50 Ideas For What To Serve with Green Beans (Meats, Mains, Sides)

ByJessica Ashcroft
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Wondering what to serve with green beans? Here are 50 easy and delicious ideas including meats, mains, and sides!

Wondering what to serve with green beans?

We’re sharing the best meats, mains, and sides to create flavorful meals with green beans as the star.

Below, you’ll find great options for any occasion, plus classic green bean recipes you’ll love!

Green Beans 101

Large platter of bright green cut green beans lightly cooked with seasonings.

Besides being one of the most classic Thanksgiving sides, green beans (aka snap beans or string beans) are a versatile veggie that you can use any time of year.

You can use fresh green beans in salad recipes, enjoy sauteed green beans with sliced onions, add a kick of Asian flavor with soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce, or roast green beans with garlic butter and red pepper flakes.

These healthy green vegetables can be picked throughout the summer months and into autumn in a home garden.

And they’re filled with important nutrients like Vitamin C, K, and A, as well as folic acid and fiber.

They also provide a decent amount of protein and amino acid content.

Classic Green Bean Dishes

Here are some classic green bean dishes to try that will elevate any meal, and that you can serve with the yummy meats, mains, and sides, below!

Green Beans Almondine

White platter of green beans almondine on gray table.

This green beans recipe is a classic French preparation featuring green beans, almonds, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s an elegant recipe to enjoy for a Sunday dinner or holiday meal.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Large white casserole dish filled with green bean casserole with crispy onions on top.

Everyone loves a good green bean casserole featuring creamy sauce, fried onions, and savory seasonings. It’s a popular Thanksgiving side dish and one of our favorite Campbell’s soup recipes.

Green Bean Salad

Fresh green bean salad with onions, tomatoes, and water chestnuts in a white bowl.

You can enjoy a fresh green bean salad with feta cheese and tangy dressing (and any of your other favorite salad ingredients).

This is an ideal recipe for spring and summer and the perfect versatile dish to make your own.

Salad Nicoise

Italian green bean salad with potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, tuna, and olives.

This Italian salad features green beans, tuna, olives, potatoes, and vinegary dressing. It’s a hardy, flavorful dish that’s a meal unto itself.

Balsamic Chicken And Veggies

White platter of balsamic chicken, green beans, and cherry tomatoes next to gray towel.

This One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies recipe features tender chicken, crisp cooked beans, and juicy tomatoes all covered with a tangy-sweet balsamic vinegar sauce. It’s incredibly flavorful and so easy to make!

What To Serve with Green Beans

Now that we’ve covered green beans 101 and detailed the most popular green bean recipes, here are some delicious options for what to serve with green beans!

Keep in mind that green beans pair best with recipes that include herbs and spices like lemon zest, basil, salt, pepper, ginger, tarragon, mustard, dill, mint, chili pepper, and parsley.

Meats

Meats often serve as the main course of a meal. Here are some of our favorite meaty recipes to serve alongside green beans.

Turkey

Partially sliced juicy turkey breast with green garnish on dark background.

Whether you enjoy it roasted, smoked, or fried, turkey is always an ideal meat to serve with green beans!

And there’s nothing more traditional than turkey served with green bean casserole for Thanksgiving!

Chicken Breast

Three grilled bruschetta chicken breasts on white platter with balsamic glaze and basil garnish.

Chicken breasts are a similar meat to turkey. And they also pair well with green beans.

You can serve a light chicken breast dish like this Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken along with your green beans, or a more cozy and comforting recipe like Chicken Pillows.

Chicken Thighs

Asian chicken thighs garnished with green onion and sesame seeds in bowl with green beans and rice.

Chicken thighs are the more juicy and flavorful cut of chicken. And you can’t go wrong serving them with green beans.

One of the best ways to prepare chicken thighs is in the crockpot.

Try easy recipes like these Crock Pot BBQ Pineapple Chicken Thighs or these 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Asian Chicken Thighs.

Pork Ribs

Crock Pot country style pork ribs on brown parchment paper with fresh parsley leaves.

Ribs are another popular meat pairing to serve with green beans.

And while there are many delicious rib recipes out there, our favorite has to be these Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs that are easy to make and finger-licking good!

Pork Chops

Large white platter of cream of chicken pork chops over egg noodles.

Hearty pork chop recipes like these Rosemary Pork Chops and these 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Pork Chops are another ideal meat to serve with green beans.

Their rich flavors pair especially well with bright and fresh green bean dishes like green beans with lemon and garlic.

Roast

Pieces of pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and gravy on wood plate, which is on white table.

Speaking of hearty recipes, you can get more robust and flavorful than a slow-cooked roast. You can throw your green beans into your roast recipe or serve them on the side.

If you don’t have a go-to roast recipe, you’ll love this Crock Pot Italian Pot Roast and this Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots.

Steak

Large black skillet filled with steak bites with green garnish on wooden table.

Steak is another yummy meat to serve with green beans.

And you can get creative with uncommon preparations like crispy air fryer green bean fries or tempura green beans.

Salmon and Fish

Brown sugar glazed salmon on a rectangular white serving platter with kitchen towel.

Green beans also pair well with salmon and fish recipes.

If you’re trying to eat healthy, green beans are the perfect addition to a light fish recipe like:

  • Seared Halibut
  • Grilled Tuna Steaks
  • Poached Cod

And you can also enjoy them with richer recipes like this Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Baked Salmon Recipe.

Shrimp

Grilled shrimp with green beans, radishes, red onion, and lime on a white plate.

If you prefer shrimp over fish, you can also serve green beans with recipes like shrimp scampi, shrimp alfredo, or even grilled shrimp.

Ground Beef and Meatloaf

Cream of mushroom meatloaf with gravy and sides on a wood plate.

Recipes with ground beef typically pair well with green beans, too.

Try dishes like Cream of Mushroom Meatloaf Without Breadcrumbs or Inside Out Burger Bundles.

Main Course Options

If you’re not serving meat as your main dish, you’re likely putting a creamy casserole or pasta dish on the table. Here are some easy and delicious recipes to try!

Casseroles

Swiss chicken casserole in baking dish with blue and white kitchen towel.

If your main dish doesn’t already include a featured vegetable, green beans are almost always a perfect pairing.

Here are some of our favorite casseroles to serve with green beans:

Pasta Dishes

Italian spaghetti and meatballs in a white dish with fork and gray and white kitchen towel.

The same rules apply to pasta dishes.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Side Dishes

Here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with green beans!

Whether you’re looking for a classic side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, a tasty side dish for a summer BBQ, or a versatile side dish for a weeknight meal, you’re sure to find the perfect side dish for any occasion, below!

Pasta and Pasta Salad

Pizza pasta salad in white bowl next to plates of the salad.

Simple pasta recipes and pasta salads are classic cookout foods. And they also make an easy side dish for weeknight meals.

Pair them alongside one of the meat options above, and your favorite green beans recipe.

Here are some simple and flavorful dishes to try:

Green Salad

White plate with winter salad of lettuce, pears, pecans, and pomegranate seeds; gold fork resting on plate.

You can’t go wrong with a good green salad! You can use salads as a starter or side dish for almost any meal.

Pair green salads with a compatible meat or main dish from above and serve them with your favorite green bean dish to make a complete meal.

Here are some creative salad recipes we know you’ll love:

Vegetables and Fruit

Mixed potato salad ingredients in large white mixing bowl on white counter.

When in doubt, you can usually serve green beans with another vegetable or fruit.

Here are some recipes for everyday meals and ideas for Thanksgiving!

Sides for Thanksgiving

FAQs

What meat pairs well with green beans?


Green beans pair well with any kind of meat, including chicken, pork, turkey, beef, salmon, and shrimp.

What are ways to dress up green beans?


There are so many ways to dress up green beans using herbs, spices, dairy, aromatics like onion and garlic, and meats.

You can add cheese like feta or parmesan to a green bean salad or roasted green beans, for example.

Or, you can throw in some bacon for extra flavor and texture.

And here are some of the best herbs and spices to add to green beans: lemon zest, basil, salt, pepper, ginger, tarragon, mustard, dill, mint, chili pepper, and parsley.

What main dish goes well with green bean casserole?


Green bean casserole is a classic side for Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. But, you can also serve it with other hearty meat dishes like meatloaf, chicken breast, steak, and roast.

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