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Everyone needs an easy vegetable side dish they know will hit every time. These Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic are mine. There’s no blanching involved and everything happens in under 10 minutes. The bits of crispy garlic, soft-yet-crunchy green beans, and pop of lemon works so well.
Table of Contents
- Recipe At a Glance
- Why This Is So Good
- Ingredients to Make Sauteed Green Beans
- Popular Substitutions & Additions
- How to Make Sauteed Green Beans
- Tips for Making Easy Sauteed Green Beans
- What to Serve with Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Green Bean Recipes:
- Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic Recipe
These sauteed green beans use a smart trick to avoid blanching but still get crisp-tender beans! You add a little water to a skillet along with the green beans and cook them until they’re bright green. The rest of the water evaporates away fast. After that, sliced garlic, a bit of butter, and lemon juice is all I think this this side dish needs. My kids even love these pan fried green beans!
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Gluten-free
Key Flavor: Green beans and garlic
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- Uses just one skillet: These sauteed green beans with garlic come together in just one pan. There’s no need to boil a whole pot of water for for blanching!
- Packed with garlicky flavor: The sliced garlic cooks with the green beans and gets crispy, so every bite tastes garlicky!
- Goes with anything: Serve them with roasted chicken, air fried salmon, or even a whole turkey (Thanksgiving is coming, after all!).
Ingredients to Make Sauteed Green Beans
- Fresh green beans: Make sure to trim off the scraggly ends of the green beans before cooking!
- Butter: Just a little butter helps the green beans and garlic brown and adds flavor.
- Garlic: I like to slice the garlic so it gets crispy in the skillet!
- Lemon: You can skip this, but I love to serve these sauteed green beans with lemon wedges. It makes the whole dish taste brighter.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Top with garlicky breadcrumbs. More garlic? Why not! You could make garlicky breadcrumbs by crisping panko with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt in a skillet until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Add spices. Paprika, cumin, curry powder, or coriander would be delicious in this recipe.
- Top with cheese. If I have it, I’ll top these sauteed fresh green beans with crumbled feta. However, you could use grated Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese!
- Add nuts. Stirring in chopped, toasted walnuts or roasted pecans or sliced almonds would add texture and bulk up the side dish!
How to Make Sauteed Green Beans
Tips for Making Easy Sauteed Green Beans
- Don’t overcook the green beans. This can result in soggy beans! Stop steaming the beans when they’ve just turned bright green and are crisp-tender. They will continue to cook as they’re sauteed.
- Trim the green beans. The ends of the beans are scraggly and less pleasant to eat! Use a knife and trim these off before cooking them. I like to line up several at a time and trim them at once.
- Watch the garlic. Garlic can burn quickly! Once you add it to the skillet, watch it closely. Burnt garlic tastes terrible and can ruin a dish!
- Cook and serve immediately. This is not the kind of recipe that gets better with time or can sit for a while!
What to Serve with Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic
- Pan Seared Halibut
- Pan Seared Scallops with Pasta
- Cast Iron Skillet Steak
- Skillet Chicken with Couscous
- Almond Crusted Chicken
- Roasted Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the green beans will keep for 3 days. To reheat them, you can do so in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
You can, but because of their water content, they likely won’t brown.
My best advice is to just taste one! They should have a slight crunch, but not taste raw.
I love simple recipes that work time and time again. These sauteed green beans are exactly that. Simply seasoned and flavorful from the garlic and lemon, I have a hard time not eating these straight from the serving bowl! If you’re a garlic (and a green bean) lover like me, I think you’ll feel the same.
More Green Bean Recipes:
- Air Fried Green Beans
- Green Bean Almondine
- Honey Mustard Green Bean Salad
- Dairy-free Green Bean Casserole
- Lebanese Green Bean Tomato Stew
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Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Place the green beans and water in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid, and cook until the green beans are bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook until the water is fully evaporated, about 1 more minute.
- Once all the water has cooked out, add the butter, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, until the green beans are tender with some browned spots, 2-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat, squeeze lemon juice on top and serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I really love your recipes! Thank you for sending them to me. ❤️
You’re welcome, Kathy! So glad you love them!!