Black Garlic Butter Green Beans
Inside: How to take ordinary green beans to the next level with two ingredients. The secret? Black garlic. It seasons plain haricots verts with a glossy, rich, sweet, tangy goodness.
Plain garlic butter is fine. Black garlic butter is the reason people ask what’s in the green beans. The trick is this compound butter: mash soft black garlic cloves into room-temperature butter with a fork, and when that butter hits hot haricots verts, it melts into a glossy coating that tastes like molasses, balsamic and roasted garlic all at once. It’s an elevated green bean side dish that’s ready in minutes.
If you’ve never cooked with black garlic, start here. There’s nothing to chop and no sauce to reduce. Black garlic is regular garlic held at low heat for weeks until the Maillard reaction turns the cloves black, soft and sweet, with none of the raw bite. I make mine at home in the Instant Pot (here’s how to make black garlic), but store-bought cloves work the same way in this recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- A two-ingredient butter does all the work. No skillet and no sauce. The heat from the beans melts it into a coating.
- Ready in minutes. It’s a weeknight side that looks like a holiday one.
- The butter pulls double duty. Make extra, and you have a compound butter ready for steak, warm bread or a baked potato.
- Gluten-free and vegetarian, so it works for most of the table.
Ingredients:
- Black garlic: You need 4 to 5 peeled cloves. They should be soft and sticky, about the texture of a dried date, so they mash into the butter without lumps. Whole heads keep well in a jar in the pantry. More in my black garlic guide, or buy black garlic here.
- Butter: Softened to room temperature, or the garlic won’t blend in. Salted or unsalted both work. If you use salted, go light on the finishing salt.
- French green beans (haricots verts): Thinner and more tender than regular green beans, so they cook faster and the butter clings to every one. You can use plain green beans, too.
- Kosher salt and sea salt: Kosher salt seasons the cooking water. A pinch of sea salt (flaky, if you have it) goes on at the end, you won’t need much, but it brings out the flavor of the garlic.
How to make black garlic butter green beans
1. Peel the skins from 4-5 cloves of black garlic.
2. Combine room-temperature butter and the black garlic cloves in a small bowl.
3. Use the tines of a fork to mash the black garlic into a butter until a smooth paste is formed.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add 1½ teaspoons of salt and the green beans. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain them well.
6. Toss the green beans with the black garlic and serve with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Pro-Tips:
- Mash the butter while the water comes to a boil. Both are ready at the same time.
- Start checking the beans at 4 minutes. Haricots verts go from crisp-tender to limp fast. Pull them when they bend but still have a little snap.
- Drain well. Water left on the beans thins the butter, and it slides right off.
- Toss while the beans are hot. Their heat is what melts the butter into a coating. If they cool, the butter clumps instead. Tossing them in the warm pot helps.
- Taste before the finishing salt. The salted water has already seasoned the beans.
Swaps and Variations:
- Regular green beans: Cook them a few minutes longer, until tender.
- Add crunch: Toasted sliced almonds or chopped walnuts.
- Make it dairy-free: Mash the black garlic with a tablespoon or two of vegan butter.
- Other vegetables: The same butter works on asparagus, broccolini or roasted carrots.
Make a big batch of the butter. Black garlic butter is a compound butter, and it’s as good on a seared steak as it is on green beans. Melt a pat over a cast iron ribeye, spread it on warm bread, or stir it into mashed potatoes.
FAQs
No. Black garlic is often labeled fermented, but it isn’t. Whole heads are held at low, steady heat and high humidity for weeks, and the Maillard reaction, the same browning that happens on a seared steak, turns the cloves black, soft and sweet.
Sweet and savory, with notes of molasses, balsamic and tamarind. It has none of the sharp bite of raw garlic, which is why it melts so well into butter.
Anything you’d finish with garlic butter: steak, roast chicken, seafood, baked potatoes, warm bread or a bowl of pasta. For more ideas, see my black garlic recipes.
Make ahead:
- Mash the black garlic butter up to a week ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then let it soften at room temperature before tossing.
- For a holiday dinner, blanch the green beans up to 3 days ahead. Warm them in a skillet with the black garlic butter right before serving.
Storage:
- Refrigerate leftover green beans in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Black garlic butter keeps in the fridge, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks.
Reheating:
- Warm the beans in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing, so the butter melts back into a coating. The microwave works but softens the beans.
Freezing:
- Roll the black garlic butter into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Slice off what you need.
- The cooked green beans don’t freeze well. They turn soft and watery when thawed.
What to serve with black garlic green beans:
- Roasted Turkey with Bourbon Turkey Brine
- Marinated Roast Turkey Breast
- Cast Iron Ribeyes with Bearnaise Butter
More with black garlic:
More green bean sides:
Black Garlic Green Beans
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
- 4-5 cloves black garlic removed from the skins
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 ounces French green beans (haricots verts) trimmed
- sea salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Place t4-5 cloves black garlic and 2 tablespoons butter in a small prep bowl. Use the back of a fork to mash them together to form a paste.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. When the salt dissolves, add 12 ounces French green beans and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Add the black garlic butter to the beans and use a pair of tongs to toss the beans and garlic together until well coated.
- Transfer the green beans to a serving dish and sprinkle with a little sea saltto taste. Serve.
NUTRITION:
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy. Values are calculated automatically based on the ingredients and quantities in each recipe and may vary depending on specific brands, exact measurements, and substitutions made. For precise nutritional guidance, especially if you have a medical condition or dietary restriction, please consult a registered dietitian or run the ingredients through your own nutrition calculator.Pin it for later!
