How to make canned green beans taste better
If you love good green beans and crave that home-grown, slow cooked taste on your dinner table, you can actually get it from a canned green bean. Here’s every tip you need to make canned green beans taste better.
Tips for the best canned green beans
- Use a good beef bouillon like Better Than Bouillon. Certain brands of bouillon are very salty. Powdered ones are terrible. Please keep this in mind and start with half as much if you are afraid of over salting.
- Allow the beans to simmer until part of the liquid is cooked off then turn them off and let them sit on the stove at room temperature for a few hours. It’s fine to leave them there all day while you’re gone to work or you can put them in the fridge if that bothers you and do the second step when you get in.
- The final step is to bring them back to a low simmer and cook off the rest of the liquid and serve–that takes about 10 minutes or so.
- You can simmer some bacon or ham hock in with them if your bouillon isn’t too salty.
- Add bacon bits or sauteed onions at the end (optional).
To slow cook: Cook the beans on the stove as directed then transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm.
To make ahead: Cook half way and then cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Rewarm on the stove or in a slow cooker.
To freeze: These do not freeze.
How to make canned green beans taste better
Just because your beans come canned and from a grocery store doesn’t mean they can’t have that classic slow-cooked flavor you crave. Easy steps and no-fuss.
Ingredients
- 2 14.5 ounce cans green beans of your choice canned in water
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon base We tested with Better than Bouillon Beef base
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, empty in the cans of green beans with their water. Add the beef bouillon.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until the water reduces by 3/4. Turn off heat and set beans aside on the stovetop or in the fridge for one to two hours or overnight is fine.
- When ready to eat, bring the beans back to a simmer on the stove top and cook to remove the remaining water. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 63kcal
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How much do you REALLY reduce the liquid? 1. You say “cook about 90% of the water off.” Then you say 2. “When there’s a 1/2 [1/2 of the water?] left in the bottom of the pan, turn your beans off and walk away. Then you say 3.”Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until the water reduces by 3/4.” So we seem to be left with three different directions!
Hi Jack, you reduce the liquid by half, turn off the heat then turn them back on and reduce that by 3/4. It leaves you with just a couple of tablespoons in the bottom when you’re done. –Rachel
Can you tell me how I can make this for 120 people? Is it possible
Anything is possible Cheryl! That’s a ton of people but I’d calculate how big you want each serving to be. Usually a half cup or so is typical. Then multiply and make the recipe as usual. Find a really, really big pot or a few small ones and make them the same day and reheat in time to serve. –Rachel
Will the. Chicken base work as well? Or the roasted garlic?
The chicken works okay Angela. I haven’t tried the roasted garlic though. I’d think that one would be too strong. –Rachel
can I use beef broth instead of bouillon cubes?
I would love that Susan. I actually never, ever recommend bouillon cubes. This recipe recommends Better Than Bouillon Paste which isn’t anything like cubes. If you want to ruin a recipe those things are the sure fire way to do it. If you do use broth, make sure it’s unsalted so you can season separately. As the broth simmers down, the salt concentrates too much and could really ruin your beans. –Rachel
I am ready to try this delicious sounding recipe. Maybe I overlooked it, but when should I add the bacon? Do I add it right before I serve it or do I let the bacon simmer with the bean the entire time?
The bacon in the photo was just for garnish. There’s not any in the recipe so you didn’t miss it. 🙂 –Rachel
@Patty,
I do put bacon in mine. I usually add it at the beginning.
I’ve made this with both better than bouillon beef base and ham base. Both are good but I preferred the beef base. Maybe I’ll try 1/2 teaspoon of each next time.
Had anyone ever done this with potatoes added in? I have a big southern family that wants extra starch added to everything :p I’m worried that they’ll turn to mush if I cook them with the beans, but worried they won’t soak up all the flavor if I only cook them in the bouillon the second cooking go-round. Any advice?
Amy I do it with potatoes. Use the “little” ones or cube yours to about an inch in diameter and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, then just turn it off and let the potatoes sit in the broth. It’s okay if there’s still quite a bit of liquid in the pot. Then reheat everything together before serving and if you need to pour off a bit of the liquid, you can do that or just leave it. My family doesn’t mind a slotted spoon to dip out what they want. –Rachel
I have been doing the beef bouillon for a long time. but I do cut up some onion and bacon to add, each to there own, just my preference.
Love this recipe! Only thing I do different is drain water from can and refill it with beef broth. I don’t like the can taste that comes from the water in can.
Whatever you enjoy is fine Rick. 🙂 –Rachel
I’ve been cooking my green beans this way for years, I asked an Aunt about her green beans many years ago and she told me this secret, I used bouillon cubes for years, so glad we have the “better than bouillon” option today. I’ve been complimented many times over the years! While I still love some good southern style fresh green beans, this method is so much better than just plain canned green beans.