These garlic and butter green beans are easy enough for weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for holiday meals as well! It's a family favorite recipe that is sure to be your go-to vegetable side dish!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Buttery Garlic Green Beans:
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Sautéed Green Beans With Garlic
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Green Beans In Garlic Butter
- What To Serve With Garlicky Green Beans
- More Green Bean Recipes To Try
- Discover the secret to hosting Thanksgiving without all the stress!
- Garlic and Butter Green Beans
Why You'll Love Buttery Garlic Green Beans:
When you love food as much as I do, there is nothing better than marrying into a family full of excellent cooks. So, I did just that! As I've mentioned previously, my mother-in-law makes some pretty delicious food. This makes sense considering the fact that she learned from one of the best, my husband's grandma, whom we all affectionately call Nanou.
Nanou also had some incredible recipes, which she was gracious enough to share with us. One such mainstay at our dinner table is her garlic green bean recipe — aka the perfect side dish for any dinner. Blanched or steamed green beans are sautéed in a large skillet with a mixture of butter and olive oil. Minced garlic adds that rich, garlicky flavor without being overwhelming, and fresh parsley adds the perfect amount of herbaceous freshness.
Now, like all the best family recipes, there are no true amounts when making buttery garlic green beans. Everything goes by taste (and really, I always encourage you to taste your food as you go along!). That being said, the measurements given are based on how I make this garlic green beans recipe when I cook it for my family.
Being able to adjust the amounts as per your preference is just one of the reasons to love this easy side dish recipe, as well as:
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Can be prepped ahead of time
- Goes with any meal
- Easy to double or triple the recipe
- Family-friendly
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Fresh Green Beans- Sure, frozen can be slightly quicker, but the fresh ones have the very best texture.
- Butter- I like to use salted butter for the extra flavor. You can also replace half of this with olive oil to make your garlic green beans a bit healthier.
- Fresh Garlic- No jarred or powdered stuff here! Press or mince fresh cloves for the best flavor.
- Seasonings- All you need are kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Fresh Parsley- Chop and add to sautéed green beans with garlic right before serving. Do it at the end! Chervil is the closest substitute.
How To Make Sautéed Green Beans With Garlic
Step 1- Blanch the green beans.
Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add trimmed beans and cook for 7-8 minutes, then drain and run under cold water immediately. You can also transfer them to an ice bath — just be sure to drain them again after.
While the beans blanch, belt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Step 2- Sauté garlic.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. It will become very fragrant and darken in color- make sure it doesn't burn!
Step 3- Transfer beans to the skillet.
Add drained string beans to the garlic butter and sprinkle parsley on top. Mix until everything is well combined.
Serve sauteed green beans with garlic and parsley immediately, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
I wash them and trim the ends off of the beans, and then they're ready to go!
Yes! The key is getting them right into an ice bath/cold water to stop the cooking. Cover and refrigerate until it's time to sauté. You can also make the entire garlic green beans recipe ahead and then reheat over medium low heat before serving. It reheats beautifully.
This recipe only uses salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and parsley. I know that sounds minimal, but trust me, it packs a punch! just make sure you taste them before serving and adjust seasonings as needed.
Yes, you'll just need to adjust the cooking time to get the texture you want.
Tips For Making Green Beans In Garlic Butter
- This recipe is at its absolute best with fresh green beans- That said, frozen will work in a pinch — just skip the blanching and add them directly to the pan. I really don't recommend using canned as they're already super soft. But if that's all you have, drain well and cook just long enough to warm them up.
- Blanching green beans first helps speed up the sautéing process later- Make sure you run them under cold water immediately after (or plunge them into an ice bath) to stop the cooking process until you continue them in the saute pan. That way, you'll end up with the perfect tender crisp texture we all love.
- Sauté fresh garlic in butter and garlic for a couple of minutes before adding the veggies. That extra time allows the delicious flavor to develop and eliminates the harsh bite of raw garlic.
- When you season with salt and pepper, start with a small amount and taste it as you go so that these buttery garlic green beans are seasoned to your liking.
- Don't skip the parsley! Seriously, it's the secret ingredient that makes Nanou's garlic green beans the best!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Trim and blanch the green beans. Peel the garlic.
- Leftovers and storage- Garlic green beans will last for 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.
What To Serve With Garlicky Green Beans
The best part about this recipe is that it goes with everything! Serve it alongside roast chicken for a simple meal, or include it with other traditional dishes for your holiday table.
Here are some more of my favorite dishes to make this a complete meal:
- Sheet Pan Lemon Dill Salmon
- Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Chops
- Steak Bites and Potatoes
- Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust
- Sour Cream Cookies
More Green Bean Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Discover the secret to hosting Thanksgiving without all the stress!
Prepsgiving is your FREE guide to making a delicious Thanksgiving feast the easy way.
Garlic and Butter Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter (you can halve it with olive oil if you want to make it a bit healthier)
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Blanch the green beans for around 7 minutes and drain well. Run under cold water to stop cooking.
- In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.
- Add the beans and sauté for 2 minutes to bring to heat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- This recipe is at its absolute best with fresh green beans- That said, frozen will work in a pinch — just skip the blanching and add them directly to the pan. I really don't recommend using canned as they're already super soft. But if that's all you have, drain well and cook just long enough to warm them up.
- Blanching green beans first helps speed up the sautéing process later- Make sure you run them under cold water immediately after (or plunge them into an ice bath) to stop the cooking process until you continue them in the saute pan. That way, you'll end up with the perfect tender crisp texture we all love.
- Sauté fresh garlic in butter and garlic for a couple of minutes before adding the veggies. That extra time allows the delicious flavor to develop and eliminates the harsh bite of raw garlic.
- When you season with salt and pepper, start with a small amount and taste it as you go so that these buttery garlic green beans are seasoned to your liking.
- Don't skip the parsley! Seriously, it's the secret ingredient that makes Nanou's garlic green beans the best!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Trim and blanch the green beans. Peel the garlic.
- Leftovers and storage- Garlic green beans will last for 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.
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