Garlic Butter Green Beans

This garlic butter green beans recipe is an easy-peasy side dish that adds a pop of green to your plate. Ready in about 20 minutes and easy to customize with a variety of add-ons. I’ll tell you all the ideas. Read on!

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Add garlic and everything tastes better, amiright? Recipes like these buttery garlic green beans, or this skillet garlic butter corn prove this theory. Need more perfect side dish ideas? Check out all of our healthy side dish recipes for more inspo.

Why you will love this recipe

Ok, this is an easy recipe with great flavor. We all love that! No special skills or fancy equipment required, and ready in less than half an hour. Boom.

These buttery garlic green beans are versatile. Besides being an excellent side for weeknights or holidays, they are also a great addition to pasta, frittata, or quiche.

This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Bonus!

Ingredients

Find the complete ingredient list, with measurements, in the recipe card below.

• Fresh Green Beans – Obviously. Choose bright green medium-sized beans for the best flavor.
• Butter – Again, another no-brainer. We like using grass-fed New Zealand butter if we can find it.
• Olive Oil – We use a swirl of olive oil in the pan with the butter, which raises the smoke point and protects the butter from burning.
• Fresh Garlic – Pick firm bulbs and avoid any with green sprouts.
• Salt and Black Pepper – A pinch or two of both brings out the best in your ingredients.

Equipment

Large Pot and Strainer – This is to blanch the greens and drain the water afterwards.

Cutting Board and Sharp Knife – For ‘topping and tailing’ the beans.

Large Skillet – Use a pan at least 12 inches in diameter. We have been using a HexClad pan and LOVING it. Worth the price, IMO.

Instructions

Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the FULL recipe details.

Step 1

First, start by washing the beans and trimming the ends off.

This was always my job back in the day when I was a kid, and my mom would be prepping our bounty of green beans from the garden to freeze. She called it ‘top and tail’. Anyone else say that?

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I use about two teaspoons.

Step 3

Then, once the water is boiling, add the beans to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.

You will know they are ready when the color has turned bright green.

Step 4

Meanwhile, prep the garlic by peeling the cloves and finely mincing or thinly slicing them.

Personally, I like mincing. It seems easier, and I won’t slice the tip of my finger off, haha. Remember that scene from Goodfellas when Paulie is slicing the garlic with a razor blade? The best prison food ever.

Step 5

Next, when the beans are ready, drain them and set them aside.

Step 6

Then, melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Using both butter and olive oil helps prevent burning.

Step 7

Next, add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Be cautious not to overcook it! You don’t want it browned or burnt. Just fragrant and slightly softened. It happens quickly.

Step 8

Then, add the beans to the pan with the butter and garlic, and toss well to coat them with the butter and garlic.

Sauté the beans, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until they are crisp-tender.

Step 9

Finally, season the beans with salt and pepper and toss again.

Serve them warm.

Substitutions and recipe variations

For a dairy-free option, use only olive oil and omit the butter, or substitute with a plant-based vegan butter product.

This recipe also works well using snap peas or broccoli to switch up your veggies.

I LOVE shaving some fresh Parmesan cheese on top. YUM. Add toasted nuts too for a bit of crunch.

Do you like a little heat? Hit the beans with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes before serving.

Serving suggestions

The most obvious is to serve this as an easy side dish. We like to serve it alongside this creamed corn and baked honey mustard chicken as a main dish. The beans are a great vehicle to soak up the sauce.

They taste amazing alongside this perfect medium rare prime rib. YUM.

Stir the beans into a bowl of warm pasta or brown rice.

Add the sautéed green beans to a goat cheese frittata or quiche for a tasty brunch idea.

Use them in a Nicoise salad. Delish!

FAQS

Storage and reheating tips

To Store: Transfer any leftovers to a glass airtight container with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To Reheat: Add a bit of butter and oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the beans and stir for 3-5 minutes until warmed through.

More side dish recipes

If you’ve tried these garlicky green beans, please give me a rating and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!

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