This Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine is a simple yet elegant take on a classic French side dish. Ready in just 15 minutes, this recipe uses minimal ingredients to create perfectly tender green beans topped with buttery, toasted almonds and a hint of lemon and garlic flavor. Using the Instant Pot not only saves stovetop space but makes this dish a breeze to prepare, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any weeknight meal year-round. Plus, it’s low FODMAP, low carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, and vegetarian-friendly.
Serve these green beans alongside my Lemon Chicken Thighs for an extremely satisfying meal.
Featured Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is so good! It passed the test run and is now going on our Thanksgiving table. A perfect alternative for anyone who doesn't love the classic green bean casserole."
– Donna
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What is Green Beans Almondine?
Green beans almondine, or haricots verts amandine, is a classic French dish that shows off how simple and tasty French cooking can be. “Almondine” just means "a dish topped with toasted almonds," which add a nice, nutty crunch that takes the flavor up a notch. This dish became popular for its mix of tender green beans and buttery almonds, often with a touch of garlic and lemon for extra flavor. Green beans almondine is now a go-to side for holiday meals and special dinners around the world, loved for being both somewhat fancy yet easy to make.
Why Green Beans Almondine in the Instant Pot?
I enjoy reimagining classic recipes like this for the Instant Pot, bringing a modern twist that makes them simpler and quicker to prepare. Making green beans almondine in the Instant Pot is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas when your stovetop is already busy with other dishes. Plus, in my opinion, cooking anything with the Instant Pot is way more fun!
Equipment
The equipment you'll need to make this Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
- Vegetable steamer basket
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus juicer
- Microplane or zester
- Small bowl with water, for cleaning the leeks
- Large bowl with water and ice, for the ice bath
- Paper towels
- Slotted spoon
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- Serving platter or bowl
Ingredients
The ingredients that make this Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine super delicious include:
- Fresh green beans, trimmed - haricots verts work best for this recipe. Hopefully you can find better looking beans than I could for these photos (ugh).
- Unsalted butter or ghee
- Sliced almonds
- Garlic-infused olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) + fresh garlic, minced, if not needing low FODMAP.
- Leek greens, finely chopped, or white onion if not needing low FODMAP
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest - I use both lemon juice and zest as the zest adds extra brightness to the flavor of this dish that I really love.
For Cooking (not pictured):
- Cold water, for the Instant Pot
- Large bowl of ice water, for the ice bath
For Garnish (Optional - not pictured):
- Lemon slices
- Lemon zest
Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
This recipe moves quickly, so get all your ingredients ready and have your ice bath set up before you start cooking! You don't want to leave your beans cooking for too long at any step as they can easily overcook.
Prep Instant Pot
Pour water into your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker. Place a vegetable steamer basket inside, then arrange the green beans in an even layer.
Pressure Cook
Secure the lid, set the pressure release valve to “Sealing,” and press the “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) button. Set the timer to 0 minutes (yes, that's zero. Really – it works!).
Quick Pressure Release
When the timer goes off, perform a quick manual release of the pressure, then open the lid carefully.
Ice Bath
Immediately transfer the green beans into your prepared ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let them sit for 1 minute, then drain, pat dry with paper towels, and set them aside.
Toast Almonds & Sauté Leeks
Discard the water from the pot and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Hit the "Sauté" button, and when the display reads “Hot,” add butter or ghee. Once it's melted, swirl the pot to coat the bottom, then toss in the almonds. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Remove the almonds with a slotted spoon and set them on a plate, keeping as much butter in the pot as possible.
Add garlic-infused olive oil (or regular olive oil) to the pot, swirling to coat. If you’re using fresh garlic, add it and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Then, toss in the leeks (or onion) and cook for 1 minute (longer for onion), stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant.
Combine Ingredients
Add salt and pepper to the pot, stirring to combine with the aromatics. Then add the green beans, and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour in the lemon juice and zest, stirring to coat the beans. Hit “Cancel” on the Instant Pot, and quickly transfer the beans to a bowl or platter to prevent overcooking.
Serve
Top the green beans with the toasted almonds and serve alongside your favorite main dishes.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine
This Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine goes well with the following main dishes:
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Drumsticks (Air Fryer / Oven)
- Tourtière - French Canadian Meat Pie traditionally served on Christmas Eve
- Stuffed Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Cajun-Spiced Rotisserie Chicken
- Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Glazed Ham
- Lemon Chicken Thighs
FAQs: Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine
Yes, frozen green beans can work in this recipe, although their color and texture may differ a bit once cooked.
Yes. Use ghee (which is technically still dairy but with the milk solids removed) or a dairy-free butter substitute instead of regular butter to make the dish dairy-free. You can also toast the almonds without butter, although they are INCREDIBLY tasty and addictive with butter.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can steam the green beans on the stovetop in a regular steamer basket or blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as directed, using either the dried out pot or a skillet on medium heat for toasting the almonds and sautéing the leeks.
This recipe is best when served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan or microwave, but be careful not to overcook the green beans. You may need to refresh the flavor by adding a little more fresh lemon juice.
Related Recipes
Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Instant Pot Green Beans Almondine is a quick, elegant side dish ready in just 15 minutes. Featuring tender green beans, buttery toasted almonds, and a hint of lemon and garlic flavor, it's the perfect addition to any meal. Ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or weeknight dinners, this recipe is low FODMAP (up to 75 grams), low carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, and vegetarian-friendly.
Ingredients
For the Green Beans Almondine:
- 14 ounces (400 grams) fresh green beans (haricots verts), trimmed
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil (or EVOO + 1 clove garlic, minced, if not needing low FODMAP)
- ¼ cup leek greens, finely chopped (or white onion if not needing low FODMAP)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
For Cooking:
- 1 cup cold water (1 ½ cups for an 8-quart Instant Pot)
- Large bowl of ice water, for an ice bath
For Garnish (Optional):
- Lemon slices and zest
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: As this recipe moves very quickly, prepare all your ingredients and the ice bath before starting to cook.
- Prep Instant Pot: Add water to your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker and place a vegetable steamer basket inside. Place green beans evenly in the basket.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the pressure release valve to “Sealing.” Hit the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” button, and set the timer for 0 minutes (yes, zero. It’s a thing).
- Quick Pressure Release: Once the cooking cycle has completed, perform a quick manual release of the pressure, and open the lid.
- Ice Bath: Immediately transfer the beans to the prepared ice bath and allow to sit for 1 minute, which helps stop the beans from cooking further. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.
- Toast Almonds: Discard water from the inner pot and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Hit the "Sauté" button, and once the display reads “Hot,” add butter or ghee. Once melted, swirl the pot to coat the bottom, add almonds, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Be careful not to leave unattended as they can easily burn. Using a slotted spoon, remove almonds to a plate, leaving as much butter in the pot as possible.
- Sauté Leeks: Add the garlic infused olive oil (or EVOO) to the pot and swirl to coat. If using fresh garlic, add and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add leeks (or onion) and sauté for 1 minute (longer for onion), stirring frequently, until they soften and become fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the salt and pepper to the pot and stir to combine with the aromatics. Add the green beans and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir beans until just coated. Hit “Cancel” on the Instant Pot and promptly remove beans to a bowl or platter so they don’t overcook.
- Serve: Spoon almonds on top of beans and serve alongside your favorite main dishes, like Thanksgiving turkey, Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Drumsticks, Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Glazed Ham, Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie), and more.
Notes
- For Low FODMAP: Per Monash University’s Low FODMAP Diet App at the date of this posting, green beans contain the FODMAPs sorbitol and mannitol and are low FODMAP servings of up to 15 beans or 75 grams. If you're sensitive to sorbitol or mannitol, be mindful of other dishes you may consume at the same time containing these FODMAP types to avoid FODMAP stacking.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Disclaimer: This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or dietary advice. The author is not a medical professional. Nutrition info is an estimate and can vary depending on ingredients and preparation. We follow current guidelines for special diets like low FODMAP, Keto, and Paleo at the time of initial publication, but individual tolerance varies and research is always evolving. It’s up to each reader to check ingredient labels, stay informed with the latest research, and consult their doctor to make informed choices based on their individual needs. Storage times are general recommendations—always follow safe food handling practices. See our Terms of Use for more details.
DonnaM says
This is so good. I made it today as a test and it passed. Now I'll make it to take to our family Thanksgiving dinner. Someone else is bringing the Campbells casserole and I was asked to bring the almondine. It's a winner and I'm sure those that don't care for the creamy casserole will love it.
Thanks
Gail Gromaski says
Thanks for your amazing review, Donna! I'm so happy it was a win for you and honored it will be part of your Thanksgiving feast! Happy Thanksgiving to you!