Sauteed Garlic Green Beans are so simple to make, but surprisingly easy to get wrong! I've made many popular recipes online - some required blanching first (no thank you), many left the beans crunchy, and others had disappointing flavor. So I made my own method! It's all made in one skillet, takes under 15 minutes, and leaves you with tender-crisp beans coated in a buttery garlic sauce.
This one is up there in my list of favorites in our Vegetable Side Dishes collection!
Recipe Notes from Danielle & Misty
I am so happy with this recipe! I've been making green beans for years and always ran into the same problem when making them on the stove: By the time they were tender, they'd start to burn. If I cooked them less, they were too crunchy.
Eventually I decided to try steaming them in the pan with some water before sauteing them, and I haven't looked back since. It's the easiest, best way I make green beans! They get to the perfect tender-crisp texture, and the sauce has just enough time to get toasty without burning.
Ingredients for garlic green beans
A full list of everything you need is in the recipe card below, but here are some quick tips on the most important ingredients for getting this recipe right.
- Green beans: This recipe was developed specifically for fresh green beans because they are particularly tricky to get the perfect tender-crisp texture. I typically buy the haricots verts variety from Costco or Sam's Club because they already have the ends trimmed. Frozen green beans are so-so, but you definitely need an adjusted cooking method since they are blanched in boiling water before being frozen. Instructions are included below. Canned green beans absolutely won't work for this recipe because they are far too soggy.
- Butter: The butter does heavy lifting in this recipe! It turns golden brown as you cook it, which adds both moisture to the veggie and incredible flavor that can't be replicated with oil. I have substituted with olive oil when in a pinch, but it truly does not turn out as delicious.
- Garlic and garlic powder: To get the most incredible flavor, we're using both fresh and powdered garlic. I'm usually content cooking with pre-minced garlic, but this recipe absolutely shines when you use freshly minced. It's really worth it! I personally like to use this garlic press to make the job easier.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make sauteed garlic green beans
If you haven't already, start by washing the green beans, towel drying them, and then trimming off the ends with a sharp knife (you can skip this step if you purchased them pre-trimmed).
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the green beans and a ¼ cup of water, then cover the pan with a lid immediately. It should start to bubble and steam right away.
Allow the green beans to steam for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until they are bright green and almost as tender as you like them (they'll continue cooking a bit more in the next step). On my stove, 4 minutes gives me the perfect tender-crisp texture.
While those are steaming, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set this aside for later.
Once the 3-5 minutes is up, remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking them until any excess liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the pan. This usually takes about 1 minute.
Once the pan is dry, add the melted butter mixture and toss well. Saute for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The butter will turn a light, toasty brown and the seasonings will be fragrant.
Add the fresh garlic and saute for one more minute. Then remove from the heat and serve hot.
Can you use frozen green beans?
Fresh green beans are definitely my preference for this recipe, but if frozen is all you have then here is what you need to know. Frozen green beans are blanched in boiling water before they are frozen, so we have to adjust the cooking method to avoid over doing them.
Heat your skillet over medium-high heat, then add the green beans once it's really hot. Saute them with the lid off for 1-2 minutes, until they are thawed and no extra liquid remains in the pan. Then add the butter mixture and continue with the remaining instructions as written.
Serving suggestions
These are so versatile, you can serve them with jso many main dishes! These are some of my favorite pairings.
Tips & Tricks
- For best results, I recommend using a non-stick pan for this recipe. Although I have used cast iron skillets, the garlic tends to stick and burn more easily in my experience.
- The key to making these amazing is keeping them crisp, not soggy! Be extra careful not to steam them for longer than 5 minutes.
More recipes
Looking for other recipes? Try these:
Recipe
Garlic Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans washed, dried, and ends trimmed off
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 teaspoons freshly minced garlic *see notes
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the green beans and water, then cover the pan with a lid immediately. It should start to bubble and steam right away. Steam for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until they are bright green and almost as tender as you like them (they'll continue cooking a bit more in the next step). On my stove, 4 minutes gives me the perfect tender-crisp texture.1 lb fresh green beans, ¼ cup water
- While those are steaming, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.2 tablespoons butter, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Once the 3-5 minutes is up, remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking until any excess liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Once the pan is dry, add the melted butter mixture and toss well. Saute for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The butter will turn a light, toasty brown and the seasonings will be fragrant.
- Add the fresh garlic and saute for one more minute. Remove from the heat and serve hot.2-3 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
Notes
- For best results, I recommend using a non-stick pan for this recipe. Although I have used cast iron skillets, the garlic tends to stick and burn more easily in my experience.
- The key to making these amazing is keeping them crisp, not soggy! Be extra careful not to steam them for longer than 5 minutes.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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