Braised Green Beans – very tender haricot verts braised in chicken stock and garlic, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice.
Right about now, you’re probably thinking “Oh yeah…another recipe for green beans. Ho-hum.” And you’re about to keep right on browsing. But if you give me just a few minutes, you’ll be really glad that you did.
Without being overly dramatic, I can say that these may be the best green beans I’ve ever eaten. The chicken stock and garlic that they’re braised in give a nice mellow flavor to the beans and the lemon juice at the end adds a sharp, bright kick that really takes these beans to another level. Give this recipe a try – your family will thank you for it!
How to Make Braised Green Beans
This recipe can be made with either regular fresh green beans or haricot verts, the slender little French green beans that are so delicious. Clean and trim the beans, if necessary. The haricot verts usually only needed a few stems removed. It takes about five minutes of prep time.
You’ll need a large skillet with a cover. In the skillet, bring the chicken stock and garlic cloves to a simmer over medium heat.
Add the green beans and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook until the beans are tender. Depending on how tender you like your beans, the cooking will take about 8 to 10 minutes.
The chicken stock should be nearly evaporated at the end of the cooking time. If it seems to be evaporating too quickly, add just a few tablespoons of water so that the beans don’t cook dry.
When the beans are tender, remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve immediately.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
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- Barbecued Green Beans
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Braised Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 lb. haricot verts slender French green beans
- 3-4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2-3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Clean and trim, if necessary, the green beans.
- In a large skillet, bring the chicken broth and garlic cloves to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the green beans and thyme. Cover and cook approximately 8 minutes or until beans are tender and chicken broth is nearly evaporated.
- Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and juice of one lemon.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Thanks! I do have one more question: did you slice/mince/press the garlic? Thank you!
I peeled the garlic and left the cloves whole. They cook right along with the beans and are so nice and soft and sweet. You can discard them if you want, but you can see in the photo how I served a whole cooked clove with a portion of green beans.
Thanks again! Making them in a bit!
Thank you for posting! I ripped this out of the magazine to keep, and I cannot find it–and just bought a ton of beans at the farmer’s market today!. The magazine website doesn’t have it for some reason. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Alexis. Glad I could help.
I love this recipe. I think it will be good too if cook with cauliflower. Maybe some cheese on top would be nice too. :)
Yum! Perfect way to make green beans.
it looks awesome. I have cooked string beans, carrots and potatoes together in chicken broth before. It tastes delicious!
Thanks, Mari. It’s a really delicious way to flavor the beans without adding lots of fat.