These grilled green beans are the easiest, most delicious side dish for any meal! Crispy with incredible flavor, these garlic green beans are tossed in olive oil, chopped garlic, and fresh lemon juice, and then topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Deliciously charred and simply irresistible!
When I can make a recipe that doesn't require heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven in the middle of summer, it literally makes my day. And that's what these grilled green beans offers. I cook these on the grill! Outside!!
Both of these baked green beans and grilled green beans are absolutely delicious and pair so well with any meat. Since the grill is already on, I like to pair these with this Maple-Chipotle Grilled Salmon and my Greek Marinated Chicken recipe. These are tossed in fresh lemon juice and have a roasted garlic flavor in every bite. You can grill just about any vegetable and green beans have become one of my all-time favorites!
This is the perfect healthy side dish for any spring or summer day! Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make them and every bite has a toasted garlic and charred flavor. They're simply irresistible!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is extremely forgiving and is pretty much FOOLPROOF.
- These grilled green beans are versatile and taste amazing, regardless of the seasonings you use. They also taste good grilled with other vegetables!
- Light, healthy, and simple to prep, you can make these ahead of time and store them in refrigerator for meal prep, leftovers, or even as a snack! Try pairing them with hummus!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Green Beans - for the best taste and texture, use fresh beans. Frozen beans have an odd texture and don't taste nearly as good as using fresh beans.
- Garlic Cloves - use fresh minced garlic cloves instead of the jar version.
- Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed lemon juice provides a burst of fresh flavor in every bite!
- Olive Oil - used to coat the beans. Olive oil or extra virgin olive oil works well, but if you have a flavor infused olive oil, definitely use it for a more robust flavor!
- Garlic Powder - a seasoning used to coat the green beans.
- Salt - a flavor enhancer.
- Pepper - adds a subtle spice.
- Parmesan Cheese - fresh grated Parmesan cheese is used to top the beans after grilling.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📖 Variations
- No Grilling Basket: If you don't have a grill basket, you can use aluminum foil. Place a large piece of foil on a counter and then pour the marinated beans in the center of the foil. Fold and seal the foil into pockets. Grill for about 15-20 minutes and then remove the foil packets from the grill. They won't have that charred look and taste, but the flavor is still amazing using this cooking method. If you like more tender beans, this method is for you!
- Add More Vegetables: You can also add additional vegetables to the grilling basket. I often add whole cloves of garlic, cherry tomatoes, small potatoes, sliced onions or shallots to the grilling basket. The added flavor is super delicious!
- Additional Seasonings: I also like to spice things up a bit and add a cajun spice mix or Old Bay Seasoning. You can make these beans spicy by adding cayenne pepper, sriracha, and even red pepper flakes.
- Salad Option: You can also turn this into a green bean salad by grilling the beans and then adding diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, shallots, and feta cheese. Toss with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and some salt and pepper and then serve!
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Using a sharp knife, cut the ends off of the beans and then rinse them thoroughly.
Step 2: Place the beans, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size resealable bag or plastic container with a lid. Shake until all the ingredients are well mixed. Set aside and let the flavors combine for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat until it reaches 375 to 400°F. Pour the marinated beans in a grill basket and place it on the grill. Close the lid and allow them to grill for 3-5 minutes.
Step 4: Open the lid and turn them with a spatula or tongs. Stir frequently until they are start to char, about 7-10 minutes.
Step 5: Once they are perfectly charred, pour the grilled garlic green beans into a bowl and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Step 6: For a fresh lemon flavor, squeeze additional fresh lemon juice on top before serving these grilled green beans.
🙋🏼 Recipe FAQs
After you thoroughly wash them, line 10-15 beans up on a cutting board lengthwise. Hold them with one hand and then using a sharp knife, slice off the ends. Flip the beans the other way and repeat the same steps.
Fresh is best. If you use a canned version, they will turn out mushy. Frozen tend to be tough in texture. When you use fresh green beans, the are crispy, charred, and full of flavor.
Blanching is not necessary. I typically blanch vegetables before freezing them because blanching stops enzyme actions which helps ensure the vegetable don't have a loss in flavor or texture loss during the freezing process.
If you want a more tender green bean as opposed to a crunchy texture, place the trimmed beans in a skillet and fill with water. Then, place them in the water and turn the burner to high. Bring to a slow boil for 3-4 minutes and then drain the water. Place the hot beans in the container with the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Allow them to marinate for 10 minutes and then grill according to the directions below.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to preheat your grill to medium-high heat before adding the beans. I typically get my grill anywhere between 375°F to 400°F and then I add the basket filled with the beans. They can grill at that temperature but ensure the temperature doesn't go over 450°F or they will grill too fast and become too charred.
- You can substitute the olive oil for avocado oil. Avocado oil has a high smoke point and works really well when grilling. It tastes amazing and is incredibly nutritious!
- If you are preparing in advance, the trimmed beans can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days before grilling.
- Try topping with sesame seeds or toasted almonds.
🥔 More Vegetable Recipes You'll Love!
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Grilled Garlic Green Beans
Equipment
- Grilling Basket OR
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh green beans, trimmed, cut, and washed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh juice from a lemon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the green beans and rinse thoroughly.
- Put the beans, olive oil, chopped garlic, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a gallon sized sealable plastic bag or container. Mix well and set aside to allow the ingredients to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F-400°F. Add the marinated beans to a grill basket and place on the grill. Close the lid and allow to grill for 3-5 minutes.
- Open the lid and turn them frequently with a spatula or tongs until they begin to crisp and slightly charred, about 7-10 minutes.
- When done, remove from the grill and place them into a bowl. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure to preheat your grill to medium-high heat before adding the beans. I typically get my grill anywhere between 375°F to 400°F and then I add the basket filled with the beans. They can grill at that temperature but ensure the temperature doesn't go over 450°F or they will grill too fast and become too charred.
- You can substitute the olive oil for avocado oil. Avocado oil has a high smoke point and works really well when grilling. It tastes amazing and is incredibly nutritious!
- If you are preparing in advance, the trimmed beans can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days before grilling.
- Try topping with sesame seeds or toasted almonds.
Tim
Excellent recipe! Instead of salt I use tamari sauce in the marinade.
If possible do you think you could work in a few more ads
when we are trying to read the recipe?
Amanda Mason
I think you are kidding about the ads...but I'm so glad you loved the recipe!! It's one of my absolute favorites!!
Stephanie
Made these last night for dinner...my husband went to the grocery store today and brought home more green beans to have this again tonight 🙂
Amanda Mason
Oh! This made my night!! What a huge compliment on the recipe! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out and that he loved them so much!