These simple Green Beans with Caramelized Onions make for an easy and delicious Thanksgiving side dish, that's so much healthier than that traditional green bean casserole!
Green beans are often seen at Thanksgiving coated in canned soup with canned onions. Green bean casserole can be delicious of course, especially if you make it from scratch, but it’s not the healthiest dish.
My favorite way to eat green beans all year is a simple and healthier option that is great for Thanksgiving - green beans with caramelized onions.
Caramelized onions are best when you cook them low and slow so they can be time-consuming but they are easy to make and you can do other things while the onions cook.
I like to have the onions cooking while I work on other parts of the meal that way they really aren’t much work.
These green beans with caramelized onions are perfect by themselves but you can also add some bacon or almonds if you want to make the dish even better.
Thanksgiving in my family growing up was always a potluck. We have a huge family so it made it a lot easier for everyone to have a couple of dishes to make instead of a whole meal. We also always had a ton of options this way.
This is a great dish to take to a potluck. It gives a vegetable option that is healthier than the casseroles we often see. It can be a nice break from all of the very rich dishes.
It’s also a naturally gluten-free dish and with so many people now avoiding gluten that can be nice to have at the meal.
Quick Tips
The onions can be made a day ahead and just warmed. I love things that can be prepped ahead, it makes Thanksgiving day so much less stressful.
Another tip to make caramelized onions quicker is to add ½ teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of baking soda at the start of cooking. This gives you sweet and soft onions. The flavor isn’t quite the same but in a pinch, it works.
If you love these green beans, be sure to check out these other tasty ideas:
Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 pounds green beans
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onions sliced thin
- pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter has melted add the onions and salt and pepper.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes until the onions are caramelized, stir occasionally.
- While the onions cook, fill a large pot with water and a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil
- Add the green beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
- Drain beans and run them under cold water to stop cooking.
- Top the green beans with the onions and serve.
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