Sautéed Green Beans with crispy bits of garlic is an easy, classic preparation for a green beans side dish. Though not the most explosively exciting recipe on my website, it’s a life essential recipe that will serve you well for the rest of your days!
I serve this as a side with all cuisines. Yes, even Asian food – read on!
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
I have a surprising number of recipes starring green beans on this website. From sides to mains (Sichuan Green Beans with Pork, anyone??), it turns out that green beans may just be my favourite vegetable. Second perhaps only to potato which, as my mother would quickly point out, doesn’t have great nutritional value and thus qualify as a vegetable whose vast intake you ought to boast about.
Saying I love green beans on the other hand does make me feel somewhat virtuous.
Having said that, to date all the green bean-centric recipes have been things I classify as interesting or just plain fabulous (pretty sure there’s been an excessive use of both these words in all these recipes). Like Ottolenghi’s herb loaded Green Bean Salad. Or a luxe Green Bean Casserole. And this Green Bean Salad with a Creamy Avocado Dressing.
All worthy dishes, but they’re either a wee bit on the rich side and/or are a little more involved. In other words, not the simple green bean side that I make “all the time”. Rather that place is often filled with today’s recipe: Sautéed Green Beans with crispy little golden garlic bits!
Handy tip: Prepare ahead!
To get ahead, boil the beans then let it cool, dry, and store the beans in the fridge. Then when you’re ready to serve, you just need to toss with the garlic which takes a mere 2 minutes. An instant side dish, ready on demand!
What you need to make Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
Here’s what you need to make Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic:
Green beans – Look for fresh perky ones, not sad and floppy ones speckled with black dots.
Garlic – Two smallish cloves or one large one. Finely mince the garlic using a knife. Do not use a garlic press/crusher. This makes the garlic go wet and pasty so you won’t get nice golden bits, like pictured. In fact, the garlic will just spit when it hits the skillet.
As for jarred garlic paste? Not on my watch! This stuff doesn’t really taste like garlic and it’s oddly sour due to the preserving agents. Plus it’s wet so it too will spit like crazy.
Olive oil or butter, if you’d like a buttery flavour on your beans. If you want to dial up the butter factor, use clarified butter / ghee instead!
How to cook Sautéed Green Beans
Boil the beans for 4 minutes until they become bright green and are barely tender. Drain and then toss the beans in a skillet with the garlic.
Well … you could toss … or be a normal person and just STIR!!! I promise it works just as well. 😂
What to serve with Sautéed Green Beans
The beauty of this dish is that it’s so simple and neutrally pitched that it goes with almost anything. It would be great with an elegant piece of fish with white wine sauce or a big juicy steak, or from a giant pan of paella to a big cosy lasagne.
And although you wouldn’t think of it, this dish works alongside Asian foods too! Either serve it as-is, or give it an Asian-inspired touch by adding a bit of minced ginger, and finishing with a drizzle of sesame oil or a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
No recipe video is included today because it’s a quick and easy side! However if there’s a process in this recipe you’d like to specifically see, I’d be happy to do a quick little video for you. Just leave your request in the comments section below! – Nagi x
Overloaded with green beans? More ideas!
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Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
Ingredients
Blanched Green Beans:
- 250g/ 8oz green beans , trimmed (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
For Sautéing:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or… butter!)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced (~ 2 tsp), do not use jar or garlic crusher (Note 2)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Blanch beans: Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add beans, cook for 4 minutes (they will turn bright green), drain, then rinse under cold tap water to cool. (There's really no need to shock in ice water). Shake off excess water.
- Sauté: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green beans and garlic. Toss (or stir!) for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden and crispy. Add salt and pepper, then toss.
- Serve: Transfer beans to serving dish. Serve warm!
- Prepare ahead: Blanch beans per step 1, cool and dry, store in fridge until required. When ready to serve, just toss with garlic. It's an instant on-demand side!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Cookbook prospective recipe. He doesn’t realise it’s meat free….😂 Well, possibly he doesn’t care.
Dozer has great taste!
He does! N x
That’s the veggie we will be having with Thansgiving dinner on Monday. Looks easy and delicious. Thank you. Must admit, whilst I love your recipes, I always check out Dozer before I check out your recipes.lol
Dear Nagi and Dozer,
in South Tyrol, that’s where I was born, we sautee onions in butter, add the green beans, garlic and spice them with 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard. Give it a try, you will love it.
Sounds delicious! Nx❤️
I make this all the time, but I dress it with toasted flaked almonds, chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Also, I feel privileged that I have the same gas cooktop as Nagi, the Queen of Cooking 😍🔥
Potatoes have little nutritional value? The Irish in the 1800s lived almost exclusively on potatoes and yet they generally enjoyed better health than the poor Europeans that lived on corn and polenta in the same times.
Potatoes are much more nutritious than you think!
I knew there was a reason I love them so much! Nx❤️
I’ll be making this dish very soon so no rating yet.
Let me know how it goes! Nx😀
I make this very similar…except usually add shallots/onions and bacon….because I’m healthy lol.
Great idea…bacon should be one of the four main food groups! Nx😂
being Italian we have been making a similar recipe for 70 years and before ,only difference would be a ton more garlic and not letting it to brown ,we blanch the beans Aldenti. remove from pot wipe pot dry add EVVO heat add chopper garlic , some cracked pepper cook med heat do not let brown add beans back add a lot of salt cover pot an toss plate n enjoy. make a lot extra are refrigerated for a cold bean salad. really good great for a midnight snack for me its about 2 AM. ” Good Appetite “
What a healthy midnight snack! I grab the ice cream! Nx❤️
that sounds awesome
These look amazing, and I bet they’d be phenomenal with toasted almond slivers added in!
For sure! Nx❤️
If you love green beans and potatoes, look up an old South African boere boonjtie and potato dish, I always throw in a bit of lamb chop for extra flavour and butter, you will love it. House is coming along 6 weeks you say .
Sounds interesting! I am hoping six weeks! Nx😀
I love green beans too! My fallback vegetable of choice are frozen ones. I do not even blanch them but fry them straight out of the freezer or fresh. I do add the onions or garlic a little bit later because they could burn due to the longer time needed frying the beans.
Yes you have to be careful with the garlic! Nx❤️
I made these tonight as I had some beans ready to go in the fridge. We like our vegetable side dishes quite plain so we loved them done this way! Very flavourful and moreish!
Usually I cook our green beans the Greek way – like a stew with onions, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, olive oil and tomatoes (with the option of diced potatoes) that can be served on rice or as a delicious side dish. Also really yummy!
Sounds delicious! Nx❤️
As mentioned, we have Canadian Thanksgiving coming up, could you add some carrots to the green beans? Could you also prepare them in advance and then reheat?
I do that all the time Kathy. I’ve got family coming for Thanksgiving this weekend, and I always par-boil beans a day ahead. You could easily add carrots but they will need to par-boil longer to get them to the right stage that they just need to be heated up in the butter.
Good advice Kate! I often cook different veg separately to get the exactly right…you can definitely prepare in advance…see Step 4 in the recipe! Nx❤️
Can wax beans be substituted in this recipe?
Hi Janice…I haven’t tried them but they are quite similar to green beans so I would think they would work. If they are really thicker than the ones in my photos you might have to cook them a bit longer…let me know how you go! Nx❤️
I’ll have to disagree with your mum… Potatoes are very nutritious especially compared with other white starches. And I’ll be trying this one very soon!
Do you have any go-tos for Chinese veggies? We have them a few times a week, but I don’t love my results.
Thank you…potatoes rule! Try my Chinese broccoli…its yum! https://discountspot.info/chinese-broccoli-with-oyster-sauce/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’m certain I will make this a lot. Green beans are a staple in our home, even though the froozen one (the fresh are very expensive here).
I use the sauted garlic a lot to add flavour to dishes (always the start of my home made tomato sauce). I also sauté green beans with walnuts nut this combination is new to me. Will try out immediately!
Enjoy! Nx❤️
Hi Nagi, this weekend oct 10 is our Canadian Thanksgiving these beans will be a nice veg add on..
five Dozer a woof woof hug from Luca🥰
Happy Thanksgiving! Will do! Nx❤️
I just love your emails.
Your recipes inspire me to make an effort,….. every day!
Thank you Nagi
And Dozer.
Thanks! 🙏 Nx
Hi Nagi ~ I look forward to the publication of your cookbook. Very Cool!! I plan on getting a copy or 2! I hope your home renovations go smoothly too.
Thank you for sharing The Sautéed Green Bean recipe! I plan on making it this week.
I appreciate all your recipes and inspiration. I’m not a natural cook so your delicious recipes have kept me motivated.
Big hugs to Dozer too!
Awwww thank you! Nx❤️