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These sautéed green beans are a quick and flavorful side dish made with fresh green beans, garlic, and simple seasonings. Ready in just 15 minutes, and it comes out crisp-tender with lots of flavor. It’s an easy vegetable side that pairs well with almost any dinner.
Green beans are one of those vegetables I make all the time because they’re simple, healthy, and everyone at the table will eat them. When I don’t feel like turning on the oven, I just sauté them in a pan with garlic and olive oil. They cook fast and always come out fresh, bright, and full of flavor.
You may also like my air fryer green beans or my oven-roasted parmesan green beans.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Naturally gluten-free
- Works with fresh or frozen green beans
- Great for weeknight dinners or holidays
Recipe Overview
Ingredients needed
Simple, wholesome ingredients are all that’s needed to make this green bean recipe. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free. Here’s the lineup:
- Green beans. I typically use frozen green beans for this recipe; however, you can use fresh ones too. String beans, or French haricots verts, are good options when using fresh green beans.
- Toasted sesame oil: Gives the beans a rich, nutty taste that’s totally delicious.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic, not garlic powder, for the best flavor.
- Salt & pepper: A must for any veggies to really bring all of the flavors together!
- Toasted sesame seeds: Add extra nuttiness and lovely texture.
How To Make Sauteed Green Beans
Prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water next to it.
Blanch green beans: Once bubbling, add the frozen green beans and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer to ice: Quickly and carefully drain the beans, and place them in the prepared ice bowl. Allow it to sit in the ice water for 3-4 minutes, then drain very well and pat dry with paper towels.
Sauté: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently until softened to your taste, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe Tips
- Trim the ends first: Cut or snap off the tough ends of the green beans before cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Cook the beans in a large skillet so they sauté rather than steam.
- Cook until crisp-tender: Green beans should still have a little bite. Overcooking will make them soft.
- Add garlic at the end: Garlic burns quickly, so add it during the last couple of minutes of cooking.
- Finish with lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the flavor.
Variations
Here are some options for customizing this recipe:
- Green beans almondine: Replace the sesame seed oil with olive oil, omit the sesame seeds, and instead toss with 1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds, and serve with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
- Lemon garlic green beans: Try adding some lemon zest and juice
- Parmesan green beans: sprinkle with grated parmesan, or you can even do crumbled feta cheese.
- Spicy green beans– add red pepper flakes
- Balsamic green beans – drizzle with a little balsamic glaze
Common questions
Blanching is the process of boiling vegetables for a short time to bring out their color and perfect crisp, tender texture. It is not completely necessary to blanch the green beans before sautéing them; however, we feel that it will yield the best results. Plus, they will sauté quicker.
There are many ways to jazz up green beans and add delicious flavor. Add butter, your favorite spices, or even a squeeze of lemon juice. In this recipe, the combination of nutty toasted sesame oil, fresh garlic, and salt & pepper are all that you need for a winning side.
Cook them quickly over medium-high heat and avoid overcooking.
They are both equally good. I don’t recommend using canned beans. I used frozen most times and fresh would be even better. If using frozen, thaw and pat them dry before sautéing, so they don’t release too much water.
Serving suggestions
The beauty of a simple side dish like these sautéed green beans is that it pairs well with so many different mains. Here are some tasty options:
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Creamy Salmon and Potato Skillet
- Easy Korean Beef
- Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Healthy Shrimp Scampi
- Creamy Pesto Salmon
- Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken
Storage recommendations
- Leftovers: Store any leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, in the oven at 350ºF for about 8 minutes, or in the microwave until warm.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container or bag for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More side dish recipes
- Baked Balsamic Asparagus
- Herbed Potato Salad
- Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Honey Mustard Carrots
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Oven Roasted Veggies
Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rating below.
Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen whole green beans, no need to defrost
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2-4 fresh garlic cloves, pressed
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water next to it.
- Once bubbling, add the 1 pound frozen whole green beans and cook for 1 minute.
- Quickly and carefully drain the beans and place them in the prepared ice bowl. Allow it to sit in the ice water for 3-4 minutes, then drain very well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beans and 2-4 fresh garlic cloves, then season with Kosher salt and pepper.
- Sauté, stirring frequently until softened to your taste, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- Leftovers: Store any leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, in the oven at 350ºF for about 8 minutes, or in the microwave until warm.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container or bag for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
