Sautéed Green Beans
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Sautéed Green Beans are the perfect vegetable side for just about everything- and making them couldn’t be easier. I’ll give you all my top tips to make the BEST sautéed green beans that are crisp, bright, and packed with flavor with no blanching needed! Forget those overcooked, limp beans of the past; these come together in just minutes on the stovetop and taste fresh and vibrant every time.
Why You’ll Love Sautéed Fresh Green Beans
- They’re Easy – you only need a few ingredients, minimal effort, and no blanching required!
- Delicious – There’s something so good about sautéed green beans—especially when you finish them with butter and garlic for extra flavor.
- Perfect Side Dish – These aren’t just for Thanksgiving, they go with everything and add a nice green veggie to any main dish year round.
Sautéed Green Beans Recipe Ingredients
You just need a few simple ingredients to pull this recipe together quickly.
- Fresh green beans – These will need to be washed and trimmed before cooking. You can buy these pre-prepped to save time. You can also use frozen beans. See my tips below.
- Olive oil– the olive oil keeps the beans from sticking to the pan, and helps brown the beans.
- Butter– the butter is for flavor! At the end of cooking, the butter coats the green beans and makes a nice little sauce. You can use salted or unsalted butter here.
- Fresh garlic – minced small or crushed (optional, but it adds such great flavor!)
- Coarse Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Equipment Needed for Sautéed Green Beans
- Large skillet (10-12”) with a fitting lid.
- Small knife and a cutting board – for trimming the beans
How To Saute Green Beans
Follow these simple directions for perfectly sauteed green beans every time.
Step 1
Wash, dry, and trim the green beans. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering, but not smoking.
Step 2
Add the green beans and cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they develop brown spots, known as “blistering”. Turn the heat down if the green beans start to burn.
After you have some good blister spots, but the beans are still a light green color, turn the heat to low.
Step 3
Cover the sauté pan with a lid and finish cooking the green beans for 2-5 more minutes until they are as tender as you like, but still have their bright green color.
Step 4
Remove the cooked green beans from the heat, add the butter, garlic, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir to coat the beans in the melted butter and serve hot.
How Long to Saute Green Beans
Depending on your desired level of tenderness, green beans usually take about 10 minutes to cook completely or up to 15 minutes if you like them soft.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Sauteed Green Beans With Garlic
- Pat the green beans dry with a paper towel after rinsing so the excess water doesn’t react with the hot oil.
- Reducing the heat and covering the green beans after blistering will finish cooking the green beans evenly, without blanching.
- Add the minced garlic at the end with the butter. The residual heat from the hot green beans will cook the garlic and get out any raw taste. Adding the garlic too early will burn it.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add in lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end for a vibrant citrusy touch. This is how I make my pan-fried asparagus, and it’s delicious!
- Toss with toasted chopped pecans or toasted sliced almonds for a little extra crunch.
- Sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese with the butter and garlic for a little extra flavor.
- Adding chopped herbs like fresh parsley or basil to the finished beans adds a great flavor. You can also serve the green beans with dollops of fresh basil pesto.
- If you like a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes during cooking or at the end.
- For a fun and flavorful variation, you can swap the garlic cloves for some chopped or grated ginger, and add a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
How to Sauté Frozen Green Beans
Add the green beans to the hot skillet without thawing them and cook until a slight char (brown spots) starts to form and the beans are heated through. The beans may release some liquid after being frozen, but that’s ok.
Skip the covering with the lid part (they’re already blanched) and add the butter, salt, pepper, and garlic. Serve hot.
What To Serve With Green Beans
One of the best things about green beans, besides how simple they are to make, is that they go with just about everything! Here are my favorite suggestions:
- Baked Panko Crusted Cod
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Healthy Beef Stroganoff
- Yankee Pot Roast
- Honey Glazed Ham
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
- Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls
- BBQ Chicken Thighs
How to Store and Reheat Green Beans
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to reheat, add beans to a skillet and heat over low heat until warmed through.
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Sauteed Green Beans With Garlic
Equipment
- 10" or 12" skillet with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted.
- 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced or crushed (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and trim off the ends of the green beans. Heat the oil until shimmering in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the green beans and cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they develop brown spots. Turn the heat down if the green beans start to burn.
- After you have some good brown spots–but the beans are still light green, turn the heat down to low. Cover the saute pan with a lid and finish cooking the green beans 2-5 more minutes until they are as tender as you like, but still bright green.
- Remove the cooked green beans from the heat and add in the butter, minced garlic, salt, and pinch of pepper. Stir to coat the beans in the melted butter and garlic, and taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve the finished beans hot.
Notes
- You can top the green beans with lemon zest, shredded parmesan, or toasted almonds at the end of cooking for extra flavor.
- Double the recipe for the holidays for an easy side dish. You’ll need to work in batches or use two skillets so the beans don’t get overcrowded in the pan.
