Pecan Green Beans with Orange

Are you looking for an original green bean recipe for the holidays? Pecan Green Beans with Orange are the answer! Quick and easy to make, they're subtly sweet and roasted to perfection. As far as Thanksgiving green bean sides go, this dish is far from ordinary.

These Pecan Green Beans are a proven recipe with delicious results every time. It's quick, easy and it's always a hit. It only takes about 25 minutes -- start to finish! What could be better for a big holiday dinner?

Most people seem to expect some sort of green bean side dish or perhaps buttery roasted burssels sprouts, as a part of a Thanksgiving feast.

I think it’s nice to have a few classic dishes as a part of a holiday spread, and as a professional chef, I always like to put a a creative twist on them.

The Key Ingredients

• green beans - Look for green beans that are firm, with a deep green color and no bruised or yellow areas. You can also use Haricot verts, which are very similar, only more delicate with a thinner and longer shape.
• pecans - Pecans add a subtle maple flavor and lovely crunch to the green beans. You can roughly chop whole pecans, or buy pecan pieces.
• orange juice and zest. The sweet orange juice and zest finish the dish with a perfect silky-smooth butter sauce. I like using Naval oranges because they're super juicy and don't usually have seeds. Use any orange you like.
• cayenne pepper - A pinch of cayenne adds just a touch of heat that's fantastic with the other ingredients. If you don't want the heat, just omit it.

Can you roast frozen green beans?

Absolutely! If you want to use frozen green beans, let them thaw completely at room temperature before you begin. Then proceed according to the same instructions listed below.

How to Make Pecan Green Beans

- Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set it aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans, and boil just until they’re a brighter green and tender, about 4 minutes.

Recipe Tip: If the beans are on the long side (i.e., hard to eat in one bite), cut them into smaller pieces.

- 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.

Recipe Tip: Shocking the green beans in ice water is very important, as it will stop the cooking process and help them to keep their color.

- 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.

- Place the sheet pan in a 500°F oven and roast until they begin to blister and become a little bit golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip them about half way through the roasting time. Use a spatula to help you add the roasted beans to a large mixing bowl.

Pro Tip: 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.

- To make the sauce, while the beans are roasting, add the butter, orange zest, orange juice, pecans and cayenne to a small sauce pan. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top and place it over low heat.

- Once the butter has melted, cook for another minute and then drizzle it over the roasted beans.

- Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper, and then pour the beans into a serving dish. (If your're not sure how to season to taste, this seasoning guide will help.)

Variations

• Vegan version. Use extra virgin olive oil instead of the unsalted butter. While it won't be quite as rich, it will still be delicious.
• Possible additions. Cooked and crumbled bacon, delicious caramelized mushrooms, various other nuts like pine nuts, slivered almonds or chopped walnuts. These ingredients can be used with the pecans or instead of them.
• This recipe is also really tasty with lemon, if you want to swap it out for the orange.
• Pecan Green Beans are also fabulous when made with these warmly spiced pecans. If you try this, roughly chop them and add toss them into the green beans with the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

This is ideal for a Thanksgiving side dish, though it's of course just as delicious any other day. Below are a handful of dishes I like serving with them.

• Spinach Rolls with Phyllo
• Smoky Roasted Whole Turkey
• Sous Vide Rosemarey Pork Chops with
• Honeynut Squash Stuffed with Onion, Bacon and Cranberries

Making Them Ahead

You can make most of this recipe ahead of time. Below is a good timeline to follow.

• A day ahead. The day before you want to serve, boil, shock and then refrigerate the green beans.
• Up to 6 hours ahead. Make the sauce and leave it on the stove covered with foil. (Heat it later to add to the roasted green beans.)
• 30 minutes ahead. Preheat oven, roast and then assemble.

More Must-Try Holiday Sides

Enjoy, and I hope this turns out to be one of your favorite Thanksgiving green bean sides dishes.