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These creamed green beans are what I make now instead of the casserole. No canned soup, no bacon, nothing baked. Instead the beans simmer soft in stock, then finish in cream, and the whole thing gets buried under crispy fried shallots and onions.
The topping is the part people fight over. Shallots go into cold oil and fry low and slow until they turn golden, while the onion rings get a light coat of flour and a quick, hot fry. Together they give you two different crunches.
Then lemon zest goes in at the end. Because the sauce is rich, that bit of brightness is what keeps a second helping from feeling like too much.
If you are building a holiday spread, these sit well next to my Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, my Cornbread Dressing and my Candied Yams with Marshmallows.
Table of Contents
- Creamed Green Beans vs Green Bean Casserole
- Ingredients You Will Need
- How to Fry the Shallots and Onions
- How to Make Creamed Green Beans
- Tips for the Best Creamed Green Beans
- Make Ahead and Storage
- What to Serve With Creamed Green Beans
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Holiday Sides
- Creamed Green Beans with Crispy Shallots Recipe
Creamed Green Beans vs Green Bean Casserole
Both start with green beans and fried onions, although almost nothing else is the same. A casserole binds everything with condensed soup and bakes until set, while this version builds its own sauce in the skillet from butter, stock and cream.
The texture lands somewhere different, too. Casserole beans go soft inside a set custard, whereas these stay loose and saucy, closer to creamed spinach than to a bake.
If you want the classic instead, my Fresh Green Bean Casserole is still on the site.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Fresh green beans. Three pounds, trimmed. Look for pods that are full but still crisp, the way Penn State Extension describes, and skip frozen here because they water the sauce down.
- Shallots and a yellow onion. The shallots fry slow and the onion rings fry fast, so they go in separately.
- Neutral oil. Canola or vegetable, enough to float the rings.
- All-purpose flour. A light coat on the onions is what makes them shatter.
- Butter, stock and heavy cream. These three build the sauce, in that order.
- Smoked paprika. Half a teaspoon, for a little warmth behind the cream.
- Lemon. Zest and juice, added off the heat so the flavor stays sharp.
How to Fry the Shallots and Onions
Start the shallots in cold oil. Put them in the pan together and bring the heat up to medium. Because they come up to temperature slowly, the sugars have time to caramelize instead of scorching.
Watch for light golden, then stop. They keep cooking in their own heat after you lift them out, so pull them a shade early. Salt them the second they hit the paper towel.
Flour the onion rings. Toss them with the flour and a pinch of salt, then shake off everything loose. Too much flour makes a pasty coating.
Fry the onions hot and fast. Bring the same oil to 350 degrees F and work in batches, 2 to 3 minutes each. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and you end up with greasy rings.
Both toppings can be fried hours ahead. Spread them out so they do not steam each other, and leave them uncovered until you need them.
How to Make Creamed Green Beans
Soften the aromatics. Melt the butter in a deep skillet or Dutch oven, cook the diced onion 4 to 5 minutes, then add the garlic for just 30 seconds.
Add the beans and the stock. Toss the beans in the butter first so they get coated, then pour the stock in, cover the pan and let it go.
Simmer them properly soft. Twenty to twenty-five minutes, stirring once or twice. These are not meant to be snappy, so give them the full time.
Finish with cream. Uncover, stir in the cream along with the salt, pepper and smoked paprika, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. The sauce tightens as it reduces and ends up coating every bean.
Brighten and top. Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest and juice, then taste for salt. Pile the fried shallots and onions over the top at the last second.
Tips for the Best Creamed Green Beans
- Trim the beans evenly. Similar lengths cook at the same rate, so nothing comes out tough.
- Do not rush the reduction. If the sauce still pools, keep simmering. It thickens more as it cools.
- Season at the end. The stock and the salted topping both add salt, so taste before you add more.
- Keep the frying oil. Strain it once it cools and use it again for the next batch.
Make Ahead and Storage
The beans themselves reheat beautifully, which is why this dish works on a holiday timeline. Make them a day ahead, refrigerate, then rewarm gently with a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.
Fried shallots and onions keep airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. Never refrigerate them, since the moisture turns them limp.
Leftovers hold for 3 days. Reheat them on the stove over low heat rather than in the microwave, because the cream can split.
What to Serve With Creamed Green Beans
Anything roasted. At Thanksgiving they go beside my Cajun Butter Turkey and my Honey Butter Cornbread, while on a regular Sunday I put them next to my Red Wine Braised Pot Roast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen green beans?
I would not. Frozen beans carry a lot of water, so the cream sauce stays thin no matter how long you simmer it.
What can replace the heavy cream?
Half-and-half works, although the sauce comes out looser. Avoid milk entirely, because it tends to break.
Is there a shortcut for the topping?
Store-bought fried onions will do in a pinch. Fresh shallots taste better, though, and they are the reason this dish stands out.
Do these creamed green beans reheat well?
Yes, as long as you go low and slow on the stove and add a little stock. Add the crispy topping only after reheating.
Can I make it without chicken stock?
Vegetable stock swaps in one for one, so the dish works for a vegetarian table.
More Holiday Sides
Holiday Recipes
Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Side Dishes
Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipes
Roasted Cajun Turkey Recipe
Dessert
Honey Butter Cornbread
Creamed Green Beans with Crispy Shallots
Ingredients
Crispy shallots and onions
- 4 large shallots peeled and thinly sliced into rings
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced into thin rings
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups neutral oil such as canola
- kosher salt for seasoning right out of the oil
Creamed green beans
- 3 pounds fresh green beans trimmed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lemon zested, plus more zest to finish
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Fry the shallots. Put the sliced shallots and the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until they turn light golden. Lift them out onto paper towels and salt them right away, since they crisp as they cool.
- Fry the onions. Bring the same oil up to 350 degrees F. Toss the onion rings in the flour with a pinch of salt, shake off the excess and fry them in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and crisp. Drain and salt them too.
- Build the base. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until soft, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Simmer until tender. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Pour in the stock, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the beans are soft all the way through.
- Make it creamy. Uncover, then stir in the cream, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the beans.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, then taste and adjust the salt. Transfer to a serving dish, pile the crispy shallots and onions over the top and finish with a little more lemon zest.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
