The Best Green Bean Recipe (Sautéed with Garlic) (2024)

Best Green Beans Recipe

I am so excited for you to try these simple skillet green beans. They’re a fan favorite and one of my most beloved recipes. Not only is this simple garlic green bean recipe the best, but it is arguably the easiest way to cook green beans!

I actually have been making green beans this way since I was a teenager and was learning how to cook. My dad came up with this cooking technique and we both have been making them this way ever since.

So simple & YUMMY!! Most recipes call for par boiling prior to sautéing them. I don’t know about the rest of you but I want simple, quick, easy, oh & yummy, of course. If I can skip a step & have a good outcome sign me up!! This green bean recipe is my go to now.

~Luanne

Ingredients For This Green Bean Recipe

• Extra virgin olive oil: To cook the green beans in the skillet, I chose extra-virgin olive oil. You can also use another cooking oil instead such as avocado oil or canola oil.
• Red pepper flake: We love the bit of heat that red pepper flake or crushed red pepper adds to this dish. Feel free to use less or more to suit your taste. If you do not like spicy food you can omit it altogether. Alternatively, once the beans are cooked you can season them with ground black pepper for a more subtle amount of spice.
• Fresh Green beans: You’ll need one and a half pounds of fresh green beans or string beans. To pick out the freshest green beans at the grocery store simply take your time and pick through the pile of green beans. Avoid wrinkled, broken or rotting string beans.
• Minced Garlic: Fresh chopped garlic is the star of the simple seasonings in this easy green bean recipe. You’ll need three cloves.
• Coarse kosher salt: We chose coarse kosher salt instead of table salt here to easily sprinkle over the green beans. You can use regular table salt if you prefer, but note that it is higher in sodium so you will need less. Read more about substituting kosher salt here.
• Water: To keep this fresh green bean recipe as simple as possible we save a step and dishes by adding water to the skillet to steam them. They’ll be perfectly tender and keep great texture.

Tip: Yellow wax beans also work for this recipe, or you can use a blend of green and yellow beans. We have also made this with Haricots verts which are skinnier French green beans. Note that they cook more quickly but will work too, just adjust your cooking time.

How To Cook Green Beans

Cut the stem ends off. An easy way to do that is to line a handful of stem sides together and then cut them off with a knife. I think this method is faster than breaking them off by hand.

Next, choose a large skillet. We have a nice big cast-iron skillet that I like to use for this green beans recipe. You’ll need a lid- so make sure the skillet you choose has a lid that’ll work with it. (Note: a sheet of aluminum foil will work too if need be.)

Add your oil to the skillet and let it get hot. After blooming the red pepper flake in the oil, add green beans to let them blister and brown. This step takes a bit of time, simply because the skillet is so full, and it takes a while to turn the mass of green beans to touch the skillet.

After that step, you can add the garlic. Doing so earlier will allow it to burn. Cook it until it becomes fragrant, but doesn’t burn.

Then add the water. Adding water will prevent the sauteed garlic from burning and it creates steam, so you can trap that in with the lid to cook the beans through.

How to Know They’re Done: The cooked string beans will become bright green and cooked to crisp-tender perfection in a minute or two. And that’s it! See our serving suggestions below for what to serve with this easy side dish.

Variations To Try

These sauteed green beans are perfect in their simplicity, but they’re also somewhat of a blank canvas for adding creative flavors!

• Fresh Herbs: We love the flavor of chopped fresh thyme in this. Add about 1 teaspoon with the three cloves garlic. You can also add tender varieties of chopped herbs like 1 tablespoon minced basil or chives or 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon after the beans come off the heat.
• Lemon or Balsamic: We love what a splash of acid will do to any vegetable recipe, and this green bean recipe is no exception! Add a drizzle of fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar just before serving to help preserve the vibrant green color. A little lemon zest is also a nice touch.
• Nuts and/or Bacon: Almonds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts are all great choices. After the beans are cooked add the nuts. Another yummy choice is a couple strips of crispy bacon, crumbled.
• Infused Oil: Drizzle on a little infused oil, roasted garlic oil or other gourmet herb oil.
• Sesame: For pairing with Asian food, try adding a little minced ginger with the red pepper flakes and drizzling on toasted sesame oil to finish the dish. If you have sesame seeds add them after the cooking process.
• Cheese: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how excellent a little shaved or grated Parmesan cheese would be on top. Crumbled chevre or goat cheese is also another yummy option.

Storing Leftovers and Reheating

Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container up to three days. Keep refrigerated.

Reheating: Avoid overheating when you reheat so that the green beans do not get overcooked. We like to reheat them in the microwave for about 90 seconds per serving. Alternatively, you can reheat them in a non-stick skillet with a little splash of water or chicken broth, covered until steaming hot. Stir occasionally to heat evenly.

Meal Prep Tips For This String Bean Recipe

Other than Green Bean Casserole, fresh green bean recipes are typically a last minute cooking task. That’s why we came up with these Make Ahead Green Beans as a great way to fix them in advance. You can use a similar method here by doing the following:
1. Blanch green beans for 1 minute in boiling salted water.
2. Shock in an ice bath to immediately stop them from cooking. Drain well in a colander.
3. Keep refrigerated in a large storage container or ziplock bag for 1 day.
4. Before using in the recipe, make sure they are completely dry (use a clean dish towel or paper towels.)
5. Follow the instructions in this recipe but do not add the water and steam covered. They will be tender enough after searing them. Note that the beans will not brown as well as they sear, but they will still be quite tasty.

What To Serve With Green Beans

• For a traditional holiday meal or Sunday Supper pair these skillet green beans with Roasted Turkey or the ever-festive Pork Loin Roast with Apple Chutney.
• For a smaller feast, you could pair these green beans with Roasted Turkey Breast, Rack of Lamb or our Herb Roasted Chicken.
• For a weeknight dinner pair with Roasted Chicken Thighs with crispy skin or Pan Fried Fish.
• These green beans are a great complement to grilled steak, meat, fish and poultry. They are fabulous with these Grilled Greek Chicken Thighs or Cedar Plank Salmon.
• For a vegetarian meal, these go great with Vegetable Lasagna or Veggie Quiche.

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