How to Season Canned Green Beans to Make Them Deliciously Gourmet

Fresh veggies are always the best when it comes to texture, flavor, and nutrition.

But the stuff in cans can be there for you in a pinch when you haven’t had time to run to the supermarket.

After all, you should always eat your veggies!

That’s likely why you’ve got that can of green beans staring back at you from the pantry.

Oh, pick me! Pick ME!

If it’s your only choice, then learning how to season canned green beans is going to surprise the whole family.

Because when you’re done with them, they won’t taste like they came out of a can. 

These seasoning tips ensure you’ll liven up canned green beans and get rid of that “can” taste.

It’s a can-do way to get veggies on everyone’s plates tonight, and we bet you’ve got some of these things ready in your kitchen to make them go from canned and bland to gourmet and hooray!

1. Basic Broth

 

Broth provides a simple, nutritious, and delicious way to flavor your canned green beans.

You can even go right into making a soup this way.

But if you’re prefer a tasty side dish, simmer it slowly together.

You’ll get rid of the canned taste, no matter what kind of broth you use. 

And then you can add other seasonings to compliment it from fresh herbs to items in your spice rack.

More inspiration follows below but even still, just adding broth is a surefire way to success!

2. Chicken or Beef Bouillon

 

No broth around the house?

No problem!

Bouillon can also rescue you from suffering through the canned taste.

The flavors of poultry or beef can help by infusing canned green beans with a deeper complexity. 

Simmer it down until the liquid is almost gone and you can be sure those beans will be infused with flavors that don’t taste canned. 

3. Butter and Salt

Fats are certainly a blessing when it comes to canned green beans.

Especially butter, which truly makes everything better.

Salted or unsalted, butter added to a can of drained green beans can make it go from meh to marvelous.

However, if your butter is the unsalted variety, we recommend adding some salt.

Feel free to toss some more seasonings in there too to flavor these canned veggies your way.

Adding some pepper will give this one a tiny kick.

Don’t overdo it however (even though you can fix a too much pepper problem). You want to let the butter shine!

4. Italian Cheeses

 

One of the best things you can add to season canned green beans is cheese.

You can use it with butter, or olive oil too, another splendid fat that adds heaps of flavors to bring it out of the realm of blandness.

Parmesan and asiago are really perfect cheeses for this sort of thing.

But honestly, any cheese would be good stirred in or baked atop your canned bounty here. 

While Skinny Taste showcases some fresh green beans, you can get some more inspiration here for using cheese on your canned ones too. 

5. Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds

 

When you’re making Asian flavors for dinner, canned green beans can be tuned into those flavors too.

That will give you even more on the table and in the form of a healthy veggie too.

Simply adding soy sauce and sesame seeds will bring it all together.

We love that Peas and Crayons adds a bit of sriracha in there too.

That’s a brilliant idea worth trying if you like spice, but if not, leave it out and you’ll still have that beautiful Asian taste!

6. Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs of any kind will really make anything canned, even green beans, taste wonderful and homemade.

But those Herbs de Provence of France will make them taste like Julia Child was in your kitchen.

This classic French blend features rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, lavender, tarragon, and marjoram, so if you don’t have the blend, you can recreate it with the other spices on your rack.

Simply cook the beans with butter or olive oil and then add this seasoning. 

7. Ranch Seasoning

 

Think about it…how much does ranch improve everything?

Salads disappear.

Fries become even more sensational.

And it creates the best dips.

So it stands to reason that ranch dressing is going to be the best seasoning for canned green beans.

Just add that packet and you’re good to go.

You can also add bacon bits like Plain Chicken does too!

8. Smoky Bacon

 

Smoky and rich, bacon is the ultimate fixer-upper for canned green beans.

Of course, you’ll have to cook the bacon first.

But hold onto that grease! 

That’s what will make this side dish sing!

While the bacon drains off, cook your canned beans up in the bacon fat, then add the pieces of bacon. 

Add onions or other seasonings too like you see from Long Bourn Farm here, or simply enjoy the bliss of bacon-y goodness!

9. Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce, the one you count on for your burgers and meatloaf, is one of the best seasonings for canned green beans.

It has a bit of everything to add complexity from savory to sweet to tangy.

You can use this seasoning tip with the broth or bouillon, or even with butter or olive oil.

And you’ll find it hard to believe that your beautiful side dish started out in the can!

10. Sugar Coverup

Simple yet efficient, if you have nothing else around the house to help you out with those canned green beans, turn to sugar.

Just a little is all you need to get rid of any hint of canned flavoring. 

It’s best to simmer the beans up in some broth or with bouillon and then add a spoonful of that sugar. 

11. Roasted Garlic

Absolutely, you could make canned green beans with garlic powder to boost the taste and mask the canned flavors.

Oh but if you roast garlic cloves just prior to putting the beans in a pot on the stove, you will thank us!

Add a bit of butter along too and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves in.

They’ll be soft and spread just like butter too so they’ll get all over those canned green beans and make them absolutely superb!

12. Za’atar

Another way to correct canned flavors is by going wild with unique seasonings.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice that should really be used way more often.

You should simmer the beans in a bit of broth or cook in some fat, then add this seasoning.

It’s a bit nutty and tart all at once, while ushering in some robustly bold flavors.

Try it alongside a meal of Mediterranean braised fish and you’ll see what we mean!

13. Cajun Spices

 

Need something southern and comforting?

Turn to Cajun seasoning and you’ll have it covered.

I love this style on green beans (or even as a seasoning for canned black beans to use in various down-home recipes).

Serve this with muffulettas, jambalaya, or even fried chicken.

You can simply use Cajun seasoning, but if you don’t have it, look at Savory with Soul for the spices you can cobble together to recreate it in your kitchen. 

14. Lemon Garlic

 

One of the most quintessential flavor combinations for just about any dish is lemon and garlic.

Add some butter to that and you’ve got all your bases covered.

The butter adds fat and richness while the lemon adds a zesty and fresh taste.

And of course garlic adds a savory turn so you’ll forget all about these green beans being canned!

You could even go a step beyond and throw some parmesan in here too like Maria’s Mixing Bowl!

15. Diced Tomato Sauce

 

We’ll leave you with this one last suggestion for canned green bean seasonings.

Diced tomato sauce is a beautiful idea for the beans will simmer along with another canned staple.

The beauty of this is that you can simmer away canned taste and give your green beans a new lease on life.

Add Italian herbs to make a lovely green side for your chicken parmigiana.

Or do what Heartful Table has done and give it a Turkish twist. 

See what we mean? 

Canned green beans do not have to elicit groans of disgust from the family.

In fact with these tips, they’ll be elegant enough for company.

And if you do wind up with fresh green beans sometime, you can try these out on them too!