These sautéed green beans go well with just about any meal. To make this an easy one-pan recipe, just saute the garlic and beans first and then steam them until crisp-tender.
Recipe Science
- To maximize allicin development and give the sauteed green beans a bold, earthy flavor, add plenty of minced garlic.
- Steaming uses a small amount of liquid that turns into superheated steam, cooking the beans quickly while preserving their vibrant green color.
- Sauteeing the beans in butter after steaming lightly browns the surface, adding more flavor and texture.
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Featured Comment 11
“This recipe was delicious! I had some diced fresh red pepper, and onions, so I sautéed them along with the garlic. That added extra flavor and color.”—Pamela W.
Why It Works
This quick and easy sautéed green beans recipe is a classic side dish for casual weeknight dinners or more elaborate holiday festivities. It uses less cookware, which is convenient. Typically, green beans are par-cooked in hot water for several minutes before sautéing, and quickly boiling or blanching is recommended. However, for this recipe, I eliminated the blanching step to reduce the number of pots needed.
Instead of the typical blanching process, I steam the green beans using a little vegetable broth in the same pan I initially used to saute the garlic and butter. This allows all the flavors to carry over. I think we can all appreciate less clean-up without sacrificing taste.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beans: Use fresh green beans, string beans, or more slender haricot verts.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for a fruity taste when cooking garlic and beans.
- Garlic: The quickest way to add intense, earthy notes to these green beans is to use a generous amount of minced garlic. This will ensure maximum allicin development, which is naturally found in garlic.
- Liquid: A liquid like water, broth, or stock is required to generate steam in the pan, turning the beans bright green and tender in minutes.
- Seasoning: The sauteed green beans are seasoned with salt and pepper to enhance the savory flavor.
- Butter: Butter is added at the end of cooking to enhance flavor and give the vegetables a glossy finish while sautéing.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This sauteed green beans recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Oil Swap: Use avocado oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
- Butter Substitute: Use ghee, coconut oil, margarine, or plant-based butter.
- Add Vegetables: Make green beans with mushrooms, diced onions, or bell peppers.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, or cayenne. Make it spicy with Cajun seasoning.
- Add Citrus: To keep the beans tender, add lemon or orange zest and squeeze the juice before serving. Adding lemon juice while cooking beans keeps them firm, as the acid prevents pectin from breaking down.
- Add Herbs: Cook the beans with Italian seasonings, or add fresh thyme, tarragon, chives, oregano, or basil for garnish.
- Cheese: Grate some parmesan, gruyere, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano on the beans.
How to Saute Green Beans
Step 1: Prepare the Green Beans
Wash the beans to remove dirt and debris. Fresh green beans or string beans can be purchased trimmed off the vine with the connection point still intact or cut in prepacked bags. Make sure to trim off the inedible stem at the very tip.
I like the beans to be about 3 to 4 inches long to make them easy to cook and eat in a few bites.
Step 2: Sauté the Garlic
Mince the garlic before using it for elevated intensity without being overly potent in smell.
Add the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic. I saute the garlic in olive oil first so that the aromatics hit the nose immediately and the flavor better infuses throughout the cooking process.
Step 3: Steam the Green Beans
Add the green beans, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cover and heat the pan over medium-high heat. The steam inside the pan and the flavorful vegetable broth soften the cell walls. Within minutes, the beans are vibrant in color and have a nice tender chew, but they are not mushy or overcooked.
Ingredient Chemistry: The steaming cooking method only requires a small amount of liquid to boil and then evaporate into superheated particles to tenderize the beans throughout. With the lid covered, it takes a few minutes for the water to reach above 212ºF (100ºC). Keep the pan covered, as you don’t want to stop the process before the water changes phases, or you’ll risk losing all of that intense heat to cook the beans effectively.
Step 4: Saute the Green Beans
Remove the lid and saute the beans for a few minutes. This also allows the remaining broth to evaporate, concentrating the flavors in the pan.
Step 5: Sauté in Butter
Stir in the butter, allowing it to melt and emulsify with the beans’ natural moisture. This creates a rich, glossy coating that enhances flavor and texture. Once the butter is fully incorporated, turn off the heat to prevent overcooking and maintain the beans’ crisp-tender bite.
Step 6: To Serve
Taste the beans and adjust the seasoning with more salt to enhance the flavor. Sprinkle with black pepper for a subtle heat, then gently stir to distribute the seasoning evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! For the best-tasting beans made in advance, I highly recommend using this blanch and shock method. This technique par-cooks the green beans while keeping them colorful and crisp. When ready to use, reheat with the garlic and vegetable stock the same day of serving. If you’re making sautéed green beans ahead of time, I would not cover the beans as called out in the recipe instructions—simmer in the liquid until warmed through, then toss with butter.
It takes about 10 minutes to sauté green beans from start to finish. This includes sautéing the garlic, steaming the green beans, and finishing the sauté process with olive oil and butter.
Yes! The easiest way to sauté frozen green beans is to simmer them in water or vegetable stock (along with aromatics) until the liquid cooks off entirely and the beans are nice and tender. Simmer for about 8 minutes, then finish with butter, olive oil, and seasonings for a crisp, flavorful finish.
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If you tried this Sauteed Green Beans Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- ½ cup vegetable broth, stock or water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare the Green Beans – Wash the green beans thoroughly under cool water and drain well. Trim off the stem ends. If they are very long, cut them in half. They should be about 3 to 4 inches in length.
- Sauté the Garlic – Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds.
- Steam the Green Beans – Add the green beans, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Increase to medium-high heat. Cover and cook until the crisp-tender and bright green, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Sauté the Green Beans – Remove the lid and saute the green beans until the water has evaporateed, about 2 minutes.
- Sauté in Butter – Add the butter and saute until melted and combined, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
- To Serve – Taste and season with more salt as desired. Sprinkle with black pepper and stir to combine.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Make it Vegan: Substitute butter with olive oil.
- Make it Whole30 or Paleo: Use ghee instead of butter.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Serge says
Hi Jessica,
I must tell you that you are doing a fantastic job with all your recipes (text and videos).
I would like to leave the following comment: I don’t think it’s a good idea to cover the green beans when they are cooking.
They are going as you know to loose their beautiful bright color…
Continue your wonderful work. Serge
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Serge! I appreciate your feed back and support! It helps to use a glass lid to monitor the change in color, or check a bit sooner in the steaming process to see the color change of the beans.
Tara says
Could I add slivered or sliced almonds to this recipe? Do you have any suggestions on how to best incorporate almonds? Thanks!!
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can definitely add some slivered or sliced almonds. I would sprinkle them on right before serving so that they stay crunchy.
Pamela W says
This recipe was delicious! I had some diced fresh red pepper, and onions, so I sauteed them along with the garlic. That added extra flavor and color. Thank you so much!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of the pepper and onions to the green beans!
Cherylynn says
Hey Jessica,
I love your recipes and just have a question. You say in this recipe to cut the garlic just before using, but I have read “The trick is that chopping your garlic is needed for allicin to form. This process takes up to 10 minutes. For this reason, you must chop garlic 5 to 10 minutes before using. Consume or cook with garlic right away and your garlic won’t live up to its full protective, disease fighting potential.”
Just curious on your thoughts on this. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
I agree that allicin forms only when the cell walls of the garlic are ruptured, which you will smell pretty quickly. I think 5 to 10 minutes of chopping before you add it will work great for flavor. The problem is when it’s chopped too early in advance, an hour plus where the aroma and strong flavors build that may be too overpowering in the dish (and in your house!).
Pam S. says
This is a simple recipe and has delicious results! Beans were still crisp, and even reheated well.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Pam! I’m glad to hear that you achieved the texture you were looking for in the beans and still enjoyed them the next day.
Judy says
I can’t wait to try these. They look delicious and I love steamed veggies. Thank you for the recipe….