Garlic Butter Sautéed Green Beans
This easy sautéed green beans recipe delivers perfectly tender green beans in an incredibly flavorful garlic butter in just 15 minutes! My favorite way to cook green beans is to cook them in a skillet on the stovetop. It is so quick and easy. They’re seriously delicious, especially with that incredible garlic butter. Yum! Sautéing is one of the best ways to cook fresh green beans, and it’s also FAST, so we make this recipe often! For a more hands-off green beans recipe, try my Roasted Green Beans. I also love our easy Sautéed Zucchini! Key Ingredients Green Beans: I prefer to use fresh green beans over frozen beans. They should look vibrant green and feel firm. If you bend them, they should snap. String beans, haricot verts, and wax beans also work. Olive Oil and Butter: I start cooking the beans with a tiny bit of olive oil, and then add that delicious garlic butter at the end. Plant-based butter is a great alternative to keep this recipe vegan. Garlic: I use three cloves of garlic for this sautéed green beans recipe and love it. You can increase or decrease the garlic based on your tastes. You can also swap the garlic for ginger, like I do for these ginger green beans. Lemon: I love adding lemon to most dishes! A little lemon zest and juice keep these green beans tasting bright and fresh. Green Beans: I prefer to use fresh green beans over frozen beans. They should look vibrant green and feel firm. If you bend them, they should snap. String beans, haricot verts, and wax beans also work. Olive Oil and Butter: I start cooking the beans with a tiny bit of olive oil, and then add that delicious garlic butter at the end. Plant-based butter is a great alternative to keep this recipe vegan. Garlic: I use three cloves of garlic for this sautéed green beans recipe and love it. You can increase or decrease the garlic based on your tastes. You can also swap the garlic for ginger, like I do for these ginger green beans. Lemon: I love adding lemon to most dishes! A little lemon zest and juice keep these green beans tasting bright and fresh. Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making the Best Green Beans Tip 1: Start by blistering. I like my beans to be bright green with a few blistered spots on the outside and tender and flavorful in the middle. To achieve this by starting them in a wide skillet with oil and salt and toss them every few minutes. The beans won’t cook through at this stage, but you should see a few blistered spots. Tip 2: Add a bit of liquid. To cook them through so they are tender, I pour in a small amount of liquid (like water or stock) and cover the skillet with a lid. This steams them so after about 2 minutes, the green beans will be tender. Tip 3: Use our garlic butter. You can serve these as is or add more flavor with minced garlic and butter. Toss everything around for a minute or two, and then serve! In this recipe, the green beans are not blanched. Adding a bit of liquid and covering the skillet achieves the same results. I save blanching to make this green bean casserole or salad, like my green bean salad with crispy shallots or this green bean potato salad. Serving Suggestions Turkey Meatloaf (see our secret for making sure it isn’t dry) Juicy Skillet Chicken Breasts Lemony Baked Chicken Breasts Juicy Skillet Pork Chops Amazing Chicken Parmesan Lemon Herb Baked Salmon Turkey Meatloaf (see our secret for making sure it isn’t dry) Juicy Skillet Chicken Breasts Lemony Baked Chicken Breasts Juicy Skillet Pork Chops Amazing Chicken Parmesan Lemon Herb Baked Salmon Garlic Butter Sautéed Green Beans PREP 5 mins COOK 10 mins TOTAL 15 mins PREP 5 mins COOK 10 mins TOTAL 15 mins These easy sautéed green beans are perfectly tender, and taste incredible thanks to the garlic butter stirred in at the end. You can make this flavorful side dish in 15 minutes! Our family loves them and I think yours will, too! Makes 4 servings Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 1 pound (450g) fresh green beans, stem ends snapped off 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 cup (60ml) water or stock 1 tablespoon butter or vegan butter 3 medium garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Lemon wedges, for serving Directions 1Add oil to a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 2Cook for about 5 minutes until lightly blistered, tossing the beans around the pan so they cook evenly. 3Pour in water (or stock). Cover the skillet (or use foil if needed) and cook for 2 minutes. 4Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the remaining liquid evaporates. 5Stir in the butter, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring the garlic. Serve! 1Add oil to a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 2Cook for about 5 minutes until lightly blistered, tossing the beans around the pan so they cook evenly. 3Pour in water (or stock). Cover the skillet (or use foil if needed) and cook for 2 minutes. 4Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the remaining liquid evaporates. 5Stir in the butter, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring the garlic. Serve! Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Allow the green beans to cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Gently reheat them in a skillet over medium heat and enjoy. The provided nutrition facts are estimates. Garlic butter is included. Storing: Allow the green beans to cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Gently reheat them in a skillet over medium heat and enjoy. The provided nutrition facts are estimates. Garlic butter is included. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 of the recipe / Calories 74 / Total Fat 4.3g / Saturated Fat 2g / Cholesterol 7.6mg / Sodium 153mg / Carbohydrate 8.8g / Dietary Fiber 3.2g / Total Sugars 3.7g / Protein 2.3g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us Previous Post: Perfect Sauteed Kale Next Post: Easy Seasoned Salt