Honey Garlic Green Beans

Ingredients

• 24 ounces fresh whole green beans, ends trimmed – I bought green beans labeled “trimmed,” but some of the ends were still a little rough. I ended up cutting both ends so the beans looked cleaner and more uniform.
• 1/4 cup honey – Adds sweetness and helps create the sticky coating on the beans.
• 4 cloves garlic, minced – Fresh garlic is a big part of the flavor here, so I wouldn’t substitute garlic powder.
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce – I prefer reduced sodium because it gives the sauce plenty of savory flavor without making it overly salty. If using regular soy sauce, I would leave out the additional salt at first and season to taste.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes – This amount adds a little heat without overpowering the honey garlic sauce. Use less for milder beans or more if you like things spicy.
• Nonstick cooking spray – Used when blistering the beans after boiling.

How to Make Honey Garlic Green Beans

1. Make the honey garlic sauce.
Whisk together the honey, minced garlic, reduced-sodium soy sauce, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Briefly boil the green beans.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Working in 3 to 4 batches, add the green beans and cook each batch for 3 minutes.

I used a spider strainer to lift each batch directly out of the boiling water and transfer the beans to a strainer to drain. This was much easier than draining and refilling the pot between batches.

I also skipped the ice bath and didn’t individually dry the beans. I simply let them drain well in the strainer while I finished cooking the remaining batches. They turned out great, so I don’t think the extra step is necessary for this recipe.

3. Blister the green beans.
Once all of the beans have been cooked, drain the water from the stockpot and coat the pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Return the drained green beans to the pot and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to blister and develop browned spots.

Give them time to get some color here before adding the sauce. Once the honey mixture goes in, you aren’t trying to brown the beans anymore.

4. Add the honey garlic sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour the sauce over the green beans. Stir until everything is evenly coated and heat just until the sauce and beans are hot.

Serve immediately.

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Green Beans

Because these green beans have honey, garlic, soy sauce, and a little red pepper, they pair best with main dishes that have similar sweet and savory flavors.

Try them with Crispy Sesame Chicken, which has a honey-soy sauce that works really well with the green beans. Bourbon Chicken is another good option since it also uses garlic and soy sauce, so the flavors make sense together without feeling repetitive.

More Green Bean Recipes

If you want another way to serve fresh green beans, try my Diced Green Beans with Garlic for a more traditional savory version, or Green Beans Almondine with butter, almonds, and feta. For a heartier side dish, Southern Style Green Beans with Bacon is another option.