Name: Sauteed Green Beans With Garlic
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1/2 pound Fresh Green Beans; 4 cloves Fresh Garlic (minced); Salt and Pepper (to taste)

5 from 4 votes

Total 15

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Sauteed skillet green beans makes a quick and easy side dish out of fresh green beans that turns any entree into a delicious meal!

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Table of Contents hide

1) Why you'll love this recipe

2) Ingredients for sauteed green beans with garlic

3) How to make this recipe

4) Recipe tips

5) Recipe variations

6) Easy vegetable sides

7) 📖 Recipe

8) Sauteed Green Beans With Garlic

Why you'll love this recipe

minimal ingredients - Fresh green beans, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper are all you need to make a wonderfully flavorful green bean side.
nutritious - Green beans are loaded with fiber and other valuable nutrients.
simple tools - A basic frying pan or skillet is the only cookware needed.
quick and easy - Once you know how to cook green beans in 10 minutes, you'll be hooked on the convenience and the flavor!
family-loved - Even kids enjoy them as a healthy snack.
the perfect side dish - Sauteed green beans go well with any entree, such as skillet pork chops, the juiciest oven baked chicken thighs, and mouthwatering chicken drumsticks.

Ingredients for sauteed green beans with garlic

fresh green beans - Any green bean variety can be turned into skillet green beans, including French beans or haricot vert, string beans, or common green beans, which is what you see in my photos.
garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic cloves for its peppery and savory flavors, but a sprinkle of garlic powder adds an interesting surface texture.
extra virgin olive oil - You can any oil or butter in place of olive oil.
salt and pepper - Season skillet green beans right before serving.

ingredients for skillet green beans in bowls with text overlay labels

How to make this recipe

We know green beans are essential to a holiday green bean casserole recipe, but let's make them part of the dinner routine all year. Here's how to cook the best green beans on the stove in 15 minutes.

Step 1. Heat a skillet over medium-heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering. Carefully lower GREEN BEANS into the skillet. Sauté the beans about 5 minutes until they are tender and slightly blistered, stirring as needed.

green beans sauteing in skillet are tossed with tongs

Step 2. Add GARLIC and continue sauteing for about 1 minute, stirring as needed to prevent it from browning.

green beans with small pile of grated garlic in skillet

Step 3. Remove skillet from heat and add SALT and PEPPER, to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe tips

At the grocery store, select bright green beans with smooth, firm pods that snap when bent. Pre-cut green beans may also be available for added convenience.
You can saute any variety of green beans. It's fun to experiment and find your favorite kind, especially for kids!
When prepping green beans, trimming the ends is optional. I prefer to use untrimmed, whole green beans for convenience and visual interest.
Blanching isn't required, but it does soften the beans. To do so, boil green beans for 3 minutes until slightly tender and transfer to an ice bath. Once cooled, continue to the recipe instructions for sauteing.
When sauteing green beans, don't crowd the skillet. This promotes efficient cook time and creates more opportunities for surface browning.

Recipe variations

Make blistered green beans by pan frying the beans long enough to make them turn brown and crispy before adding the garlic.
garlic is optional - Since the garlic is added to the skillet after the green beans are fully cooked, add as much or as little as you like. It makes the best green beans either way.
vegetable add-ins - Add other vegetables to the skillet, such as mushrooms, onions, or bell peppers for more flavor and interesting textures.
mix-ins - When serving, add other flavorful ingredients, such as crumbled bacon, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, or chili crisp oil.

Easy vegetable sides

📖 Recipe