Switch up your side dish game with these hearty flavorful Garlic Chive Mashed Butter Beans. They're really easy to make and are a great way to get more plant protein and fiber. Serve butter bean mash anywhere you would serve mashed potatoes and spoon some gravy on top if you like! If you don't have butter beans, you can use any canned white beans to make these mashed beans.
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Mashed butter beans
Why make butter bean mash, you wonder? Well, if you like refried beans when eating Mexican food and if you're trying to eat more nutritious side dishes, then this butter bean mash is for you. It's a great alternative to mashed potatoes because beans have more protein and fiber than potatoes.
Do we like mashed butter beans better than mashed potatoes? No, I am not gonna lie. But do we like to switch up our side dishes and are these mashed beans in our regular rotation? You bet!
This butter bean side dish has a nice roasted garlic flavor, a hint of rosemary, and a pop of flavor and color from fresh chopped chives. And it's pretty dang good with gravy on top!
You can use any canned white beans, but I really like butter beans specifically for their creaminess. Be sure to use large white butter beans, not green lima beans.
Be sure to also check out my butter bean recipes for dinner for lots of other bean-forward ideas!
Ingredients
This recipe below makes about 3-4 servings. It can be doubled.
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (or use butter or flavored butter, such as anchovy butter or garlic confit butter for a richer flavor)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or use 3-4 cloves if you want to make crispy garlic bits for garnish)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 15-ounce cans butter beans, drained and rinsed (make sure you use large white butter beans, not green lima beans. Or use your favorite canned white beans.)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional: olive oil or melted butter to drizzle for serving
More recipes using canned white beans: Zesty White Bean Dip
Equipment
- Food processor (my small 3-cup food processor is perfect for make these, but if you're doubling the recipe you'll need a larger food processor)
- Medium skillet or saucepan (an 8- or 9-inch skillet is perfect here, unless you're doubling the recipe)
- Silicone spatula (to get all the bean mixture out of the food processor and then out of the skillet)
- Kitchen shears (I find it easiest to chop chives with these instead of with a knife)
- Lemon squeezer
Instructions
Preheat the skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and the whole rosemary sprig (do not take it apart). Gently stir for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic turns golden brown. Don't let it burn. Remove the garlic to a plate lined with paper towel (it's OK if a few rosemary leaves are stuck to them) and discard the rest of the rosemary sprig. Keep the garlicky oil in the pan - you'll use it in step 3.
Place the drained and rinsed butterbeans in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and half the chicken broth. Place the crispy garlic on top (save half the garlic for garnish if you used 4 cloves). Process until smooth. You might need to stop and scrape down the beans.
Transfer the mashed beans back to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Add the rest of the broth if you want a thinner butter bean mash, or leave it out for a thicker mash.
Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chives, salt and pepper to taste. You might not need much salt at all if your broth is salty and your beans were salted. Serve warm, garnishing with more chives and crispy garlic. You can also drizzle a little olive oil or melted butter on top to serve.
More recipes to try with white beans: Southwestern Chili with White Beans
Recipe tips and variations
→ You can heat up the beans in the skillet with the oil and garlic and then transfer everything to the food processor (remove the rosemary) and then blend everything, but I prefer blending the beans cold and then heating them up because it's safer blending cool beans.
→ Try roasting cubed butternut squash and blending that with the butter beans, like I do in my butternut squash white bean mash.
→ You can blend the rosemary leaves into the beans, if you want more rosemary flavor. I recommend letting the rosemary cool, removing the leaves and chopping them with a knife and then blend them in.
→ Try using sage instead of rosemary. Crispy sage cooked in garlic oil is SO tasty and such a great garnish for white beans.
→ There are other ways to make this dish. You can blend in garlic confit with a little oil for a shortcut. Or use a little bit of Better than Bouillon Garlic Base instead of garlic and broth with ½ cup water to add that garlic flavor. It's SO GOOD and such a great shortcut for flavorful garlicky foods. I use that stuff in my 5-minute roasted garlic dip. Just be careful because the garlic base is VERY salty. Start with ¼ - ½ teaspoon and see if you need more.
→ Try blending in a little cream cheese or sour cream for more creaminess. If using sour cream, decrease the broth a little so the beans are not too watery.
→ Try using chopped parsley instead of chives.
Storing and reheating
This side dish will keep well in a sealed container the fridge for 2-3 days. Some of the liquid might separate out but you can just stir it in before reheating.
I recommend reheating in a skillet so it reheats faster (wider pan = more of the beans touch the hot surface). You might need to stir in 1-2 tablespoons water or broth because the beans thicken overnight. A microwave will get you lots of hot spots so you'll need to stir really well after heating if you choose to use a microwave.
Do not freeze leftover butter bean mash because the texture will be unappetizing when thawed.
How to serve butter bean mash
Serve butter bean mash anywhere you would serve mashed potatoes - alongside roasted or grilled chicken, with some shredded pot roast, with meatloaf (try my chicken meatloaf!), or as a comfort food dinner with some cooked frozen chicken nuggets. No one is judging! This butter bean mash is delicious with gravy spooned on top as simply served as-is.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Garlic Chive Mashed Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - thinly sliced (or use 3-4 cloves if you want to make crispy garlic bits for garnish)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 15-ounce cans butter beans - drained and rinsed (use large white butter beans, not green lima beans. Or use your favorite canned white beans.)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken broth - or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- salt and pepper - to taste
- optional: olive oil or melted butter - to drizzle on top
Special equipment
- Food Processor (a small 3-cup food processor is fine, but use a large one if doubling the recipe)
- Medium skillet or saucepan (an 8- or 9-inch skillet is perfect, unless you're doubling the recipe)
- Silicone spatula (to get all the bean mixture out of the food processor and then out of the skillet)
- Kitchen shears (to chop chives easily)
Instructions
- Preheat the skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and the whole rosemary sprig (do not take it apart). Gently stir for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic turns golden brown. Don't let it burn. Remove the garlic to a plate lined with paper towel and discard the rosemary sprig. Keep the garlicky oil in the pan - you'll use it in step 3.
- Place the drained and rinsed butterbeans in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and half the chicken broth. Place the crispy garlic on top (save half the garlic for garnish if you used 4 cloves). Process until smooth.
- Transfer the mashed beans back to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Add the rest of the broth if you want a thinner butter bean mash, or leave it out for a thicker mash.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chives, salt and pepper to taste. You might not need much salt at all if your broth is salty and your beans were salted. Serve warm, garnishing with more chives and crispy garlic. You can also drizzle a little olive oil or melted butter on top to serve.
Notes
- You can blend the rosemary leaves into the beans if you want more rosemary flavor. Let the rosemary cool, pick the crispy rosemary leaves off, chop them, and add them to the blender.
- Try using sage instead of rosemary. Crispy sage cooked in garlic oil is very tasty!
- For a shortcut, use Better than Bouillon Garlic Base with ½ cup water instead of garlic and broth. The garlic base is VERY salty. Start with ¼ - ½ teaspoon.
- Try blending in a little cream cheese or sour cream for more creaminess.
- Try using chopped parsley instead of chives.
- Reheat in a skillet, stirring in 1-2 tablespoons water or broth if needed.
- Nutrition facts are estimated assuming 4 equal servings, do not include a butter or oil drizzle, and will vary depending on actual ingredients used. For lower sodium, use low or zero sodium beans and broth and measure out your own salt to taste.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Kate
Thursday 15th of May 2025
I love that this humble butter bean side dish has 9 grams of protein per serving! I've made with with chives and parsley, and the chives one is my favorite. Especially if I blend in a little sour cream for that sour cream and chives flavor.