Green Beans Almondine with Brown Butter
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Bright, snappy beans tossed in butter browned until it smells nutty, with golden almonds, a shallot and a squeeze of lemon. Blanch them the day before, and on the day you only need a hot pan.
The short version
Blanch 2 pounds of green beans in well-salted boiling water for 4 to 6 minutes, shock them in ice water and dry them. Cook sliced almonds in butter until the almonds are golden and the butter is brown and nutty, add a minced shallot, then toss in the beans with salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Don't skip the ice bath.
What makes ours better
why ours wins the argument at dinner
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Blanch and shock. Salted boiling water seasons the beans through and sets their color; ice water stops the cooking so they stay bright green and snappy instead of sliding toward olive drab. It also means the beans can wait in the fridge for a day, which on Thanksgiving is the whole point.
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Brown the butter while the almonds toast. Almonds and butter brown at about the same pace, so one pan does both. The browned milk solids taste like toasted nuts themselves and make the almonds twice as loud for no extra steps.
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A shallot in the butter. One minced shallot, cooked for a minute in the brown butter, adds a sweet, savory layer under the almonds without making the dish taste of onion. Garlic works too, but it pushes the almonds aside; shallot stays in the background.
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Lemon zest and juice, off the heat. Zest for aroma, juice for brightness, both added after the pan leaves the burner so the lemon stays fresh and the butter doesn't break. It's the difference between buttered beans and a finished dish.
What you need
the stars of the show
- Green beans2 pounds
- Unsalted butter4 tablespoons
- Sliced almonds½ cup
- Shallot1 medium
- Finely grated lemon zest1 teaspoon
yes, all of the butter
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Boil water, set up an ice bath
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and fill a big bowl with ice water. Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter next to it.
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Blanch the beans
Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and the beans to the boiling water. Cook until the beans are bright green and tender enough to bend but still squeak a little when you bite one, 4 to 6 minutes (2 to 3 for haricots verts). Taste one at 4 minutes.
If 2 pounds of beans kills the boil for more than a minute, your pot is too small. Blanch in two batches.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Shock and dry
Drain the beans and tip them straight into the ice water. Leave them until fully cold, about 3 minutes, then drain well and spread them on the towel. Roll them up in it and pat dry. Wet beans spit in the butter later and go soft.
About 3 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Brown the butter with the almonds
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet, light-colored if you have one, over medium heat. When it foams, add the almonds and stir often. In 4 to 6 minutes the foam goes quiet, the almonds turn golden and the butter underneath turns the color of toasted hazelnuts and smells like them. If it's getting ahead of you, pull the pan off the heat for a moment.
Golden to burnt takes under a minute at the end. Stay with the pan.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Add the shallot
Stir in the shallot and cook over medium heat until soft and sweet-smelling, about 1 minute.
About 1 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Toss in the beans
Add the beans, the ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Toss and turn with tongs until the beans are hot and coated in butter and almonds, 2 to 3 minutes. They should still have a little snap.
About 3 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Lemon, off the heat
Take the pan off the burner. Add the lemon zest and juice, toss once more and taste; you may want another pinch of salt. Pile the beans on a platter and spoon the almonds left in the pan over the top. Serve hot or warm.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- With bacon, cook 4 slices of chopped bacon in the skillet until crisp, scoop it out and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Use 2 tablespoons of butter instead of 4, brown it in the bacon fat with the almonds, and toss the bacon back in with the beans. Go light on the added salt.
- Make ahead. Blanch, shock and dry the beans up to a day ahead and keep them wrapped in a dry towel inside a bag in the fridge. Brown the butter and almonds up to a few hours ahead and leave the pan on the stove. At dinner, rewarm the pan over medium, add the shallot and go; the finish takes 6 minutes.
- Frozen whole green beans work. Skip the blanching. After the shallot, add the beans straight from the freezer with 2 tablespoons of water, cover for 4 to 5 minutes, then uncover and toss until the water is gone and the beans are hot.
- Slivered almonds take a minute or two longer to color than sliced. Roughly chopped hazelnuts or pecans are good here too.
- Storage. Refrigerated, 3 days; the beans soften and dull a little. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, and add a fresh squeeze of lemon. Don't freeze.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why did my green beans turn dull or gray?
Either they cooked too long, they skipped the ice bath and kept cooking in their own heat, or the lemon went in early. Acid turns green beans olive, which is why the lemon goes in off the heat at the very end.
Can I make green beans almondine ahead?
Most of it. Blanch, shock and dry the beans up to a day ahead, and brown the butter with the almonds a few hours ahead. The last step, warming the beans in the butter and adding the shallot and lemon, takes about 6 minutes right before serving.
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes. Skip the blanching and add them frozen to the skillet after the shallot with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover 4 to 5 minutes, then uncover and toss until dry and hot. They won't be as snappy as fresh, but the brown butter and lemon carry them.
What's the difference between almondine and amandine?
Same dish. Amandine is the French spelling, almondine the American one that stuck on menus. Both mean cooked or garnished with almonds.
Do I have to blanch the beans first?
No. You can cook them in the skillet instead; after the shallot, add the raw beans with ¼ cup water, cover 4 to 5 minutes, then uncover and toss until the water is gone. They'll be a shade less green and you lose the make-ahead option, but it saves a pot.
How do I keep the butter from burning?
Medium heat, a light-colored pan so you can see the color, and the almonds as your guide; when they're golden, the butter is brown. If you see black specks and smell something sharp, start over. Four tablespoons of butter is a cheap do-over.
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Published October 26, 2026.