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Garlic Green Beans are a super simple yet flavorful side dish that’s fast and easy to make. Green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and coated in garlic butter with a burst of lemon flavor.
Looking for more vegetable side dishes that your family will actually eat? My kids love my Honey Roasted Carrots and Roasted Sweet Potatoes!
There’s nothing better than the fresh SNAP of green beans. They are delicious and full of protein and fiber. Definitely not a bad thing to add to your diet!
It can be challenging to get my family to eat their vegetables, especially fresh veggies. Flavor them with garlic and butter though, and these garlic green beans just became your new favorite vegetables.
To make the garlic butter, I use slices of garlic rather than minced garlic. You saute them in butter for several minutes to flavor the butter, then remove them before adding the green beans. The slices give you tons of garlic flavor rather than scorched bits of garlic.
recipe walk-through
How To Make Buttery Garlic Green Beans
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Prep green beans. Rinse the fresh green beans in cool water and snap off the ends.
- Make garlic butter. Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute several slices of garlic to flavor the butter, then remove the garlic once it’s soft but before it begins to burn.
- Saute green beans. Add the green beans to the skillet and stir them around to coat with the garlic butter. Cook for several minutes, stirring often. The beans may blister a bit, which we want; just don’t let them burn.
- Return garlic. Add the garlic back to the skillet along with half a cup of water. Continue stirring and cooking the beans until the water has evaporated and the beans are crisp/tender (soft enough to eat but still has a bit of a bite).
- Season and serve. Season the green beans with a pinch of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
How to Trim Fresh Green Beans
There are a few different ways to trim green beans.
- Bend and snap – Bend the end of the bean until you feel a snap. Repeat with the other side.
- Cut – Slice off the ends with a paring knife, one by one.
- The fastest method – Line up the green beans on a cutting board so that all of the tips are even. Using a chef’s knife, slice through with just one cut to remove all the tips at once. Turn the beans around and repeat with the opposite ends.
Serving Suggestions
Parmesan cheese goes really well with the flavor profile, so I will often sprinkle some grated parm on top just before serving. Garlic flavored green beans are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or for lots of our favorite dinners:
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Spaghetti Pomodoro with Homemade Meatballs
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Italian Pork Chops
- Swiss Steak
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Freezing is not recommended. Reheat on the stove in a little melted butter rather than in the microwave.
More Delicious Veggies
- Green Bean Casserole
- Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
- Best Roasted Broccoli
- Balsamic Grilled Vegetables
- Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Balsamic Asparagus with Parmesan
Garlic Butter Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound Green beans
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 5 Garlic cloves peeled and sliced
- 1 Lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, until garlic just begins to brown. Remove garlic from the skillet with a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl or plate and set aside.
- Add green beans and toss to coat with the garlic butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. It’s ok if the green beans begin to blister and brown in spots, but don’t let them burn.
- Add the garlic back to the skillet with a ½ cup of water and continue to cook, stirring often, until water is evaporated and green beans are crisp tender.
- Squeeze lemon juice over and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grate fresh Parmesan over beans (if desired) and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
