Grilled green beans with Dijon mustard
- Preparation 5 min
- Cooking 8 min
- Servings 6 to 8
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🥬 The express BBQ side dish that steals the show
Grilled green beans on the barbecue, brushed with my Dijon mustard marinade. This is the kind of ridiculously simple side dish that outshines the main piece of meat. Mustardy, malty, slightly sweet and perfectly crispy, it comes together in under 10 minutes. The kind of vegetable that even people who don’t like vegetables will devour.
🔥 Grilled in a wok, not boiled
The secret is grilling them in a barbecue wok instead of boiling them or cooking them in foil. The contact with the hot wok gives them that beautiful grilled flavour and those little char marks, while keeping them perfectly crunchy. We’re not going for soft beans here. We want crispiness and character. The Dijon marinade does the rest of the work.
🌭 The Dijon marinade that changes everything
It’s my Dijon mustard marinade, the one from my famous bavette, that transforms these beans. No need to add anything else: it already has the honey, beer, herbes salées, garlic and lemon zest. You coat, you grill, and you get a restaurant-worthy side dish with a single move. One marinade, a thousand uses.
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🧺 A large barbecue wok. Non-negotiable
This is secret number one. Use a large barbecue wok and spread the beans out so they all touch the hot surface. If the wok is too small and the beans pile up, they’ll steam instead of grill and you’ll lose all the crispiness and grilled flavour. The more space, the better.
🥬 Cooked but still crispy
The goal isn’t to soften them, it’s to grill them. Count on 5 to 8 minutes at maximum heat, stirring, until they have grill marks but still have a good crunch. Overcooked beans turn soft and dull, so keep an eye on them and pull them off while they still have some bite.
🌭 The Dijon marinade does all the work
No need to add salt, butter or anything else. My Dijon mustard and beer marinade already has the honey, herbes salées, garlic, lemon zest and beer. It seasons and caramelizes the beans all at once. Half a cup is enough for 2 pounds of beans.
📦 No wok? The foil backup option
If you’re really in a pinch, you can spread the beans on a large sheet of aluminum foil placed on the grate and cook them that way. It’s a little trickier and the grilled side won’t be as pronounced, but it works in a bind. The wok remains the best way to get that real barbecue flavour.
✂️ Trim them ahead of time
Remove the ends of the beans (the little stem) before coating them in marinade. You can do this while the barbecue is preheating. Well-trimmed beans cook evenly and eat cleanly.
🥄 A touch of marinade at serving time
If you feel the beans are missing a little punch coming off the grill, drizzle a small amount of reserved fresh marinade over top. Go easy though. They’re already well seasoned, it’s just to boost things if needed.
✅ What to serve with my grilled green beans with Dijon mustard?
This is the perfect side dish for a beautiful grill. Serve them alongside my Flank steak with Dijon mustard and beer, my Grilled T-bone steak on the barbecue or my BBQ chicken thighs. A grilled vegetable next to a great piece of meat, and your barbecue plate is complete.
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Green beans
- 2 lb (900 g) green beans, trimmed
- About ½ cup (125 ml) Dijon mustard marinade (or more to taste)
Marinade
- 1 cup (250 ml) Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) blonde beer
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) herbes salées du Bas-du-Fleuve
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) French shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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Preparation
- In a bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients (Dijon mustard, olive oil, blonde beer, honey, herbes salées, shallot, thyme, garlic and lemon zest), then season with pepper.
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans with about ½ cup (125 ml) of the marinade until well coated. Keep the remaining marinade in the fridge for other grilling.
- Preheat the barbecue to maximum heat with a large barbecue wok set on the grate. Add the green beans without overcrowding the wok (if they pile up, they’ll steam instead of grill).
- Grill for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are cooked but still nice and crispy with grill marks. Serve immediately, with a little drizzle of fresh marinade if you feel they need a bit more.
About 5 to 8 minutes at maximum heat in a large barbecue wok, stirring occasionally. The goal is to cook them while keeping their crunch, so pull them off as soon as they have grill marks but are still firm to the bite. The exact time depends on the size of your beans and the heat of your barbecue, so taste one to check.
No, not for this recipe. We actually want them to keep their crunch, and the barbecue wok cooks them perfectly in just a few minutes. Blanching them would soften them and make you lose that beautiful grilled flavour. You coat them raw in the marinade and toss them straight on the grill.
Yes, but the result is different. The large barbecue wok is ideal because it grills the beans while preventing them from falling through the grates. If you don’t have one, spread them on a large sheet of aluminum foil placed on the grate. It’s a little trickier and the grilled side will be less pronounced, but it works when you’re in a pinch.
My dijon mustard and beer marinade. It already has everything you need: Dijon mustard, blonde beer, honey, herbes salées, garlic and lemon zest. Half a cup is enough for 2 pounds of beans, and you keep the rest for your grilled meats. It’s an all-purpose mother marinade.
With a great grill. They pair beautifully with my flank steak with dijon mustard and beer, my grilled t-bone steak on the barbecue or my bbq chicken thighs. The mustardy flavour of the beans perfectly balances the richness of the meat.
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