Sautéed vegetables are probably one of my favorite types of recipes to create and eat for a variety of reasons. Mainly, they're easy to prepare, and go with a wide variety of proteins and other sides. This recipe for easy sautèed green beans with garlic is going to be your trusty "side"kick for all of your cooking from here on out. Slightly blanched, sautéed to utter perfect, paired with freshly minced garlic... I mean, there's virtually nothing better.
Green beans, known as string beans too, are a great, versatile veggie that's typically in season during the springtime, but you can find them all year round. It's one of the green vegetables I have on hand on a regular basis because they're always a crowd pleaser and my son is a huge fan too.
Making sides like vegetables such as roasted squash or a simple salad of shaved brussel sprouts are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to focusing on fresh, healthier, plant-forward options.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love these green beans
- What ingredients do I need for these sautéed garlic green beans?
- How do I make these green beans?
- Swaps and Substitutions
- Ways to serve these green beans
- Is blanching green beans necessary?
- How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze this?
- Hungry for More?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- Garlicky Sautéed Green Beans
Why you'll love these green beans
- Perfect vegetable for virtually any main dish or entrée
- Simple ingredients
- Meal-prep friendly!
What ingredients do I need for these sautéed garlic green beans?
- Green Beans - I like to buy these in bulk at my local BJ's Wholesale Club or Costco. They go a long way and I can make a larger batch and have them as meal prep for the week.
- Garlic - A few garlic cloves (2-3) minced or very finely chopped is better than jarred here.
- Salt - I love using Diamond Crystal salt iodized salt for this recipe. Just a pinch is all we need.
- Pepper - Fresh cracked pepper reigns supreme. I love cracking it fresh into the green beans as they cook and char.
- Olive Oil - A few tablespoons (2-3) is all we need.
See the recipe card below for specific information about quantities.
How do I make these green beans?
Step 1: To blanch the green beans, add a few cups of water to a pot or a deep pan with a strainer or steamer insert. Add the green beans and close with a lid. Bring to a medium heat, the water will bubble and begin to cook the green beans. Keep the green beans blanching for approximately 5-7 minutes or until just fork tender, then turn off the heat.
Step 2: Strain the green beans and add back to the deep pan or if you've blanched in a pot, strain and add to a skillet or frying pan with olive oil on medium heat.
Step 3: On a medium heat, let the green beans sauté in the olive oil until they start to char and get softer. Cooking the green beans will take approximately 5 minutes. The green beans should be fork tender, but have a slight snap or crunch.
Step 4: To the green beans, add in the garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the garlic becomes slightly translucent and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat, and serve.
HINT: If you over-blanch the green beans, meaning, if the boil and steam for too long, they will fall apart when sautéing in the olive oil. Be mindful of the heat when blanching, and time it!
Swaps and Substitutions
For making this recipe your own, here are some of my recommendations for making these green beans for yourself:
- Garlic: Omit the minced garlic and add in jarred if that's all you have access to, or use powdered garlic.
- Seasoning: If you'd rather not use garlic at all, other seasonings I recommend including shallot or onion, parsley, sesame seeds, slivered almonds, or even some parmesan cheese.
- Olive oil: You can easily use avocado or coconut oil instead of olive for this recipe.
Ways to serve these green beans
- Serve these as a side for the most delicious chicken francese for dinner, which yields enough for linch the next day.
- Whip up a batch of these green beans and chop them up to add to a pasta like my veggie pasta bake or toss them into an orzo pasta salad.
- These green beans are delicious on their own and served buffet style for any occasion!
Is blanching green beans necessary?
Yes! After cooking green or string beans over the last few years, and finally perfecting this recipe the last year, I've become fond of blanching vegetables before sautéing them as it helps them soften and cook a lot easier than when raw.
If you don't want to blanch, you can add a handful of the beans to a microwave with some water in a large bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel, and cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on medium power.
If the bag is microwave-friendly, the entire bag can go in the microwave for a few minutes. One less pot or kitchen tool to dirty.
How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze this?
To Store: Add the remaining green beans to an air-tight container and place in the fridge. These beans will be good for up to five days.
To Freeze: Place the beans in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and toss in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low heat.
Hungry for More?
Check out these other options for sides and veggies
Did you like this recipe? Share it!
If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you for being here!!
Garlicky Sautéed Green Beans
Equipment
- 1 frying pan
- 1 steamer strainer
- tongs
Ingredients
- 2 cups green beans trimmed and rinsed
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 whole garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp black pepper fresh cracked if poss2ible
Instructions
- To blanch the green beans, add a few cups of water to a pot or a deep pan with a strainer or use a steamer strainer.
- Add the green beans and close with a lid. Bring to a medium heat, the water will bubble and begin to cook the green beans. Keep the green beans blanching for approximately 5-7 minutes or until just fork tender, then turn off the heat.
- Strain the green beans and add back to the deep pan or if you've blanched in a pot, strain and add to a skillet or frying pan with olive oil on medium heat.
- On a medium heat, let the green beans sauté in the olive oil until they start to char and get softer. Cooking the green beans will take approximately 5 minutes. The green beans should be fork tender, but have a slight snap or crunch.
- To the green beans, add in the garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the garlic becomes slightly translucent and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat, and serve.
Annabelle
These string beans are seriously perfect. The char on them, so good! I was a little turned off with having to Blanche them first BUT I can see why this recipe is done the way it is. Blanching or steaming them first made them extra delish!
Aggie
I absolutely LOVED these string beans. They were so ridiculously easy to make and tasted delicious. I didn't ever think to blanch first, but i really like that step. Helps soften the beans and then they cooked so well. Will be making this again next week!