The BEST Sautéed Garlic Green Beans Recipe (Easy)
These garlic green beans aren’t your average side dish. Bursting with garlicky goodness and the perfect crunch in every bite, this quick and easy side will jazz up any meal! A gluten-free side dish ready in under 15 minutes!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
These are not the green beans from your childhood. Growing up, I did not like green beans or any kind of green bean recipe. At all. This skeptic girl was on a search for a whole new green bean approach.
Enter, Garlic Green Beans! Heated in a searing hot pan with olive oil, flash steamed, then finished with a little butter and lots of garlic, green beans finally won me over! Oh. My. Word. The smell. The taste! My new favorite side dish (with LOTS of flavor) was born.
These tender green beans have a bright, beautiful green color, perfect texture, and so much flavor. The snap crunch? Oh, the snap crunch! You can hear me chewing away on these from across the room. Perfectly crunchy, perfectly tender, perfectly flavored– a perfect side dish. The BEST!
This easy recipe will earn a spot in your regular rotation. It’s the kind of recipe that is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but delicious (and pretty) enough for a holiday meal. It cooks up in less than 10 minutes and tastes great when served alongside any protein. Sometimes, I make a big huge pan of these just to snack on them. They’re that good!
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Green Beans: My favorite green beans to use are haricots verts, which are long, thin green beans that are more tender and have a sweeter flavor. But any green beans will work– French green beans, etc.
- Frozen Green Beans: You can use frozen green beans. I would thaw the green beans and then skip step 2 since the green beans have already been steamed during the freezing process.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best, but if you’re out you can use garlic powder. About 1 teaspoon, or more to taste.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Olive oil: You can use avocado oil, or even vegetable oil if that’s what you have on hand. I prefer to cook with extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
- Butter
- Cold water: This is for steaming. Alternatively, you can use refrigerated vegetable broth for extra flavor if desired.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil, green beans, salt, and pepper. Turn green beans constantly until they turn bright green and begin to get a few little brown spots on them from cooking. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the cold water, and cover the pan immediately. Allow the green beans to steam for 2-3 minutes. I like my green beans crunchy and al dente. Cook longer if you want them softer.
- Remove the lid, and continue to cook and stir the green beans until the remainder of the water has cooked away and evaporated.
- Turn the heat to low. Add in the butter and garlic. Toss and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Meal Prep: This is such a good meal prep side. Move over broccoli, there’s a new garlicky green meal prep veggie that’s even tastier! Make a big batch and add to your meal prepped protein for the week!
- Holiday season: If you’re interested in finding a new, delicious Thanksgiving menu side dishes (or any holiday for that matter), these garlic green beans are a great option! They may not be your traditional green bean casserole, but they are healthy, keto-friendly, and absolutely mouth-watering delicious! Put them on a pretty serving dish and watch them get gobbled up!
- Variations/Substitutions: I like tons of garlic in my sauteed green beans, but if it’s too much for you, you can lower the amount of garlic used. Alternatively, you can use a garlic butter mixture to throw in at the end if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best, but if you’re out you can use garlic powder. About 1 teaspoon, or more to taste.
Storage Tips
Store leftover sautéed green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm, or in a skillet.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! With only 3 Net Carbs per serving, this is an excellent keto side dish! Plus, the garlic butter and oil is great for your macros.
You can! Store in an air-tight container that is freezer-safe for up to 6 months! Reheat in the microwave until warm, or in a skillet over medium heat.
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The BEST Garlic Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add in the olive oil, green beans, salt and pepper. Turn green beans constantly until they turn bright green and begin to get a few little brown spots on them from cooking. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the water, and cover pan immediately. Allow the green beans to steam for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and continue to cook and stir the green beans until the remainder of the water has cooked away and evaporated.
- Turn heat to low. Add in the butter and garlic. Toss and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Serve warm.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and recipe substitutions.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Meal Prep: This is such a good meal prep side. Move over broccoli, there’s a new garlicky green meal prep veggie that’s even tastier! Make a big batch and add to your meal prepped protein for the week!
- Holiday season: If you’re interested in finding a new, delicious Thanksgiving menu side dishes (or any holiday for that matter), these garlic green beans are a great option! They may not be your traditional green bean casserole, but they are healthy, keto-friendly, and absolutely mouth-watering delicious! Put them on a pretty serving dish and watch them get gobbled up!
- Variations/Substitutions: I like tons of garlic in my sauteed green beans, but if it’s too much for you, you can lower the amount of garlic used. Alternatively, you can use a garlic butter mixture to throw in at the end if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best, but if you’re out you can use garlic powder. About 1 teaspoon, or more to taste.
- Green Beans: My favorite green beans to use are haricot verts, which are long, thin green beans that are more tender and have a sweeter flavor. But any green beans will work.
- Frozen Green Beans: You can use frozen green beans. I would thaw the green beans and then skip step 2 since the green beans have already been steamed during the freezing process.
59 Comments on “The BEST Sautéed Garlic Green Beans Recipe (Easy)”
How can these beans be crunchy and tender at the same time
Aren’t they great? They’re cooked until more tender, but still have a bit of texture and firmness. The opposite of canned green beans that are absolutely soft and mushy.
My family lives this receipe. Full of flavor. Don’t change anything.
I am so glad you like my green beans Stacey. Even better that your whole family enjoys them! They are super flavorful!
Soooooo good…. We used to have trouble finishing a bag of green beans before they got mushy. Now we tear through them. My kids love them too! (Now I’m curious what other vegetables they might eat if I cook them in garlic butter sauce….)
Such a mom win when you get the kids to eat vegetables! Yea! So glad they liked them. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe. Means the world!
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I just made these for Easter dinner and they were INCREDIBLE. I’m never making basic green beans again :) Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad to hear you liked the green beans Paula! This is so funny, because I made these for Easter yesterday too! Guess great minds think alike. Hope you had a great holiday celebrating with your family. And thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe, you just made my day!
Hi! I followed your recipe and made the most delicious green beans ever! I wrote about them on my blog: http://petitappartement.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/garlicky-green-beans/
Thanks for an awesome recipe and tutorial!
Catherine
Thank you so much Catherine! I’m glad you liked them! Heading over to your blog now to check them out : )
Okay…one of the best looking green beans i have seen so far!
Those are some fresh looking green beans, love this recipe! Will keep it around in the summer for our garden beans!