These sauteed green beans are cooked in butter, garlic and an assortment of fresh and dried herbs to make a savory side dish. A ten minute dish that pairs perfectly with roasted chicken, steak, pork chops and seafood.
I’m always on the hunt for super easy side dishes to go along with dinner. Some of my favorites include roasted root vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and this fresh and colorful sauteed green beans recipe.
I always have a bag of green beans in the fridge. They’re inexpensive, nutritious and can be flavored in some many different ways. These sauteed green beans are coated in a simple garlic butter sauce and are the perfect side dish recipe for pretty much any meal.
These green beans are fantastic with hearty everyday dishes like chicken Milanese or slow cooker Salisbury steak and holiday favorites like Cajun turkey, crock pot ham and smoked turkey.
Table of Contents
- Sauteed Green Beans Ingredients
- How Do You Make Sauteed Green Beans?
- Tips For The Perfect Side Dish
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Easy Side Dishes
- Sauteed Green Beans Video
- Love This Recipe?
- Sauteed Green Beans Recipe
Sauteed Green Beans Ingredients
To make delicious sauteed green beans you will need butter, fresh green beans, garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper.
How Do You Make Sauteed Green Beans?
Melt the butter in a pan or large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the green beans. Cook the beans until they’re just crisp-tender. Stir in the garlic and seasonings, then cook the veggies for a few more minutes. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Side Dish
- This recipe works with any fresh string beans, including traditional green beans, baby green beans (haricot vert), wax beans or romano beans. I used haricot vert green beans in these photos, which can be found in bags in the produce area of most grocery stores.
- Make sure to buy beans that are bright green. Avoid beans that look crushed or slimy.
- You can use whole green beans or cut them into 1 inch pieces. The smaller pieces cook quicker but aren’t quite as elegant looking!
- To make this recipe vegan, use olive oil instead of butter.
- This recipe calls for dried Italian seasoning which is a blend of herbs such as oregano, parsley, and basil. It is available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores or you can use my recipe to make your own Italian seasoning.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Quick Tip
Add the garlic towards the very end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t burn.
Recipe FAQs
Is it necessary to blanch green beans before sauteing?
You do not need to blanch green beans before sautéing. When you sauté at medium high heat the beans cook quickly and retain their bright green color without blanching the beans.
How do you prepare fresh green beans?
To get your green beans ready to cook, all you need to do is give them a good wash, then trim off the stem end. The fastest way to trim off the stem end is to line up a handful of green beans, then cut the stems off all at once. It makes prep time go a lot faster. Sometimes you can even purchase bags of cleaned green beans that have already been trimmed to save even more time.
How do you spice up green beans?
To make sauteed green beans spicier, you can try sautéing the beans with red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
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Flavor Variations
While I enjoy this recipe as-is, sometimes I add other ingredients that I happen to have in the house to spice things up a bit! Feel free to customize to suit your family’s taste.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Add 1/3 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes after the green beans have cooked through.
- Mushrooms: Cook up 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms before you add the beans to the pan.
- Shallots: Substitute 1/4 cup minced shallots for the garlic.
- Olives: Add 1/3 cup sliced kalamata olives to the finished dish.
- Cheese: Sprinkle 1/4 cup feta or parmesan cheese over the green beans before serving.
- Nuts: Add 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, almonds or walnuts right before serving.
- Tangy: Cook the beans with a little grated ginger and a dash of sesame oil. Another great option is to stir in some fresh lemon juice or mustard.
- Spicy: Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a spicier vegetable. You can also add other dried spices such as garlic powder, thyme or rosemary.
- Bacon: Cook some diced bacon or pancetta in the pan before you add the green beans.
I love that this dish is easy enough to whip up on a busy weeknight, yet looks elegant enough to serve to company. You can’t go wrong with these simple but satisfying flavors!
