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Green Beans with Tarragon has fresh green beans lightly seasoned with fresh tarragon and garlic. This easy side dish is fantastic!
The Best Green Beans Recipe
Green Beans with Tarragon is my husband Jack’s go-to recipe for preparing green beans. There’s just something about the green beans paired with tarragon and a light garlic seasoning that really enhances the flavor of the green beans.
This is a super simple vegetable side dish. Just simmer cleaned and trimmed fresh green beans in water until tender-crisp. Then drain the beans, and add them back to the pan with melted butter, chopped fresh tarragon, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss to coat and serve.
We often make this recipe for the holidays (a nice change of pace from the traditional green bean casserole), and we have been told many, many times by our guests that these are the best green beans they’ve ever eaten. I agree!
What Does Tarragon Taste Like?
Tarragon has a very unique flavor, unlike any other herb we’ve tasted.
Many people think that tarragon tastes a bit like licorice or fennel – and it does – but in a very mild way. It also has a sort of grassy and almost citrus flavor to it as well.
Tarragon goes nicely with chicken and fish – as well as green beans!
Reader Review
“Loved this recipe for dinner with steak and mashed potatoes.” -Nancy
Why You’ll Love Green Beans with Tarragon
- The flavors of fresh tarragon and garlic wonderfully complement and enhance the taste of green beans.
- This dish takes just minutes to prepare so it’s perfect for any meal.
- This recipe is made in just one sauce pan or skillet, so clean up is very easy.
- It’s a perfect menu option for the holidays. These green beans go so well with turkey or prime rib, as well as many other main entrees.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Fresh Green Beans – This dish is best made with fresh green beans. Just trim the ends off but leave them whole.
- Fresh Tarragon Leaves – In a pinch, you can swap in dried tarragon, but for the best taste, use fresh tarragon.
- Unsalted Butter
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Special Tools You’ll Need
- 3-Quart Sauce Pan or a Deep Skillet
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Various Measuring Spoons
- Tongs
- Colander
How do I make Green Beans with Tarragon?
- Bring a sauce pan of salted water to a boil.
- Drop trimmed green beans into the water. Once the water comes back to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes or so.
- Drain the beans in a colander.
- Return the green beans to the hot sauce pan and add butter, chopped tarragon, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat the green beans with the butter, herbs, and seasonings.
- Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips & Tricks
Avoid over-cooking your green beans. You want then to be crisp-tender and not mushy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Green Beans with Tarragon ahead of time? We think this green bean recipe is best freshly cooked but you can certainly measure out all of the ingredients ahead of time, then cook right before serving.
- Can I use dried tarragon? Yes you can. The general rule of thumb is to use half the amount of dried herbs than what is listed in the recipe for fresh herbs.
- Can I steam the green beans instead of simmering them? Yes.
- How do I store any leftovers? Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- How do I reheat any leftovers? Gently warm individual portions in the microwave.
- Can I freeze the cooked green beans? You can, however, the texture of the beans may be a little mushy after freezing and thawing.
The Green Beans with Tarragon recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in 2012. We’ve updated the photos and post, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Green Beans with Tarragon
Green Beans with Tarragon has fresh green beans lightly seasoned with fresh tarragon and garlic. This easy side dish is fantastic!
Ingredients
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a 3-quart sauce pan approximately ½ full with salted water and bring to a boil.
- Drop trimmed green beans into the water and bring back up to a boil. Cook gently for 5-6 minutes or until tender.
- Drain the green beans and return to the pan, adding butter, chopped tarragon, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to melt the butter and combine. Serve immediately.
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Nancy Saenz says
Loved this recipe for dinner with steak and mashed potatoes.
Martha says
Sounds like the perfect menu Nancy! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
MEEFER says
I wonder that you said to cook the beans 5-6 minutes. I usually cook green string beans about 15 minutes to get them tender. Am I over cooking them?
Martha says
Hi – We like our green beans tender but still with a little bit of crunch (plus the beans will cook a little bit more as they are sauteed with the butter and tarragon in this recipe). But – if you enjoy your green beans after cooking them for 15 minutes – that is perfectly fine! You could try cooking them less time and see which you like the best! Thanks for writing to us – I hope that helped!
Nina Barth says
I’m trying this with dried basil leaves of tarragon. I think it will be good…..
Martha says
Hi Nina! Dried tarragon will definitely work!