This quick and easy canned green beans recipe is the best! Cooked with onions, garlic, and a deliciously sweet and tangy glaze, this recipe will quickly become a family favorite.
Canned Green Beans Recipe
This really is the best canned green beans recipe! You can literally eat them by the spoonful standing over the stove. They have so much flavor from the sauteed garlic and onion, and then it’s coated in a delicious, sweet, tangy, and ever so slightly smoky glaze made from apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and smoked paprika.
This recipe for canned green beans is definitely one that I’d think about doubling or even tripling, especially if you’re serving a crowd. It’s so easy to snack on it while you’re making dinner, and I frequently get people asking for seconds. I love that this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, and special enough for Thanksgiving.
I took some over to a neighbor the other day and said she could eat it with every meal and that they were some of the best green beans she’d ever had. She couldn’t believe it was made with canned green beans – all the delicious flavors in this dish really take away the “canned” taste. She said couldn’t decide if she liked these or my Southern green beans more (if you have fresh green beans, I definitely recommend using them to make these slow cooker green beans with bacon).
Ingredients
Green Beans: Using canned green beans saves so much time and effort. It’s a great way to get a vegetable side dish on the table quickly.
Olive Oil: This is the fat that we’re sauteing the onion and garlic in. Feel free to swap it for butter if you’d like a richer taste.
Onion and Garlic: These aromatics add so much depth of flavor to the dish. Onion adds a lightly sweet flavor once it’s sauteed, and garlic adds a delicious savory flavor.
Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds the acidic element to the sweet and tangy glaze.
Brown Sugar: This balances out the tanginess of the vinegar. I like the flavor profile of light brown sugar, but you could swap it for granulated sugar if you don’t like the molasses flavor, or for dark brown sugar if you love a stronger molasses flavor.
Smoked Paprika: This adds in a slightly smoky flavor, which really rounds out the sweet and savory flavors in this dish.
Salt and Pepper: The salt enhances all of the other flavors, and the spice in the pepper balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
Alternative Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: Instead of seasoning it with salt, try adding a splash of soy sauce. It will add saltiness, and a delicious layer of umami flavor.
- Bacon Grease: If you have any bacon grease on hand, try using that instead of olive oil to saute the onion and garlic.
How To Make Canned Green Beans
Heat the Skillet: Begin by heating a large skillet over medium heat, then add the olive oil. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Saute the Onion: Add the diced yellow onion to the skillet and saute until it’s translucent.
Add the Garlic: Next, mix in the minced garlic and saute until it’s aromatic.
Add the Other Ingredients: Add the drained green beans, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir everything together.
Let it simmer until the vinegar and sugar reduce into a sweet and tangy glaze.
Season the Green Beans: Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your taste preference.
Let It Rest: Allow the green beans to rest for a few minutes before serving. This will give the flavors a chance to fully meld together. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Adjust the Sweetness: I love the balance of sweet and tangy in this recipe. If you prefer your green beans a little less sweet and a little more tangy, feel free to reduce the sugar a bit.
- Add Bacon: As it’s written, this is a great vegetarian side dish, but it would also taste amazing with the addition of crispy bacon pieces.
What Can I Add To Canned Green Beans For Flavor?
There are so many different ways you can add flavor to canned green beans. This recipe is my favorite, but here are some other ideas:
- Garlic and Onion: Sauteing these aromatics and adding them to green beans is a quick and easy way to have a big flavor impact.
- Bacon: Salty, crispy bacon is a classic flavor pairing with green beans. Try chopping some up, sauteing, and adding it to a can of green beans.
- Nuts: Chopped up walnuts or slivered almonds taste great with green beans. Plus, they add a delicious crunchy texture.
- Parmesan: Sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan over warm green beans before you serve them to add a salty, umami flavor.
- Lemon Juice: The bright, acidic flavor of lemon juice can make canned green beans feel fresh.
- Butter: Sometimes something as simple as melting some butter over warm green beans is all you need. It adds a rich and creamy flavor that makes such a difference.
- Bouillon: You can heat up drained, canned green beans by simmering them in chicken broth or beef bouillon with water. That will give you the ability to season it from the inside out.
What To Make With Canned Green Beans?
I love using canned green beans to make a quick and easy side dish for dinner, but you can also use them with cream of mushroom soup in green bean casserole, to make bean salad, or to make green beans almondine. They also make a great addition to stir-fry or soup.
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
Let them cool, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm them up in a saucepan over medium heat until they’re heated through.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Side Dish Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other side dish recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Crockpot Green Beans
- Fried Potatoes And Onions
- Microwave Baked Potato
- Mashed Potatoes without Milk
- Polenta Cakes
BEST Canned Green Beans Recipe (Make Canned Green Beans Taste Better)
This quick and easy canned green beans recipe is the best! They’re cooked with onions, garlic, and a deliciously sweet and tangy glaze.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans cut green beans (drained)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and sauté it until it becomes translucent and slightly browned (about 5 minutes). Then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add the drained green beans, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and smoked paprika to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir everything together to combine, making sure the beans are well coated with the seasonings. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. The vinegar and sugar will reduce into a delicious sweet and tangy glaze.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the beans rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to fully meld together.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, or heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for larger gatherings.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 5.1gCarbohydrates: 12.4gFiber: 3gSugar: 7.2gProtein: 1.7g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I hope you enjoy this delicious smothered canned green beans recipe as much as I do! It’s such a quick and easy vegetable side dish to serve on busy nights.
