Green Beans with Lemon-Garlic Panko Crumbs is a vibrant, colourful, make-ahead side dish with classic flavours and some good crunch.
With just 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and an extra 10 minutes, you can take a basic side of green beans and elevate it to something a bit more special. This dish can also be made well ahead of serving which makes ita perfect dinner party dish.
In fact, I often serve green beans when I’m having company because I find most people like them, they can be served warm or at room temperature and they add gorgeous colour to the plate with the little tip below.
The recipe is fairly basic, but is easily stepped up another notch with a few adjustments to your taste. Don’t get me wrong though. It’s pretty good the way it is.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Add a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese to the lemon-garlic oil mixture.
- Add herbs such as thyme or oregano.
- For a pinch of heat, add chili powder or red chili flakes.
- For color, add dried cranberries.
- Add chopped toasted nuts or seeds for extra texture.
- Use butter instead of olive oil for a richer taste.
Tip
- Plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water immediately after cooking. This will stop the cooking process and ensure a spectacular green colour is retained. If the beans warm the ice water too quickly, drain the water and add more cold water to the beans and ice until the beans are cool.
Make Ahead Green Beans with Panko Breadcrumbs
- The entire dish can be assembled ahead and left on the counter at room temperature. If you prefer to serve the beans warm, heat them just before serving and add the Panko crumbs on top.
Green Beans with Lemon-Garlic Panko Crumbs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb (400 gm) french or thin green beans, tips trimmed
- lemon for final squeeze and garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Panko Topping
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
- 1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove) or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp lemon zest (about 1/2 large lemon)
- 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- MAKE LEMON GARLIC OIL MIXTURE: Combine oil, lemon zest and garlic in a cup.
- PREPARE BEANS: Boil salted water in a skillet or small wok. Add beans and cook on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until tender or al dente (as you prefer). If your beans are thicker, they will take a bit longer to cook. While beans are cooking, get a bowl ready, half filled with ice and water. Drain beans and plunge immediately into the ice water. This stops the cooking process and maintains their bright green colour. Let beans sit in ice water for a few minutes to completely cool down. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Return them to skillet/wok. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon garlic mixture and toss to coat evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- MAKE PANKO TOPPING: In small skillet, add Panko crumbs. Heat to medium-high and shake pan over heat 3-4 minutes until light golden brown. Add remaining lemon-garlic mixture. Stir to coat crumbs for 30-60 seconds.
- ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: If desired, warm beans on medium high on the stove for 1-2 minutes. Otherwise, leave at room temperature. Transfer beans to a platter or serving bowl. Squeeze some lemon juice over beans if you like. Sprinkle Panko topping over top, Serve with lemon wedges.
Here’s another delicious green bean recipe you might like:
Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans get the recipe
