Garlicky green beans, sautéed quickly in a little olive oil or butter (you choose) are truly one of our favorite foods. Our trick is to blanche the green beans before sautéeing them, so that they are perfectly crisp-tender. Then, all that happens in the pan is that they’re warmed and seasoned with a little garlic, salt and pepper. A few minutes later, voila! The easiest, fastest veggie side dish is served. These green beans are great for holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they’re equally yummy alongside simple, every day meals, like Roast Chicken or Baked Salmon.
Garlic Green Bean Ingredients
Fresh green beans: Trim the ends if needed. And fresh green beans only, here — canned or frozen don’t work for this quick sautéed green bean recipe. If you’ve only got frozen green beans, try our easy Green Bean Casserole instead.
Olive oil: Or butter, it’s up to you. Both are delicious in slightly different ways.
Garlic: Lots of fresh garlic! 3-4 cloves, depending on how much you love garlic (you know we’re 4-clove folks)
Salt & pepper: Especially with a simple recipe like this, it’s really important to season generously.
How To Make Sautéed Green Beans
Blanch the green beans. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and drop the beans in for just a few quick minutes — 3 minutes is usually more than enough.
Run them under cold water to stop the cooking. We want crisp-tender, sweet green beans — no mush, please!
Sauté the green beans in a skillet with butter or oil with lots of garlic for just a few minutes. Season and serve!
How To Make Them Ahead Of Time
The sauté has to happen right before serving, but you can absolutely blanche the green beans a day or two ahead of time, which will save you a surprising amount of time and hassle on the day of a big dinner like Thanksgiving. Simply blanche them and pop them in the fridge until guests are starting to gather around the table. Then pop a skillet on the stove, and quickly sauté the beans in garlic and oil — you’ll only need about 3 minutes — and serve all warm and steaming.
More Green Bean Side Dish Ideas
Green Bean Queen!
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