Round out your menu with these easy butter and garlic Sautéed Green Beans. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, this recipe transforms green beans into a vegetable side that pairs perfectly with any main course.
If you love green beans, you’ll also love my flavorful Pesto Green Beans.
There are so many ways to prepare vegetables but when it comes to a busy weeknight, keeping it simple is always best. This no fuss recipe for Sautéed Green Beans is on repeat in my kitchen.
When I see fresh, pretty green beans on a shopping trip, I can put them in my cart knowing I have everything else on the short ingredient list stocked in my kitchen.
This stovetop method makes it easy to control the texture of the green beans and delivers a perfect crisp-tender result.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Green beans: Look for fresh green beans that are firm and bright green without blemishes. The only prep involved in this recipe is trimming the woody stem ends from your green beans.
- Broth: Simmering green beans in low sodium vegetable or chicken broth instead of water infuses great flavor right from the start.
- For the rest: A couple of pats of butter, minced garlic, and salt. Most of the time the ingredient list ends here, but if I happen to have lemons in my fridge, I’ll go ahead and add some fresh lemon juice at the end of the cooking time.
How to Make Sautéed Green Beans
- Place the broth in 12-inch sauté pan and bring it to a boil. Add the green beans and return to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and cook until just crisp-tender.
- Drain the green beans in a colander and discard the broth. Melt the butter in the empty pan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add the drained green beans and salt and toss with the butter mixture. Increase the heat a bit and sauté until cooked to the desired level of tenderness.
Tips for the Best Sautéed Green Beans
Trim the ends: Before cooking, trim the woody stem ends of the green beans. This ensures even cooking and removes any tough or stringy bits.
Blanch the green beans in broth: To get the correct, crisp-tender texture and speed up the overall cooking process, it’s important to partially cook the green beans before they are sautéed. Blanch them in low sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead of salted water for even more flavor.
Don’t overcook: Once the green beans are added to the boiling broth, set a timer for 2 minutes. Then, use a pair of tongs to remove a green bean and bite into it to test the texture. You want them to be more on the crisp side of crisp-tender so that they can reach the perfect tenderness when they are sautéed with the butter and garlic.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon: Finish the green beans with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to add brightness and balance the richness of the butter. This is an optional step but I recommend it if you happen to have a lemon on hand.
Variations: You can get creative by adding minced fresh herbs or toppings like Parmesan cheese, sliced almonds, or crumbled bacon to the Sautéed Green Beans. Kick them up a notch by adding a small amount of red pepper flakes to the butter and garlic, for a little heat.
Serving Suggestions
These simply prepared Sautéed Green Beans are the perfect side dish for a wide variety of meals. Here are some of my favorites.
- Sirloin Steak – Steak and green beans are a perfect fit!
- Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin – I’ve made this pork more times than I can count and it is perfection.
- Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops – Keep it classic and delicious with this vintage recipe.
- Italian Pork Roast – A batch of my Parsley Potatoes and these easy green beans are all you need to make a meal out of this rustic, tender pork roast.
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Potatoes – These green beans are delicious served with this sheet pan meal.
Browse my entire collection of main dish recipes for more ideas!
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Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 ounces green beans
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ fresh lemon, optional
Instructions
- Trim the woody stem ends from the green beans, as needed.
- Place the broth in 12-inch sauté pan and bring it to a boil over HIGH heat. Add the green beans and return to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW, cover and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until just crisp tender. Be careful not to overcook as the green beans will soften further when sautéed in the next step.
- Drain the green beans in a colander and discard the broth. Return the empty pan to LOW heat and add the butter. When melted add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the drained green beans and salt and toss with the butter and garlic mixture. Increase the heat to MEDIUM-LOW and sauté until cooked to the desired level of tenderness, about 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, if needed, to prevent the butter from burning. Remove from the heat.
- If desired, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the green beans and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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