything to it, there's a good chance no one will want to eat it as-is. But, if we add salt, pepper, and a few more spices to it, we can really have a delicious dish everyone will enjoy.
There are roughly 2 cups of cut green beans in a 15 ounce can. There's also about ¾ cups of liquid in the can. Note that the volume will vary from can to can so these numbers are estimates and not exact.
❤️ More Green Bean Recipes
If you tried The Best Canned Green Bean Recipe, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Canned Green Bean Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can (15oz) green beans, drained and rinsed ($0.64)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil ($0.14)
- 2 Tablespoons butter ($0.25)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder ($0.04)
- ¼ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.02)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.02)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes *optional ($0.02)
Instructions
- Drain the green beans and rinse them off with cold water in a colander. (This removes extra salt from the brine and helps to remove the "tin can taste."
- Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until sizzling.
- Add in the green beans and seasonings.
- Cook, uncovered while stirring occasionally until fully heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Aria says
I thought I hated green beans until I had some well seasoned ones. I currently cook for my Dad and he loves them. Found this recipe, and I now make them twice a week! Still really good even with less fat, though I always use some of at least one sort. Thank you!!!
Marie says
I thought I would like this recipe when I read it. I always read recipe reviews, when trying a new recipe.
After reading the reviews, I made the recipe using 2 cans of green beans and the amount of spices as written for using 1 can of greens. The green beans were a hit. One reviewer shared that she always had green beans left at the end of the meal, not anymore since making them using this recipe.
I agree 💯. Thank you for sharing your green bean recipe.
BeeyondCereal says
Glad you liked them!
Susan Whatley says
This is a great recipe! Put together in about 10-15 minutes. Grandkids who said, "I don't like green beans" asked for seconds. Husband said, "Doesn't taste like canned at all." Will definitely make again. Thank you!!
BeeyondCereal says
Such a high compliment!
Lynne says
This are the best I've ever eaten! I can't say enough good about them.
Jen Menichini says
Have made these a few times now! They are fantastic! I usually have canned green beans on hand but tonight I only had 2 bags of fresh. I doubled the recipe and they came out fantastic! One of our faves!! ❤️
BeeyondCereal says
That's awesome! I'm so glad you like it!
Kim says
Made canned green beans taste fancy and yummy without the canned flavor!
Looks like a lot of seasoning, but it’s perfect!
BeeyondCereal says
So glad you liked it!
Susan Whatley says
Made it for a second time tonight with a couple of tweaks. I reduced the butter to 1 tablespoon and I added 2 tablespoons of bacon bits. This is an excellent recipe! I can't believe how easy it is, how the beans do not taste canned, and, most importantly, how much everyone loves it!! Thank you for a great "go to" side dish.
BeeyondCereal says
So glad you like them!
Elizabeth Rayborn says
I've often wondered if when draining the beans are you losing much of the nutrients?
Nicole Durham says
When you drain the liquid you do reduce the nutrients by about 25% but you also reduce the sodium by roughly the same amount (assuming you aren't using the no salt added canned green beans) so it's one of those things where you have to decide what you feel more comfortable with. You can also add other veggies to the plate to help add more nutrients to the meal to replace what was lost.
Carol Merrill says
I used 2 cans of drained green beans but used the recipe as for one can. Turned out so good!!
Nicole Durham says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Ann says
Made these today and loved them! I added a few bacon bits, left out the red pepper flakes, and cut back the onion powder to 1/4 tsp. We usually have leftover green beans but not today! I’ll never just heat up a can of green beans again! Wonder how using fresh green beans will work instead of canned.
Nicole Durham says
Yay, I'm so glad you liked it!
Juanita A Allard says
Made these tonight, yes I did add crumbled bacon. I normally do not like canned anything but loved these and how simple this recipe actually is!
I took a bag of microwavable potatoes, seasoned them and put them together.
Thank you for this recipe,
Juanita
Karen says
I have made a version of this for years. I fry the beans in bacon grease with diced onion until wilted,, At the end I add drained canned mushrooms and crumbled bacon if I have it but I always have bacon grease. I don’t season too much because we like the flavor of the green beans.
Nicole Durham says
You had me at bacon grease. Adding bacon and onions sounds like a wonderful addition! 🙂
Laurel says
Using 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes was too much for me. Too spicy. Next time I will use just a pinch. Otherwise, I loved the recipe. Thanks for posting.
Lael White says
I made this recipe yesterday. It is a keeper! My super picky husband who hates new things liked it,
Nicole Durham says
I'm so glad to hear this! 🙂
Samantha Coleman says
I absolutely love the flavor and the soft kick it gives! Only wish my family felt the same way as they found it "too spicy" but they find lots of things too spicy. Will make again even if its just for myself!
Nicole Durham says
Haha my kids make that same complaint. So glad you enjoyed it though!
Jill says
I made these but did not add bacon. I didn’t use a strainer. I just rinsed them while still in the can. They were delicious! I will definitely make them again. I will try them with bacon, but they don’t really need it!