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This sautéed green beans recipe is an everyday essential that goes with any main course! It’s the simplest way to cook green beans on the stove, and they’re irresistibly savory.
You may also like my Easy Roasted Green Beans or How to Cook Asparagus.
Why you’ll love it
These skillet green beans are a way to get a wholesome, delicious side dish on the table without a lot of effort. Garlic powder and onion powder offer a quick and subtle way to enhance these buttery green beans, and they make a great pairing with anything!
This is one of those dishes you’ll find yourself making all the time since it’s a classic preparation. Grab a skillet, give the green beans a quick boil, and then sauté them with a few pantry seasonings! They’re easy peasy and the best way to jazz up green beans.
What you’ll need
- Green beans – to select green beans, choose thin, firm and crisp, bright green ones that easily snap and aren’t rubbery or limp
- Butter – for sautéing and adding a little richness
- Garlic powder and onion powder – pantry staples to infuse lots of tasty flavor
Pro tip
Depending on how thick the beans are and how crisp you like them, you may have to play with the cooking time a bit.
How to sauté green beans
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the water in a skillet. Add in the green beans, cover, and cook until tender-crisp. With the beans still in it, drain the water from the skillet. Return to the heat, and add the butter and seasonings along with salt & pepper. Toss until coated well while sautéing.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I love cooking with cast iron for these easy green beans. Here’s my favorite Le Creuset skillet. A great budget-friendly alternative is this Lodge skillet.
- It’s easy to toss and serve them with a pair of kitchen tongs.
- Measure out the butter with this butter dish that tells you where to cut it.
Substitutions and variations
- Throw in some Italian seasoning if you want a more herb-y flavor.
- You could chop up a couple of cloves of garlic and use it instead of the garlic powder, but be sure to cook it for a minute or two, taking care not to burn it.
- Use seasoning salt or Tony’s instead of salt & pepper to change it up.
What to serve with sautéed green beans
- These go with anything and everything! Try them with my Creamy Garlic Chicken, reader favorite Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin, this Creamy Lemon Parmesan Cod, or my Best Ribeye Steak.
- Once you’ve narrowed down your protein, round out the meal with my popular Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Stick of Butter Rice.
- And a side salad with my Homemade Italian Dressing as well.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover green beans for 3-5 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- To maintain their original texture, the best way to reheat is in a skillet. Add a splash of olive oil or butter, and heat ’em up for a few minutes.
- If you don’t mind the texture softening, you can microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
- It isn’t my preference to freeze cooked green beans because they will soften up and become more watery when thawed, but if you don’t mind that, freeze for up to 3 months. You could add them to a soup or stir fry.
If you made these buttery garlic sautéed green beans, please leave a star rating and review below! What do you like to serve them with? Tag my on Instagram with your photos.
Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans ends trimmed
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the water to a skillet and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water is bubbling, add the beans and cover the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes (they will be tender-crisp). If the beans are too crisp for your liking, cook them for a couple more minutes.
- Drain the water from the skillet.
- Return the skillet (with the beans in it) to the stove over medium heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet, then sprinkle in the onion powder and garlic powder, season generously with salt & pepper, and toss for about a minute until the beans are well coated (use tongs or two spoons). Serve immediately.
Notes
- I use my sea salt grinder and freshly cracked pepper. Or change it up with some seasoning salt or Tony’s Creole seasoning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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