Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Summer is just around the corner and we’re all looking forward to spending more time outdoors. This recipe for roasted sesame green beans, adapted from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, is the perfect side dish for anyone who is looking to minimize time spent in the kitchen. With just a few minutes of prep work that can be done in advance, these honey-sweet, garlicy beans require only fifteen minutes of oven time. And that means more time to spend outside enjoying the sunshine.

Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Roasting green beans has another benefit in addition to a speedy cooking time. As green beans mature, their fibers toughen and their sugars are converted to starch. The hot, dry heat of the oven helps reverse the aging process in beans. Fibers break down and an enzymatic reaction causes the starch to turn back into sugar, restoring sweetness. The shriveled exteriors of the green beans are the sign of the beans’ successful transformation from bland and stringy to tender and flavorful. Wrinkles rule!

Assemble your ingredients. Trim the green beans. Rinse the green beans before roasting and pat dry with a piece of paper towel. This recipe also works well with French green beans, that don’t need any prep work. I use the 1.5 lb. package from Costco. You do not need to adjust the recipe for the larger quantity of green beans. 

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the green beans on the baking sheet making sure that they don’t overlap. Drizzle the green beans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with table salt. Roast the green beans for 10 minutes.

While the green beans are roasting, grate the garlic and ginger with a microplane, or mince finely. You can also use frozen ginger and garlic cubes for this recipe. Add the sesame oil, honey and red pepper flakes. Stir the mixture to combine and set aside.

After 10 minutes, remove the green beans from the oven. Spoon the garlic, sesame oil, honey mixture over the green beans and use two spoons to coat the beans. Return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the green beans to a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Vegetables and Sides

By Cook's Illustrated, adapted slightly – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 20 minutes

Honey-sweet, garlicy green beans finished with the nutty aroma of toasted sesame oil.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon), or 3 frozen cubes
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or 1 frozen cube
• 4 teaspoons sesame seeds (toasted)

Instructions

1

Trim the green beans. Rinse the green beans before roasting and pat dry with a piece of paper towel.

2

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the green beans on the baking sheet making sure that they don't overlap. Drizzle the green beans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon table salt. Roast the green beans for 10 minutes.

3

While the green beans are roasting, grate the garlic and ginger with a microplane or mince finely. You can also use frozen ginger and garlic cubes for this recipe. It works very well. Add the sesame oil, honey and red pepper flakes. Stir the mixture to combine and set aside.

4

After 10 minutes, remove the green beans from the oven. Spoon the garlic, sesame oil, honey mixture over the green beans and use two spoons to coat the beans. Return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the green beans to a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

The green beans can be trimmed in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. The oil, honey, garlic mixture can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until needed. To toast the sesame seeds, heat a small frying pan over medium high heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir until they are light golden brown. Remove the sesame seeds from the frying pan immediately or they will continue to cook. You can store extra toasted sesame seeds in the refrigerator for another use.