Roasted Green Beans

These crispy roasted green beans pack a flavorful bite, thanks to smoky bacon, zesty red onion, savory garlic and bright lemon juice. Garnish with fresh herbs and toasted almonds!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword oven roasted green beans, roasted green beans, roasted green beans recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 217kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
½ of a large red onion, sliced
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: toasted slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Add the onion and bacon to the pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bacon is almost crisp and the onion is starting to soften and caramelize.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Add the green beans and garlic to the pan with the bacon and onion. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to make sure that everything is well coated in olive oil and bacon drippings.
Return the pan to the oven and roast just until the green beans are crisp-tender and the bacon is crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
Squeeze lemon juice over the green beans, sprinkle with thyme, and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Notes

If you prefer your green beans softer rather than crisp-tender, roast them at 425°F for 20-30 minutes (add them to the pan at the same time that you add the bacon and onion).
Use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder in lieu of the fresh garlic cloves.
Instead of the red onion, use a sweet Vidalia onion. You can also omit the onion altogether if you prefer.
Omit the almonds for a nut-free dish, or substitute with chopped, toasted macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds. You can also garnish the baked green beans with grated Parmesan cheese instead of the nuts.
Substitute other fresh herbs for the thyme. Good options include chives, rosemary, oregano, basil, or parsley.
Make sure that the green beans are very dry when you add them to the pan. You don't want them to "steam" in the oven with too much liquid.
Spread out the bacon and veggies as much as possible in a single layer so that everything browns nicely and becomes crispy, rather than soggy and steamed.
To quickly toast the slivered almonds, place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high in 30-second intervals until golden brown and fragrant. This usually takes a total of about 1 ½ minutes. I like to sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on the nuts while they're still hot, too!
Cooking for a larger family? Double the ingredients and prepare 2 pounds of green beans. You'll likely need two large baking sheets to spread out all of the ingredients in a single layer. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.

Nutrition