Lemon Pepper Green Beans. Tasty, easy, and quick!

Lemon pepper green beans is one of those sides that everyone loves. Bright and fresh, they lift any meal with a healthy, but tasty dose of green veggies.

Admittedly, I’m not always one to spend too much time talking about vegetables. I try to include them in every meal, but they are usually more of an after thought for me. I’m trying to change that however. I think partially, because I’m responsible for feeding my family, but also, they offer so many ways to explore flavor. With a rich history in Texas, they are an important part of a well rounded diet, and are also downright delicious. Usually little effort is required, and this lemon pepper green bean recipe is no different!

Green Bean Varieties

Green Beans come from two main groups, bush and pole type plants. Bush type plants grow about 2 feet tall, and usually produce fewer beans. Pole type plants require some sort of structure to crawl up, historically, a “tepee” is made from wooden poles, and the plants climb their way up and fill the space beneath. Some are more meaty and flat such as the Romano pole beans, while others are thin and delicate like the french filet. The truth is that virtually all the beans we find on our produce shelves today are transplants, and were bred and cultivated from seeds brought to the states. They do run deep in our DNA however, and any southern diner will have some sort of green beans as a side.

Any green bean variety will work here, but I’m particular to Blue Lake. They are plump, tender, and known for their rich flavor and texture.

How to prep the Green Beans

I fondly remember sitting at the table with my grandma snapping the ends off a big pile of green beans. Slowly but surely we’d fill the bowl and feel proud at the end. I think this was a way of getting us involved, and set a mood for sharing conversation. It was great therapy, and a good way to slow down. Now clearly, not everyone has that kind of time, or patience, so a quick hack is to grab a hand full of beans, make sure they are all running the same way, and tap the ends to line them up. Trim about 1/4 inch off that end, and then repeat the process for the opposite ends. This drastically speeds up the process if you’re in a hurry.

How to cook the Lemon Pepper Green Beans

One thing that makes green beans so attractive is the many ways that they can be incorporated into your meals. For this recipe, we’re doing a simple sauté. I love this method because it’s quick and easy, and they get some nice color when searing in the pan which gives them such an incredible flavor.

To blanch or not to blanch?

Blanching is essentially dropping your beans into boiling water for a few minutes, and then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking. This cooks the beans to a tender but still crisp texture, and preserves the bright green color. You can take this extra step and blanch the beans ahead of time, then sauté for a shorter time, but I personally don’t think this recipe needs that extra effort. I simply heat some olive oil in a pan, toss in the raw beans, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes until the beans reach that tender crisp texture I’m looking for. I find that this way gives them slightly more caramelization, which I’m always a fan of.

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

In spice aisle at the store, you’ll find a premixed lemon pepper seasoning. Many American tables have seem plenty of “lemon pepper” chicken dinners, that are simply chicken breast sprinkled with this blend. That’s all good and well, but this recipe takes it up a notch by using fresh ingredients! It’s so easy, heres what you need:

• Lemon juice – Provides that citrus pop.
• Lemon zest – Helps reinforce the lemon flavor. Just the outer yellow part, not the inner white pith.
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper – gives a fresh peppery spice.

Why Fresh Cracked Black Pepper?

Pre-ground black pepper comes from the same peppercorn as the kind when you coarsely grind your own with a pepper mill. The difference is that the volatile compounds like piperine and terpenes which give the distinctive pepper flavor get evaporated out more quickly from the finer grind, but because of the smaller surface area of fresh cracked pepper (also known as coarse ground), more of these compounds remain. In a nut shell, fresh cracked pepper has a stronger pepper flavor.

Pairings

These Lemon Pepper Green Beans are great as a side with so many dishes. A few of my favorites are Spicy Buffalo Chicken Fried Steak, and Beer Braise Pot Roast.

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What did you think?

If you loved this recipe, let us know in the comments below and give it a 5 star rating! Please spread the love and share on social! Also, try this other delicious, simple veggie dish! Blistered Shishito Peppers with Smokey Aioli