Easy Way to Cook Frozen Green Beans – Affordable, Tasty Veggies

Here’s an easy way to cook frozen green beans. Not only is it quick and easy, it’s also very tasty and won’t leave you with limp or watery beans.

Frozen green beans with sweet peppers and garlic – dry fry method.

Also read: Oven Roasted Cauliflower, Lemon Pepper Finishing Salt, Sausage and Sheet Pan Dinner with Green Beans

Boiling or steaming are probably the most popular ways of cooking frozen beans, but these methods don’t always produce the best results. Too often, the beans end up mushy and lose their colour, which ends up being more grey than green. Read more about best ways to cook frozen vegetables.

I’m glad to say there is a better way to cook frozen green beans and it’s just as easy as boiling, steaming or microwaving.

How to Pan Fry Frozen Beans – Dry Fry Method

Pan frying is the way to go for stove top cooking beans – it releases all the moisture trapped in the beans and leaves you with delicious beans – not squeaky, not watery, not mushy! Here’s the how to and why:

  1. Heat the pan. You want to hear those beans sizzle when you get them in the pan. I like using cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic coated pans or non-stick pans that are rated for medium high to high heat.
  2. DON’T add oil of fat. You want a dry pan to start – we’ll add fat for flavor and maximum nutrient absorption later.
  3. DO NOT THAW the beans, just pour those frozen beans right into your pan. Because your pan is hot, those frozen beans with those ice crystals will release moisture right away, so no liquid needed.
  4. Just cover the bottom – don’t add too many beans at once or they will steam instead of fry and you’ll end up with too much water in the pan. Do in batches if you have a lot of beans to do or do them in the oven with similar results.
  5. Now, let them fry/cook until the moisture has evaporated – that includes the moisture inside the beans – no watery squirty gushers allowed! Wait until they start to blister – you’ll see golden brown edges starting to form.
  6. Stir gently to let them get blistery on all sides.
  7. SEASON them well. This is when you can add your favorite fat – butter, olive oil, bacon fat, avocado oil, canola, etc. Toss in some garlic, onions, bacon, etc then add seasoning – Italian seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, Lemon Pepper Finishing Salt, Garlic/Onion pwdr, steak spice, etc. You could even add some fresh sweet peppers or mushrooms if you’d like. See below for a list of 23 ideas.
  8. Serve and enjoy right away.
frozen beans in pan
Frozen green beans come out beautifully when pan fried without thawing and any other liquid. These were my home grown frozen beans – but it works with any frozen beans.

What to Do with Large Ice Build Up on Frozen Beans

If you have lots of large ice crystals on your frozen beans – wash or brush them off before cooking.

When this happens to me, I put frozen veggies in a strainer and run cold water over them and let them drain well before using.

Pan fried frozen green beans with carrots, Cajun seasoning and parsley.

23 Ways to Season Frozen Green Beans

I love when I get feedback from readers on social media or here on the blog. When I shared a reel on this method of cooking frozen green beans – you responded with so many great ideas! THANK YOU! I’m happy to share these ideas here – so you never have to have the same beans twice! Enjoy. And if you have other ideas to share – comment below!

After the water has evaporated and beans are blistering, add your choice of fat and some of these ideas. If you prefer not to add any fat – use a little of our favorite stock or broth.

  • garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
  • bacon grease and onion powder
  • oil, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika and crumbled feta
  • butter, salt and lemon zest
  • butter, lime juice and Parmesan
  • minced garlic, sweet pepper slices, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper with fresh parsley and lemon juice
  • Montreal steak spice
  • butter, honey and grainy mustard
  • butter and lemon ppper seasoning
  • bacon pieces, minced garlic and parsley
  • diced onions and anchovies
  • Parmesan
  • dollop of pesto
  • olive oil and lemon juice
  • butter, oil, hot chilis and peanuts
  • sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds
  • olive oil, garlic and mushrooms
  • sun dried tomato oil
  • garlic butter and salt
  • soy sauce
  • powdered ranch dresssing
  • lemon juice, red onion, red pepper and garlic
  • butter, finely minced garlic, splash of Worcestershire and lightly toasted almonds

PRO TIP: Don’t stir your beans too often, just be patient, let that water steam and evaporate, then gently stir.

frozen green beans with sesame seeds and a soy sauce drizzle
Frozen whole beans pan fried then topped with sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds.

Recipe for Easy Way to Cook Frozen Green Beans

green beans and sweet peppers with bits of garlic on serving plate with parsley garnish
Print Recipe
4 from 7 votes

Pan Fried Frozen Green Beans with Sweet Peppers

One of the tastiest and easiest ways to prepare frozen green beans. No need to thaw the beans, just brush off ice crystals and add to hot pan. The beans will release liquid very quickly to coat the pan. Make it with or without the sweet peppers.
Prep : 2 minutes
Cook : 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen green beans
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil bacon grease or butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 cup sweet peppers (combination of colors) julienned
  • dash hot pepper flakes optional
  • dash salt & fresh pepper to taste
  • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

  • Remove and discard any large ice crystals or chunks from frozen green beans. Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. When hot, pour frozen green beans (do not thaw) into pan.
  • Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until beans are heated and moisture has been released and cooked off. Only stir occasionally to avoid squished beans.
  • Stir in one tablespoon of oil or butter and minced garlic and sweet peppers. Sauté for another 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Remove from heat and season with hot pepper flakes, salt, pepper and lemon juice and zest if using.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

*Try other seasoning like seasoned finishing salt, lemon herb seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan cheese, Cajun seasoning or nutritional yeast with green beans.
Garnish with toasted sliced almonds, hot pepper flakes, green onions or parsley.
Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frozen beans, frozen vegetables, green beans, pan fried
Frozen beans will release their moisture quickly in a dry pan and start to show brown blister marks.

I also like adding frozen green beans to sheet pan dinners. Just like with pan frying, I toss the frozen beans directly on the hot sheet pan. As you can imagine, frozen beans don’t need a long time in a hot oven, so I usually add them within the last 8-10 minutes of cooking a sheet pan dinner.

chicken sheet pan dinner with green beans
A chicken sheet pan dinner with frozen green beans. The frozen green beans were added during the last 8-10 minutes of cooking.

Why Are Some of My Beans Yellow?

These are my homegrown wax beans that I blanch and freeze myself. I grow green, yellow and burgundy wax beans and I like to freeze them together so I have a mixed batch of beans when I’m ready to serve them.

mixed fresh wax beans from garden green, yellow and burgundy
These are the wax beans from the garden that I freeze. The burgundy beans turn dark green when cooked. Can you identify them in the pan fried beans in the other photos?

What’s your favourite method of cooking frozen green beans? What’s your favourite seasoning or herbs to put with green beans?

I’d love to hear your recipe ideas for using frozen beans. Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram at #getgettys or Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.

Select, store and serve seasonal food for everyday cooking with Getty. Getty is a food educator and Professional Home Economist, who loves sharing tips and recipes following the seasons from her Canadian kitchen. Sign up to get seasonal tips and recipes delivered to your inbox. Learn more about Getty or check out her books and pdf guides.

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