Looking for a quick and flavorful side dish? Dive into our simple sautéed green bean recipe, where fresh green beans are expertly seasoned and cooked to perfection in a matter of minutes, adding a burst of vibrant, wholesome goodness to your plate.
Table of Contents
This recipe is…
Alright, folks, if you’re in the mood for a super easy and tasty side dish, you’re in the right place. Our sautéed green bean recipe is all about keeping it simple yet seriously delicious. We’re talking fresh green beans that get a quick and sizzling makeover, resulting in a side dish that pairs perfectly with just about any main course you can think of.
What’s so great about this recipe is how fast it comes together. You don’t need a bunch ingredients or hours in the kitchen. Nope, just some fresh green beans, a couple of simple seasonings, butter, and lemon juice. The green beans get cooked up to a perfect balance between tender and crisp, all while keeping their vibrant green color. It’s a burst of flavor that’s not only good for you but also a real crowd-pleaser.
If you’re looking for more easy veggie sides, we’ve got you. These oven roasted asparagus, oven roasted broccoli, and whole roasted Brussels sprouts recipes are must-tries.
Sautéed Green Beans Recipe Ingredients
This green bean recipe is super easy and just calls for a few very basic ingredients. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Butter – this recipe does call for butter (our personal preference), but you can absolutely use or olive oil in its place if you’d like.
- Lemon juice – you’ll need about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for this recipe (the juice from about half of a lemon). Be sure to use fresh lemon juice here – it’s way better than the shelf stable stuff!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Prepare Your Green Beans
To prepare your green beans, you’ll need to snip off the tough ends (you can buy them already trimmed at the store to save a few minutes if you’d like, but do know that you may pay a little bit extra for the convenience). If your green beans aren’t already washed, give them a quick rinse.
How to Make Sautéed Green Beans
Let’s dive into this easy, delicious recipe! Follow along below to see how you’ll bring this simple side together.
Step 1: Fill a large skillet that has a matching lid with about a ½-inch of water (about a ¼ cup total), and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once the water is boiling, add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the beans are bright green and most of the water has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium, then remove the lid from the skillet, and drain any excess water.
Step 3: Once the water is drained from the skillet, add the butter, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned, then toss with the lemon juice.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Don’t Overcook – overcooked green beans are mushy and lack the perfect crunch that draws us to this yummy green veggie!
Don’t Skip the Steaming – make sure that you steam your green beans before sauteeing. Steaming them helps them to cook more evenly and provides a better texture.
More Ways to Flavor Green Beans
Go simple with our basic recipe, or jazz things up with one of these yummy variations!
- Go Bold – add fresh garlic and shallots or onions for a deliciously bold take on sauteed green beans!
- Go Asian-Inspired – one of my favorite green bean variations! Add some Asian-inspired flare with a glug of sesame oil + soy sauce (or coconut aminos!), and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Add Some Texture – throw some toasted nuts into your green beans for a little bit of extra crunch – almonds and pecans work wonderfully here!
- Add Bacon – need I say anything more about this one?! Bacon makes EVERYTHING better, so it’s no surprise that it would have the same effect here!
- Add Parmesan Cheese – a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese will do wonders for your finished dish!
- Change up the Acid – try using balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice for a yummy flavor swap!
How to Store and Reheat
Store your leftover green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, either pop a serving or two in the microwave for 1 minute or, for the very best texture, toss them back in the saute pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
We find that steaming your green beans in about a half-inch of water is the best way to soften them ahead of sautéing them!
With just salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon juice as the flavor enhancers, this recipe is super simple. Don’t confuse that with low on flavor, though! If you’re looking to amp up the flavor just a bit, try adding bacon or garlic and shallots to the mix!
If you tried this Sautéed Green Beans recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Simple Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 tablespoon butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Fill a large skillet with matching lid 1/4 cup water and bring the water to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the green beans, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the beans are bright green and most of the water has evaporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then remove the lid from the pot, drain any excess water, and add the butter, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned, then toss with the lemon juice and serve.
Recipe Notes
- For Low-FODMAP: leave out the garlic powder. You can use garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil in its place if you’d like!
- Don’t Overcook – overcooked green beans are mushy and lack the perfect crunch that draws us to this yummy green veggie!
- Don’t Skip the Steaming – make sure that you steam your green beans before sauteeing. Steaming them helps them to cook more evenly and provides a better texture.
- Go Bold – add fresh garlic and shallots or onions for a deliciously bold take on sauteed green beans!
- Go Asian-Inspired – one of my favorite green bean variations! Add some Asian-inspired flare with a glug of sesame oil + soy sauce (or coconut aminos!), and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Add Some Texture – throw some toasted nuts into your green beans for a little bit of extra crunch – almonds and pecans work wonderfully here!
- Add Bacon – need I say anything more about this one?! Bacon makes EVERYTHING better, so it’s no surprise that it would have the same effect here!
- Add Parmesan Cheese – a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese will do wonders for your finished dish!
- Change up the Acid – try using balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice for a yummy flavor swap!
Nutrition
Trying to navigate the sheer number of ads and the poorly organized tips resulted in a ruined batch of food.
Hi Emily, we are so sorry this was your experience with the site, as well as the recipe. Given your feedback, we have added the tips and variations to the recipe card to hopefully improve the user experience when reading the instructions without having to do any scrolling up the page. Thank you for taking the time to share with us. -Team FF
I followed this recipe with subbing the white wine for chicken broth because I’m all out. It’s like a soup. Chicken with tangy broth vs a creamy sauce. I don’t think the portions are correct.
Wrong recipe! The green beans came out yummy and delicious