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Learn the easiest and simplest way to cook green beans that are also flavorful and crisp-tender. Find out the secret to perfect texture and bright green color every time.

green beans

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How To Cook Green Beans

The easiest and quickest way to make green beans is to cook them in a skillet.

First, saute them in olive oil over medium-high heat. Then, add minced garlic and seasonings for flavor, and sautee them for a minute. Afterward, add a little bit of water to the skillet, stir everything and cover the skillet with a lid. Steam the beans for a few minutes until they are bright green and crisp-tender.

If necessary season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately.

sauteed green beans

Tips For Making The Best Green Beans

It’s easy to overcook green beans or to make them taste bland. If you want to achieve the perfect texture and bright green color, you have to steam them for a few minutes (after you sautee them). Steaming green beans helps preserve the bright color while gently cooking them to perfection without overcooking them.

  • Pick green beans that are free of any spots, and wrinkles or are starting to get mushy.
  • Prep the beans by washing them and trimming the ends.
  • Don’t overcook them by boiling them. Using a little bit of water in a skillet is a gentle way to cook the perfect fresh green beans.
  • Haricot Vert beans are slender and tender
  • Season the beans with spices, salt and black pepper. Adding minced fresh garlic also enhances the flavor.
green bean recipe

How Long to Cook Green Beans

You can cook 1 lb of green beans on the stovetop for about 15 minutes, including 5 minutes prep time. Cook them until they are tender. They don’t need a long time to cook because you want to preserve the fresh green color.

Can Green Beans Be Made Ahead of Time

Yes, you can make the green beans ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a couple of days. Just blanch them using the blanching instructions below and keep them in the fridge for a couple of days.

Before serving them, reheat them in a skillet with olive oil and minced garlic and spices. Toss them several times to reheat them until they are tender and ready to eat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving them.

How To Freeze Green Beans

You can freeze fresh greens in the freezer and saute them just before you serve them. In order to preserve their bright green color, you have to blanch them and shock them in ice-cold water. Pat dry them before placing them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. You can store them in the freezer for about 12 months.

Blanching Green Beans

In order for them to preserve their beautiful fresh green color and texture, you have to blanch them in boiling water before freezing the beans. Freezing green beans is the best way to preserve them for future use because they have more nutrients than canned green beans.

  1. Wash the green beans in cold water.
  2. Trim off stem ends, and remove the strings if they have strings.
  3. Boil water in a large pot over medium-high heat and place the green beans in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Blanch them in batches, you don’t want to overcrowd the pot.
  4. After 3 minutes, using a slotted spoon remove the green beans from the boiling water and place them immediately in a large bowl with ice-cold water.
  5. Keep the green beans for 3 minutes in the ice-cold water.
  6. Transfer to a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel.
  7. Make sure they are dry before placing them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Don’t overcrowd the ziplock bag, use several if necessary.

Freezing Green Beans

After you have transferred the blanched green beans to ziplock bags or freezer-safe containers, place them in the freezer. You can store them for 1 year in the freezer. They are still safe to use after 1 year but their texture may decline and change a little bit.

how to cook green beans

What To Serve With Sauteed Green Beans

You can serve these garlic green beans with:

Other Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Some of our favorite tried and true Thanksgiving side dishes are:

green beans
5 from 9 votes

Garlic Green Beans Recipe

Calories99
Protein:2
Carbs:8
Fat:7
Learn the easiest and simplest way to cook green beans that are also flavorful and crisp-tender. Find out the secret to perfect texture and bright green color every time.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

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Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add trimmed green beans to the skillet, season them with salt and black pepper, and saute them stirring often until they are tender for about 5 minutes. (Make sure you don't burn them, reduce the heat if necessary).
  • Add minced garlic to the green beans, toss and cook until fragrant for about 30 seconds.
  • Pour 1/2 cup water over the green beans and cover the skillet with a lid. Steam the green beans for a couple of minutes, until they are bright green and crisp-tender.
  • Drain green beans and transfer them to a serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over them and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

Leftover beans can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can freeze fresh greens in the freezer and saute them just before you serve them.
To freeze green beans:
  1. Blanch green beans
  2. Shock them in ice cold water
  3. Pat them dry with a paper towel
  4. Place them in freezer safe ziplock bags or containers
  5. Freeze them for about 12 months

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 782IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Neli Howard

Meet Neli Howard, a food blogger and recipe developer on a mission to make healthy eating delicious! With a knack for creating mouthwatering recipes using real food ingredients, Neli's all about making nutritious meals that the whole family will love. Her easy-to-follow recipes turn healthy cooking into a joyful experience, proving that eating well doesn't have to be bland or boring.

5 from 9 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. Mahy Elamin says:

    5 stars
    One of my favorite sides! Easy, healthy and delicious!

  2. Meghan McMorrow says:

    5 stars
    This would be a super elegant side dish for the holidays. Or weeknights! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Bee Yinn Low says:

    5 stars
    Iโ€™ve made this a few times (and making them tonight) and we love love love them! So simple and really delicious. I may even enjoy them more leftover!

  4. Nazar Veselovich says:

    5 stars
    Love this side. Its so simple and healthy but tastes great too!

  5. Mary Bostow says:

    5 stars
    It is very quick and easy dinner recipe to make that anyone can make so quickly. Yeah, I personally loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  6. Chrissie Baker says:

    5 stars
    Very simple dish to make and tastes great. I like that it cooks so quickly.

  7. Julia Mazurchak says:

    5 stars
    Lovely way to serve green beans! My husband usually isnโ€™t a fan of them but tonight was my turn to make dinner and he actually said they were very good!