Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts

Green beans drizzled with balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic are roasted in the oven. They end up perfectly caramelized before getting tossed with walnuts.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated December 17, 2022
Elise Bauer
Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts
Elise Bauer

Have you ever tried roasting fresh green beans in the oven? It works! The trick to keep them from drying out in the oven is to toss them well with extra virgin olive oil.

This is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that we found years ago. In this recipe we are roasting green beans with onion wedges in a hot 450°F oven. About half way through the roasting, we coat the green beans with a balsamic vinegar honey thyme dressing. The natural sugar in the dressing helps the green beans and onions caramelize. So good!

We then toss the green beans with chopped toasted walnuts to serve.

More Great Recipes for Green Beans!

Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off

  • 1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

  • 2 medium thin-sliced garlic cloves

  • 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare the pan:

    Place rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or Silpat.

  2. Toss the beans and onions with olive oil and salt, roast:

    Spread the beans and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and use your hands to coat the beans evenly.

    Sprinkle the beans with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer.

    Roast at 450°F for 10 minutes.

  3. Make the balsamic honey garlic mixture:

    While roasting the beans, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic slices in a small bowl.

  4. Brush beans with the mixture:

    After the beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from oven. Drizzle the balsamic honey mixture over the beans and onions; use tongs to coat evenly.

    Put back in the oven and continue to roast until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, about 12 to 15 minutes longer.

  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper:

    Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
150 Calories
10g Fat
14g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 150
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 77mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 12mg 62%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 239mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.