Lemon Green Beans

These flavorful Lemon Green Beans have lemon juice and lemon zest, and are a favorite green bean recipe that I’ve made many times. And these tasty green beans with lots of lemon flavor are a quick and easy low-carb side dish that’s delicious enough for a special meal!

PIN Lemon Green Beans to try them later!

If you’re someone who likes those lovely thin green beans you can get almost all year, I enthusiastically recommend you try this recipe for Lemon Green Beans that literally takes minutes to get on the table. When I first tested the recipe; I made it three times in one week with the French green beans that come from Costco.

And trust me when I say this recipe is ridiculously easy but so, so good! In fact, the first time I made the Lemon Green Beans, I ended up eating a whole pound of green beans myself and calling it lunch! And through the years I’ve made these beans often when I need a side dish for a special dinner.

Beloved recipes like this one that I’ve made over and over are the ones I love to spotlight for my Friday Favorites posts, so today I’m reminding you about this favorite way to cook green beans and urging you to make it soon! 

What ingredients do you need? 

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• salt
• fresh green beans
• lemon for lemon zest and lemon juice (I also have used my fresh-frozen lemon juice.)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• salt and  black pepper

How can you make the Lemon Green Beans with thicker green beans?

If you have green beans that seem a lot thicker than the ones in my photos, I’d just increase the cooking time for about a minute.

Can you make Lemon Green Beans without a lemon zester or squeezer?

Using a fresh lemon is essential for this recipe! But if you don’t have a lemon zester (affiliate link) or a lemon juice squeezer (affiliate link) like you see in my pictures, you can zest the lemon with the fine side of a cheese grater and just squeeze the lemon by hand.

Want more low-carb vegetable side dishes ideas for special dinners?

You can use Green Beans to find more recipes like this one. Or check out Keto Vegetable Recipes for Thanksgiving or Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes for lots more tasty ideas with Green Beans. 

How to Make Lemon Green Beans:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Trim both ends of the beans. I take a handful of beans, standing them up in my hand, then let them fall down on to the cutting board to line up the ends.
2. Bring salt and water to boil in a small saucepan, then cook the beans for about 5 minutes, or until they’re barely tender-crisp.
3. While beans cook, zest and squeeze the juice of one lemon. (I used all the juice, but I like things really lemony.)
4. Drain beans in a colander placed in the sink.
5. Heat the olive oil in the same pan you cooked the beans in, then add the beans, pour over the lemon juice, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and cook about 1 minute (just long enough to get the beans infused with lemon flavor.)
6. Put beans on a serving dish and sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve hot.

More Green Beans for Special Dinners:

• Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan
• Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
• Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds
• Garlicky Green Beans Stir Fry
• Roasted Green Beans and Red Peppers

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Lemon Green Beans

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 21 minutes

Lemon Green Beans have lemon juice and lemon zest, and this is a great low-carb side dish to serve guests.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, both ends trimmed
• one large lemon (lemon zest and lemon juice)
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Trim both ends of green beans. (I do this taking a handful of beans, standing them up in my hand, then letting them fall down on to the cutting board, which lines up the ends. Then trim that end and repeat with the other end.)
2. Fill a medium-sized saucepan half full with water, add salt, and bring to a boil.
3. When water boils, add beans, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook beans about 5 minutes, or until they are barely tender-crisp.
4. While beans cook, grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon.
5. When beans are tender-crisp, drain into a colander placed in the sink.
6. Return pan to stove and heat the olive oil.
7. When the oil is hot, add the beans, pour over the lemon juice, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook beans for about 1 minute, stirring a few times. (Cook beans just long enough to get them infused with lemon flavor.)
8. Put beans on serving platter, then sprinkle with lemon zest.
9. Serve hot.

Notes

Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 87Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 734mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
These Lemon Green Beans are a perfect side dish for low-carb or Keto eating plans, and the recipe is also suitable for any phase of the original South Beach diet. And it’s vegan and gluten-free.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Green Beans to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for green beans with lemon juice and lemon zest was first posted in 2012, and I’ve made it many times for dinner guests since then. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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