Everyone needs a basic oven roasted green beans recipe, whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or a holiday, like Thanksgiving. I’ll explain how to do just that, but for maximum flavor, let me show you how to roast green beans with garlic and parmesan — without much extra work at all. Whether you use this recipe for roasted haricots verts (those are French green beans) or classic American green beans, it works for both and makes a great healthy side dish for just about anything including garlic butter chicken, keto meatloaf, filet mignon, and pan fried chicken thighs. You’ll love how easily they come together and everyone else will love how delicious they are! If you’re looking for a green bean recipe with brighter flavors, try green beans almondine instead, with almonds and lemon juice.
Can You Roast Green Beans?
Yes, you can absolutely roast green beans in the oven — and it’s super easy! Which is just one of the reasons why I love these so much.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for roasting green beans, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Green Beans – Fresh green beans are best, but frozen will also work (instructions below). I used classic American green beans, but French haricots verts are great as well. Haricots verts are longer and thinner, so they cook a little more quickly.Olive Oil – A must for roasting any vegetable. You can also use avocado oil if you prefer.Garlic Powder – Even though we’re roasting fresh garlic as part of this garlic green beans recipe, I still like to add garlic powder because this way the flavor penetrates directly into the beans. Feel free to skip it if this isn’t important to you.Sea Salt & Black Pepper – You can adjust to taste, but I like 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper per pound of green beans.Garlic – Yep, these garlicky green beans are definitely for all the garlic lovers… because we’re using a whole head of garlic in this recipe! That may seem like a lot, but when you slice it thinly and let it caramelize in the oven, it’s just perfect. Fresh garlic also tends to burn when roasting out in the open for very long, so I’ll show you below how I make these roasted garlic green beans without burning the garlic.Grated Parmesan Cheese – You can buy pre-grated for convenience, or grate it yourself fresh for maximum flavor. Shredded parmesan would be delicious, too.
How To Roast Green Beans In The Oven
This section shows how to make roasted green beans, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Prep green beans. Wash your green beans and dry them well with paper towels. I often buy green beans already trimmed for convenience, or you can trim them yourself (simply stack them together and cut off the stems).
TIP: Cut off the ends diagonally. This exposes more surface area, which means they cook a bit faster and absorb a bit more oil.
Season green beans. In a large bowl, drizzle the green beans with olive oil. Add garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper, and toss together.
Roast. Spread the beans out on a sheet pan in a single layer (I did this directly on the pan, but you can line it with aluminum foil for easier cleanup if you like). Either way, we’re not adding the garlic and parmesan yet. Roasting green beans on their own for 10 minutes first allows them to cook for a bit without risk of burning garlic and cheese. At the end of this step, the green beans will not be fully cooked, which is normal.
TIP: Each green bean should be touching the pan. This helps them cook evenly and start to brown.
Prep garlic. While the green beans are roasting, thinly slice the garlic. Toss it with some olive oil, too.
Add garlic and parmesan. Sprinkle the garlic and parmesan onto the roasted green beans. Toss to coat everything.Roast again. Continue roasting the baked garlic green beans until they are crisp-tender and golden, and the garlic starts to caramelize.
How Long To Roast Green Beans?
Total cooking time for this roasted green beans recipe is about 15-20 minutes:
The first roasting time takes 10 minutes.Add the garlic and parmesan and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes.
If I added the garlic and parmesan for the initial roast, they would burn. This method allows the oven roasted green beans to be perfectly soft and tender, and the garlic and parmesan to turn perfectly golden.
Can You Roast Frozen Green Beans?
Yes, you can make roasted frozen green beans. You can make this recipe the same way with frozen green beans as you would fresh, except:
Pat dry and remove any ice crystals before cooking, so that there is as little moisture as possible.Adjust the initial cook time to 15-20 minutes instead of 10 minutes. Then, add the garlic and parmesan and proceed with the recipe.
Are Green Beans Healthy?
Yes, green beans are good for you! They are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and fiber [*], and low in carbohyrates.
Storage Instructions
Oven roasted green beans are really best fresh, but if you want to make them ahead or have leftovers, there are options.
Can You Make Roasted Green Beans Ahead Of Time?
Yes, there are a couple ways to make oven roasted green beans with parmesan ahead of time: Option 1 (recommended):
Cook the beans for 10 minutes (the first roasting step), but don’t cook with the garlic and parmesan.Right before serving, toss the partially cooked green beans with the garlic and parmesan.Roast at 400 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, until hot and golden brown.
Option 2 (fine for leftovers):
Cook green beans with garlic and parmesan, all the way to the end of the recipe.Reheat green beans with garlic in the oven at a lower temperature, 325 degrees F. The lower temp prevents burning the garlic, since it was previously roasted
I prefer the second method since it tastes fresh, but the first one is perfectly fine for leftovers! Both ways will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Can You Freeze Roasted Green Beans?
Yes, you can freeze pan roasted green beans, though their texture won’t be as good as fresh. You can use either option 1 or 2 above.
Recommended freezing method: Use option 1 above (roast for only 10 minutes without garlic and parmesan), then freeze in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once solid, you can transfer the roasted green beans to a freezer bag. When ready to eat, roast for about 5-7 minutes at 400 degrees F until thawed, then add the garlic and parmesan and roast for 5-10 more minutes, until done.For leftovers: For fully cooked green beans, simply thaw and reheat afterward in the oven at 325 degrees F. The texture can get a bit mushy, though.
What To Serve With Roasted Green Beans
Now that you know how to make roasted green beans with parmesan and garlic, you just need a main dish for a healthy dinner. Here are a few healthy recipes that go with green beans:
More Garlicky Vegetable Recipes
If you like these roasted green beans with garlic, try some of these other garlicky veggies: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
