Blistered Green Beans
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This easy recipe calls for fresh green beans and just 5 minutes under your oven’s broiler. Tossed with a garlic, chili, and caper oil, the blistered beans are irresistible! This is one of the simplest and most delicious ways to prepare fresh green beans.
When the first fresh green beans arrived in our CSA, I immediately pulled up an old Bon Appetit recipe, but took a different path: instead of deep-frying the beans in oil stovetop, I broiled them; and while the beans cooked, I infused a few tablespoons of oil in a small skillet with garlic, capers, and crushed red pepper flakes.
In just about 5 minutes, when the green beans looked blistered to my liking, I piled them onto a platter and poured the spicy, garlicky oil overtop. No joke: I ate the entire pound of green beans standing at the counter hovered over the platter.
Friends! These beans are so good. And they couldn’t be faster to prepare: don’t take an eye off your broiler — 2 minutes aside and the beans are done! For both its ease in preparation as well as its deliciousness, this is one of my to-go vegetable side dishes this time of year.
I hope you give it a go. The method has me wondering if it might work with broiled asparagus? broccoli? cauliflower? peppers? I can’t imagine a charred vegetable that wouldn’t welcome a sizzle of salty, fragrant, fiery oil.
Five More Favorite Vegetable Side Dishes
- Charred Broccoli Salad with Dates & Almonds
- Crispy, Oven-Roasted Cabbage Wedges
- Burnt Carrots with Honey & Almonds
- 4-Ingredient Balsamic-Roasted Peppers
- Blistered Poblanos Stuffed with Corn & Quinoa
Starting the oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and capers in a cold pan ensures you won’t burn the garlic. Just be patient: there’s a fine line between garlic that’s crispy and caramelized and burnt and bitter.
Blistered Green Beans
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2 as a side dish
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you are sensitive to heat)
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 lb. green beans, stemmed
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the broiler to high for at least 15 minutes. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- In a small skillet, place 2 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes (start with a quarter teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and capers. Turn the heat to low and let the oil slowly infuse.
- Meanwhile, toss the green beans on the prepared sheet pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Taste a green bean raw — it should taste nicely seasoned. Transfer pan to broiler and cook 2 minutes. Check. If the beans aren’t beginning to char, return for another 1 to 2 minutes. If they are charring, toss, and return to the broiler for another 2 minutes. Check again. Remove from oven if the beans are blistered to your liking, otherwise, cook for another minute or so. (Note: When my broiler has preheated sufficiently, my beans consistently blister in 5 minutes, with one toss halfway through. Every oven is different, however, so be vigilant!)
- Transfer blistered green beans to a serving platter.
- Meanwhile, your olive oil should be gently shimmering with the garlic, capers, and pepper flakes. Turn the heat up to medium or high and keep a close watch. Stir occasionally and as soon as you see the garlic beginning to brown at the edges and crisp up, remove the pan from the burner and pour the oil over the beans.
- Gently toss. Taste. Season with more salt if desired. Serve immediately.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Broiler/Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: blistered, broiled, green beans, garlic, spicy, capers, chilies, crushed red pepper flakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
31 Comments on “Blistered Green Beans”
These were so good! I loved the flavor profile especially the crispy capers. Next time I will let the beans come to room temperature before broiling, they took longer than advertised straight from the fridge. I also found the oil to be excessive, next time I would use only 2-3 tablespoons total. I’ll definitely make this again!
★★★★
So happy to hear this! And right? The crispy capers are so good.
I loved it. My red pepper flakes are extra spicy so this was extra zippy. My CSA is sending more green beans so I’ll get to make it again.
So happy to hear this Molly! And I have been meaning to make a note re red pepper flakes since I posted it … it’s very spicy! Doing so now. ANd me too: green beans every week in the CSA. Love them.
I never thought green beans could look so delicious! Will definitely try…
★★★★
These were delicious and 3 out of our 5 kids ate them which is a victory in our house!
So happy to hear this, Jenny! And so happy to hear from YOU xoxo
Can’t wait to make this simple yummy looking recipe tomorrow.
★★★★★
Yay! Hope you love them Meryl! Have a wonderful holiday. xo
I only have two recipes to eat green beans and is this the second one. It comes together so fast and is so good, the green beans are addictive served like this. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
So happy to hear this, May! I find these addictive, too 🙂
Wow! These were delicious and easy. Such a fantastic recipe – thank you!!
★★★★★
So happy to hear this, Kate!
The garlic, capers, pepper flakes sauce is inspired. It can be a jumping off point for many variations (I added anchovies). I didn’t have green beans so used it to dress grilled asparagus and radicchio. Thank you, Alexandra for your many wonderful and approachable recipes.
★★★★★
So nice to hear this, Debra! Grilled asparagus + radicchio sounds amazing as do anchovies… yum! Thanks so much for writing.
Might just be my new favorite way to cook green beans! Thank you.
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear this! It’s my absolute favorite way 🙂
These were amazing although I think the oil mixture would make anything yum! While I loved it on the green beans, I look forward to trying on other vegetables. I was also amazed at how tasty the beans were straight out of the oven on their own. I was generous with the pepper flakes, I like heat, and thought it was perfect. Thanks!
★★★★★
These were amazing! I would never have guessed that broiling green beans works so well. I made half the recipe because my green bean plants are slowing down, but the two of us could easily have eaten the whole thing had I had enough beans. Also, your advice to start the garlic in cold oil is a revelation. The crispest (unburnt) garlic I’ve ever made! Thanks Ali, for a a new favorite recipe.
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear this, Betsy! Thanks so much for writing. So glad you liked the cold oil trick 🙂
Oh good heck, delicious. We’re eating right now with pan seared salmon on a bed of sautéed red onion and red sorrel spinach with the seasoned oil on the salmon, too. Feels like I’m in a restaurant for a fraction of the price. Will definitely make these beans over and over.
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear this, Marji! Thanks so much for writing. I love these, too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Outstanding. Served with Alaskan Cod lemon caper butter…YUM🎃
So nice to hear this, Lisa!
Still have so many new recipes to try but this one is really easy so I tried it first and well, it tastes better than I expected!
★★★★★
For such little effort, these beans are incredibly good! The garlic oil combined with the broiler elevates the beans so much. Would have never thought to place them under the broiler! We could eat these weekly. What a delicious way to eat string beans — and so pretty with yellow beans. Thanks so much, Alexandra!
★★★★★
So nice to hear this, Hina! This is one of my favorites, too 🙂
First time served as a side, but it’s all we wanted to eat. Second time, just made it dinner for two. So good. Added an anchovy to the oil industry because, well, you know.
★★★★★
Love this so much, Marjorie 🙂 🙂 🙂 I can’t believe I have NOT yet added an anchovy to this one yet… it’s screaming for one! Thanks so much for writing.
I made these blistered beans for Canadian Thanksgiving and they were perfect. Super quick and easy too.
★★★★★
Oh yay, Liane 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Makes me happy. Happy Happy Belated Thanksgiving!