Pecan Green Beans with Orange are subtly sweet and roasted to a golden crisp. As far as Thanksgiving green bean sides go, this dish is far from ordinary. Not even close!
This Roasted Orange Pecan Green Bean recipe is a quick and easy and all of your guests will love it!
Most people expect green beans or brussels sprouts as a part of a Thanksgiving feast.
Not that I’m into always doing what’s expected, but I do think it’s nice to have a few classic dishes as a part of a holiday spread.
Pecan Green Beans
This is an exciting green bean dish! It’s far from ordinary, but it still does its job. And that is to brighten the plates and the table.
Most of the dishes traditionally served on Thanksgiving are more or less in the same color palate. Orange, beige, brown mostly. Think about it — turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes.
Don’t get me wrong, I truly adore these foods, and wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving without them, but it’s always lovely to add a touch of green that’s fresh and vibrant. It brings a plate of food to life.
The Key to Roasting Green Beans
The key to delicious roasted green beans is caramelization.
Roasting the beans at a very high temperature, after they’ve been boiled, adds tremendous additional flavor from the caramelization process, from browning in the oven.
What’s in this recipe?
- green beans
- olive oil
- pecans
- orange zest
- orange juice
- butter
- salt, pepper, cayenne
Pecans add a subtle maple flavor and lovely crunch, and the splash of sweet orange juice, finishes it off perfectly in a silky smooth butter sauce.
Oh, and a pinch of cayenne adds just a touch of heat that’s fantastic with the other ingredients.
This recipe only takes about 25 minutes — start to finish!
It’s an expected dish that will wow your guests with unexpected flavors.
I make this dish often, not just for the holidays. It turns out, it’s just as delicious every other day. 😉
Enjoy and I hope this turns out to be one of your favorite Thanksgiving green bean sides, too.
Here’s another exciting green beans dish for Thanksgiving.
Pecan Green Beans Recipe with Orange
Ingredients
- 1¼ pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- zest of 1 Navel orange
- juice of ½ Navel orange
- pinch of cayenne
- 3 tablespoons toasted pecans, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Set the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F, and adjust a rack to the top third.
- Boil, shock, dry and oil the green beans. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set it aside. Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans, and boil just until they’re a brighter green and tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, and immediately plunge them into the ice water. (This is called shocking.)Once they’re cool, drain again, dry them with a kitchen towel, and spread them out on a sheet pan. Drizzle them with the olive oil and then toss with your hands to ensure they’re all well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread them out evenly, in a single layer.
- Roast. Place the sheet pan in the 500°F oven and roast until they begin to blister and become a little bit golden, 8 to 10 minutes. (Move them around and flip them about half way through the roasting time.) Use a spatula to help you add the roasted beans to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. While the beans are roasting, add the butter, orange zest and orange juice to a small sauce pan. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top and place it over low heat.
- Combine sauce with green beans. Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the sauce over the roasted beans.
- Season and serve. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then pour into a serving dish. Serve hot. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
Lauren says
These look so good and easy! Definitely going to try!
valentina says
Great. Thank you!
Dana says
I love green beans, and they’re really so much more versatile than people give them credit for. Lovely recipe!
valentina says
Totally agree. Thanks!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
You’re definitely right that most people expect brussels sprouts or green beans on Thanksgiving. Personally I love both. Loving this orange pecan flavor you added to these.
valentina says
Thanks Stephanie! 🙂
Julie says
Love love green beans and make them often. Always looking for a new recipe for them. Will try this as the flavors sound delish.
valentina says
Awesome. Thanks, Julie!
jenn peas and crayons says
The flavors here are out of this world! I think this one is going to top my must-try list for sure!!!
valentina says
Yay! Thanks, Jenn.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
All the carbs of Thanksgiving need to step aside! These scrumptious green beans will need room on our plates. Thanks for sharing a veggie recipe for the holiday!
valentina says
You are so welcome! Thank you. 🙂
David says
I have never roasted green beans before… definitely want to try this, although I won’t be cooking this holiday. So sad… but it doesn’t mean I can’t make them for a non-holiday meal, right?
valentina says
Delicious any time! Even though you’re not cooking, I wish you and Mark a very happy Thanksgiving. (Hopefully, someone is cooking for YOU!)
Rocky Mountain Woman says
Adding to the Thanksgiving Menu, love the flavor combo. Nice way to turn tradition into something exciting
valentina says
Thanks! Hope you love it!
Rocky Mountain Woman says
Adding to the Thanksgiving Menu. Nice way to turn something traditional more exciting.
sippitysup says
I agree, don’t forget to put something green on the plate. Green beans are traditional holiday fare and I’m one of those guys who thinks it’s just not Thanksgiving without green beans. But sadly, this vegetable is usually an oozy-gooey over-baked casserole topped with something crunchy that I can never actually identify. Everything here is deliciously identifiable! GREG
valentina says
Thank you, Greg. Yes, I like to see my green beans clearly. ;-). I wish you and your family a Happy (and tasty) Thanksgiving! XO