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.
Yasmin says
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.
Nagi says
Yes you have to be careful with the garlic! Nx❤️
Lisa says
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!
Nagi says
Sounds delicious! Nx❤️
Kathy says
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?
Kate says
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.
Nagi says
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❤️
Janice dDeCoste says
Can wax beans be substituted in this recipe?
Nagi says
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❤️
AE says
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.
Nagi says
Thank you…potatoes rule! Try my Chinese broccoli…its yum! https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-broccoli-with-oyster-sauce/
Petra says
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!
Nagi says
Enjoy! Nx❤️
Gillian says
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🥰
Nagi says
Happy Thanksgiving! Will do! Nx❤️
Susan Miller says
I just love your emails.
Your recipes inspire me to make an effort,….. every day!
Thank you Nagi
And Dozer.
Nagi says
Thanks! 🙏 Nx
Caryn Nolan says
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!
Nagi says
Awwww thank you! Nx❤️
Dara says
Love the simplicity of this recipe, and the suggestion to use a knife not a mincer. I am just surprised no warning about not over browning the garlic as it changes flavour so quickly when getting ‘too’ golden…
Nagi says
Yes, Dara you definitely have to be careful of that!
Vera Meyer says
This is exactly what I make “all the time” too! My only difference is that I blanch the beans as soon as they are home from the grocery. Refrigerated until I cook them maybe a day or two later they stop aging once blanched.
Nagi says
Good idea!! Nx😃
Jen says
Yes, delicious and I’ve also substituted those crispy onion bits used in Asian cooking for the garlic. Just as yummy!
Nagi says
Those are soooo good! Nx❤️
Christopher says
Two things:
1) a wee splash of tamari in the last 30 seconds of stir fry adds heaps of umami. Beans, chard, spinach, zucchini / courgette, peppers / capsicum, pod peas, broccoli, all turn out amazing with this treatment.
2) Love the reminder to chop, not press, the garlic. (I’m so lazy).
3) Blanch the beans in advance, and stop chopping off the ends! Who knew?
4) Hoping your alternate accommodation for you and Mr D. is wonderful. The renovation pics do not look encouraging for a sooner return.
(oops, four things)
Nagi says
Tamari sounds interesting…I’ll have to try it! And we all know renovations go slower than we think! Nx❤️
elisabeth arnesen says
Me too.
I’ve been cooking garlic beans for years 😀
I tend to pre cook mine in the micro oven for a couple of minutes, and i often use butter instead of oil, depending on what i serve them with.
Love your recipes btw.
Do you think you might make an app some day?? Just a thought
Nagi says
Hi Elisabeth…I’ve got my hands full with the cookbook at the moment…maybe one day though! Nx❤️
Cooking Kitty says
Dear Nagi-san,
I feel I need to support you in your love of the potato.
There is plenty of nutrition in that humble package : it’s a source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6; important minerals like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, AND it contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants and dietary fibre. Better still, if cooked then cooled and eaten, it becomes a resistant starch which, put simply, helps improve gut It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants, which may play a part in preventing diseases related to ageing, and dietary fibre, which benefits gut health and immune function.
Of course, what one puts on it may not always be so healthy…😬
Linda says
Terrific defense of the humble potato! I’ve had many discussions with people explaining the impact of refrigerating the potato after cooking, since it becomes a resistant starch. It doesn’t change the fact that it is a carb, but it will have much less impact on your blood sugar. By the way, the same is true for white rice and pasta. Some folks are skeptical about these facts, but it’s easy to find the research with some simple Internet searches. Thanks so much for bringing up this point!
Nagi says
You are welcome…potatoes rock! Nx😄
Nagi says
I knew there was a good reason I like them so much!
Okceg says
Thank you for your work in defending the potato and the interesting information regarding the additional benefits when cooled. I trust everyone realises that the potato appreciation / defense should not take anything from the green beans. The recipe looks very good.
Norman Green says
We make this occasionally. Also do similarly with other vegetables. I hope we’ll soon see the recipe for that beautiful souffle
Nagi says
We are working on it! Nx😀
Judy says
Love it.
Thank you!
Nagi says
Nx❤️
Eha says
Yes Miss – I promise to be good and make this and eat it all up 🙂 ! (In other words, neither potatoes nor green beans thrill ! And I am a serious vegetable eater !) Seriously tho’ – this naturally is the best way to eat the vegetable and I do. Yes, I like to keep them whole but pre-steam rather than boil them and have watched enough top chefs fine-dice the garlic rather than press it to have learned the lesson. Bought the ‘stuff’ in jars just once – enough ! Must put these on the shopping list and go thru’ your other recipes for them. Thrilled your renovations are progressing – cannot wait for your planned lighting – that looks interesting !! . . . take care . . .
Nagi says
Lightly cooked green veg are the best! Nx❤️
Kim says
Garlic on the beans look yummyyyy!!! I can eat green beans and rice all day!!!!!! Maybe bc I’m asian 😂😂 -dozer is such a cutie even when he’s begging
Nagi says
He is, isn’t he?!!!