Garlic Green Beans Recipe

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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.

Prep Time3

Cook Time10

Total Time13

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 60kcal

Author: Misty

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

*Freshly minced 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 use a garlic press to make it easy.

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.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

How to 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.

Nutrition