Canned green beans often get a bad rap as bland or boring, but these garlic Parmesan canned green beans are anything but. Ready in about 15 minutes and chock full of flavor, this simple side dish doctors up canned beans and transforms them into a 5 star side dish that’s easy enough for busy weeknights but also worthy of a place of your special occasion dinner menus too.

Green beans are a staple in my house all year long. We love them in all forms. Fresh from the garden, or canned & store bought- our household does not discriminate.

We all agree that they taste great even from the can; however, with a a few simple additions you can really take them up a notch and turn them into something special.

With an infusion of flavor from fresh garlic cloves and a buttery Parmesan cheese finish- these garlic parmesan canned green beans are easy enough for busy weeknights, but flavorful enough to serve for special occasion meals too!

Ingredients Needed

Turning a simple can of beans into an incredible side dish isn’t hard, and just takes a handful of simple ingredients.

You’ll need:

Green Beans – Plain canned cut green beans. I don’t recommend using string beans or Italian style in this recipe.
Butter
Olive Oil – I like using extra virgin, but the original full bodied version will also work well in this dish.
Garlic – Freshly peeled garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Cheese – Shredded Parmesan cheese- freshly shredded/shaved cheese will yield the best flavor, but you can buy the pre-shredded variety if preferred
Seasoning – A simple blend of salt and black pepper round out this recipe.

A short list and you’re on your way to a rock star side dish everyone’s gonna love.

How To Make

Once you’ve got your ingredients assembled, it’s just as easy to throw everything together. No complicated steps, and no long cook times here.

Start by melting a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet, then stir in two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Be careful not to have the heat to high. Olive oil has a low smoke point and butter burns easily, both of which you want to avoid, so I’d recommend medium low.

Once the oil & butter mixture’s hot (as soon as the butter’s melted and the mixture has a sheen to it), stir in the thinly sliced garlic. Let it saute just until lightly browned and fragrant- this will only take about 60 seconds.

Working quickly so the garlic doesn’t burn and turn bitter, stir the drained cans of green beans into the skillet. Use a spatula to toss them a couple of times as they cook.

The beans won’t burn, or turn to mush but they will be delicious infused with the flavors of both the fragrant garlic and the savory butter.

Cook the beans for roughly 6-8 minutes, tossing them regularly to ensure the flavor’s are evenly incorporated.

Remove the skillet from heat, and using a slotted spoon ladle the green beans onto waiting plates.

Serve them warm with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan on top.

Serving Suggestions

You can pair these savory green beans with a simple entree for an easy dinner that everyone will love.

Some of our favorite options include:

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Tips & Tricks For Making The Best Canned Green Beans

When we say the garlic cloves need to be thinly sliced, the emphasis is on thinly. This helps disperse the flavor and without it being overpowering in any single serving. Think of the prison scene in Good Fellas for reference!
If you prefer fresh green beans to canned, you can absolutely use them. I’d suggest steaming them for 5 minutes, so they’re tender but not mushy and then proceeding with the recipe as written.
To take this side dish over the top, add a quarter cup of chopped white onion to the butter mixture. Sauté the onion just until it’s begun to caramelize, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
Need more of a topping than a sprinkle of cheese? Also top it with some crisp crumbled bacon to really set it off.
Like a little crunch, or just a heartier side dish? Stir in a quarter cup of lightly toasted pine nuts to this dish.

Other Easy Canned Green Bean Recipes

Canned green beans are easy to make your own. Take your own liberties with this garlic Parmesan green bean recipe & adapt it to your own unique preferences.

Your family’s going to be blown away after one bite, especially when it becomes known that this spectacular side is basically fancy green beans from a can that don’t taste like they’re from a can.

Looking for other easy recipes using canned green beans?

If you’ve tried these GARLIC PARMESAN CANNED GREEN BEANS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!