These easy crispy roasted green beans are crisp on the ends and soft in the middle. Perfect for low-key weeknights or a simple side for a feast.

Roasted green beans laying over parchment paper on a baking sheet, slightly askew

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This is a super easy recipe I use whether I’m in a making a simple weeknight dinner or need an easy side to go with a meal with a lot of other moving parts. It’s a classic side for holiday meals and usually makes my Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter menus (it was originally published as part of my Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy post).

“Rustic” is a great word for these green beans, but in the best way! I don’t bother blanching first and the wrinkles don’t bother me a bit. I’m not going for perfection or pretense here, I’m going flavor and ease.

I haven’t had any complaints yet—in fact every time I make them for new people, someone asks for the recipe.

Keep in mind that these green beans aren’t so crispy that they crack, and while they brown some, you aren’t going to end up with half of them burned.

Variations

It doesn’t get much easier than four ingredients (counting salt and pepper), but you can easily adjust the recipe to make them fit your meal better or just shake things up a bit. Try:

Adding cheese! This is always a winner, and an easy change. Parmesan and white cheddar are great, but you can experiment. I recommend something salty and sharp. If you want to keep it crispy, add before baking or halfway through. If you want crisp green beans with softer cheese, add it at the end right out of the oven and toss.
Drizzling some balsamic reduction. You can add regular balsamic, but a thicker reduction will keep it from getting soggy and keep it from dominating every bite. You can buy a bottle or make it by simmering balsamic vinegar (and optionally a little brown sugar) over medium heat down to 1/3 of what you started with.
Drizzle flavored olive oil on after cooking. A garlic or lemon infused oil sounds great. Just don’t go overboard to avoid sogginess. Add a little bit and toss, adding more as needed.
Adding some cannellini, navy or great northern beans before baking. Adds a little something extra flavor-wise, a bit of creaminess and some protein. Win-win!
Experiment with sauces. You could try tossing the finished product in lemon juice and tahini, garlic and red chili sauce, soy and ginger—if it fits the flavor profile of your main, try it out!

Full view of roasted green beans laying over parchment paper on a baking sheet, slightly askew

Roast, don’t steam

Make sure you spread out the green beans. They can overlap some, but you want as much surface area exposed to the heat as possible for crispness.

Along the same lines, you can technically double this recipe, but remember that the more you make at once, the less crispy the green beans will be. As they cook, they’ll release steam, so if you have too many beans too close together you’ll bet steaming more than roasting.

To be honest, I double it all the time and it’s still delicious. Just be aware you’ll likely miss out on some of the browning and crisping action, so avoid if that’s why you’re here.

I hope you enjoy this simple side as much as we do!