I realized I’ve been cooking green beans for so long that I just never really paid enough attention to how I steamed green beans or for how long green beans need to be cooked.
And was I ending up with the tastiest green beans possible?
It was time to do my own research. And it turns out I discovered something very important that I hadn’t been doing in all of my years of cooking.
So, I’ll expand on this, but for crisp-tender green beans, it takes 10 to 12 minutes to steam green beans on medium-low heat in a covered saucepan on the stove.
The store’s loose, bulk green beans didn’t look so fresh and were kind of spotty. They were pretty picked over.
But I did find some pre-bagged and I figured … a bean is a bean.
For the most delectable side dishes, start with the best-looking green beans you can find in your price range.
Pro Tip: Here’s what I learned after all those years, learning how to steam green beans: Be sure to DRAIN THE BEANS before adding any seasoning.
I’d been diluting the flavor by keeping them in the cooking water.
How To Steam Green Beans In A Pan
Here are the step-by-step instructions (with how long to cook) for how to steam green beans on the stove.
Ingredients
- 10 oz of washed and “snapped” green beans
- Water
Instructions
- Discard moldy, spotted, or very shriveled beans.
- Snap off the tough, pointy ends of the greens. Discard the ends. (Unless you have purchased pre-bagged, ready-to-cook beans, which have usually been washed and trimmed for you.)
- Set your colander in your sink.
- Add 1 c of fresh water to your saucepan and place on the stove.
- Turn the heat on high under your saucepan. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the green beans. They should pile mostly above the water.
- Cover the pan and set a timer for five minutes.
- When the timer goes off, use your tongs or spoon to lightly toss the green beans. Cover. (Note: If you will continue cooking your beans as part of a different recipe, now is a good time to remove them from the heat and drain.)
- Set time for five more minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- At the ten-minute mark, pull out a bean, blow it off to cool and taste-test it for desired tenderness, which is al dente, or crisp-tender. If the bean still seems a little tough, go to Step 11.
- Add another one or two minutes as needed, then remove the beans with a slotted spoon or drain them in the colander waiting in the sink.
- Important: Don’t add your seasonings to green beans before draining the water. It dilutes any flavor, and you definitely want fat and herbs to stick to the beans.
- If you’re adding beans back to the same pan you cooked them in for seasoning or for serving, remember to remove any cooking water left.
- Season to taste and serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
I had a heck of a time finding instructions for exactly HOW LONG to steam green beans, so I decided to research it myself!
I’d been making green beans for years but never documented what I was doing, so I hope this helps you make tasty green beans for your next meal.
I ended up having green beans with a little herb butter for breakfast, but an extra serving of vegetables never hurt anyone, am I right?
Hope this article helped you with the method and timing for how to steam green beans.
Green beans go great with so many dishes, and as it turns out, aren’t so bad for breakfast either!