Lemon Pepper Green Beans

Quick, easy and utterly delicious, Lemon Pepper Green Beans make a wonderful VEGAN side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday or weeknight dinners. Steamed green beans are tossed in a tart lemon vinaigrette, then seasoned with copious amounts of pepper before serving.

2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in November 2015. The recipe and post have been updated to include new photos, as well as a LOT more tips and tricks. I hope you love these beans.

These Lemon Pepper Green Beans are a nod to my childhood neighbors, Mohan and Pratima.

We shared so many dinners in the years we lived on the same street, and their Lemon Pepper Green Beans were always out-of-this-world delicious. They served this simple side dish with various proteins, and it always hit the spot.

In fact, they were so delicious that my family started adding their favorite lemon pepper seasoning to our beans… because it was the BEST green bean recipe and so simple to make.

Why I love this recipe:

When I was plotting out my side dish menu for the holidays, I wanted to make a fresh version of this green. beans recipe without the spice blend, which I did not have on hand.

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I also loved the idea of using fresh lemon because fresh lemon zest and juice adds such lovely flavor to the easy side dish. 

So I made a thick lemon vinaigrette featuring a little lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to toss the green beans in instead of tossing them in spices, per the original recipe.

Unsurprisingly, this fresh rendition of the classic is all kinds of delicious. Also, it is stupid easy to make.

Trust me. The most challenging part is steaming the green beans and getting them to the crisp tender stage, where they still have a little bit of crunch but are cooked through.

The rest is just lagniappe.

These green beans make the perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner or a holiday meal.

I love them for a holiday because this is an easy recipe to make ahead of time. Steam the green beans in advance, and store in the fridge. Make the vinaigrette early, too, and keep it cold in the fridge. When it’s about time to serve the meal, reheat the green beans and toss in the lemon vinaigrette.

Proteins to pair these green beans with: Mediterranean Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin | Cajun Turkey | Cranberry Chicken Thighs | Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin | Broiled Steak | Slow Cooker Pot Roast

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Steamer basket
• Saucepan or large bowl
• Tongs
• 8 oz. mason jar
• Zester
• Citrus juicer

Here’s what you’ll need to grab at the grocery store to make this simple recipe:

• Fresh green beans — you can purchase the trimmed green beans in a bag or trim them yourself. You can use regular green beans, French green beans, haricots verts or string beans… whatever green bean you have should work with this recipe, so long as they are fresh and not canned.
• Olive oil — or another neutral oil. Extra virgin or regular olive oil both work here.
• Lemon — we need the zest from one, as well as the juice. 
• Black pepper — we like to grind our own with a pepper mill and to let the texture be more coarse for this vinaigrette.
• Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand. You could use a similarly sized sea salt. Table salt is saltier than kosher, so keep that in mind if that’s what you have to use.

Variations:

Here are some ways I would shake up the flavors in this vegetable side dish:

Replace the EVOO with a little butter. This would make the vinaigrette recipe even more decadent than using olive oil.

Add garlic to make Lemon Garlic Green Beans. Fresh garlic is such an awesome flavor agent, and it would be great here because lemon and garlic sing together. I would cook it in the olive oil in a skillet before pouring it in the mason jar or bowl and adding the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients.

Add some crunch. ​Sliced almonds or toasted pecans would add some different texture to this green beans. It would be similar to these Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts.

How to make Lemon Pepper Green Beans

Let’s get started on this green beans recipe! Please note that the cooking time will be dependent on the cooking process you use for the green beans. I’ve detailed two separate approaches below.

Steam the green beans. Place a steamer basket over boiling water in a large pot of water. Steam the green beans until crisp tender and bright green. 

Remove from the heat and drain the beans. Then transfer them to another bowl and set aside. You may also place them in an ice bath in a bowl to prevent them from continuing to cook and also preserve their vibrant green color.

Please note that you can also purchase a microwaveable bag of green beans and steam them in the microwave if that is easier for you.

Make the vinaigrette. Combine the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper and salt in a mason jar or a small bowl. Whisk or shake until combined.

Pour the vinaigrette over the steamed green beans. Toss to coat.

Enjoy these lemony green beans warm or let cool slightly and serve at room temperature.

How to store:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, and enjoy.Enjoy warm.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Green beans are always a fantastic side dish to serve when entertaining because they’re something most people know and enjoy.

While we love this for a weeknight dinner side, it’s also an easy recipe to add into the holiday menu. Not only does it pack a big bite of flavor, but it’s quick to make.

If I were to make these green beans to share, here are a few things I’d do to make it easy on myself:

• Make a double or triple batch. Depending on your number of guests, this recipe goes quick. At this point, it barely feeds my family of 4.
• Mix the vinaigrette early, and let it hang out in the fridge. Wait to combine everything until it’s serving time. I always like tossing the beans with the vinaigrette when they’re warm.
• Pair it with your favorite protein. Green beans are versatile, and they’ll go with most anything. Have fun with your pairing. My family suggests serving this alongside a juicy Cast Iron Ribeye or Baked Steak.

Quick tips and tricks to the best lemony green beans:

• Make the steaming easy on yourself. If that means boiling a pot of water and steaming the beans there or just purchasing steamable bags from the grocery store, DO IT.
• Don’t skimp on the dressing. It’s wonderfully saucy and tart and gives these veggies such fabulous flavor.
• Double or triple the recipe if you’re going to serve a crowd. My family always wants more of them!

More favorite green bean recipes:

• Fresh Green Bean Casserole
• Green Bean Bacon Bundles
• Crunchy Green Bean Casserole Bites
• Roasted Green Beans

If you’re interested in adding a bit of lemon pepper zing to your Thanksgiving table or any evening, here’s how you make these simple, but gorgeous beans…