I’m a dietitian, so I’m often making sure there’s a veggie represented in the meals I serve. Sautéed green beans are a favorite veggie side dish in my home since they complement a variety of main dishes. I love how this method provides veggies that are warm and tender, but still have some crunch to them. Here’s my simple recipe for making sautéed green beans in just a few minutes.
Recipe Highlights
Great texture: I do love to make roasted green beans in the oven and I also love air fryer green beans, but my favorite method by far is this one, where I simply saute fresh green beans in oil on the stovetop. The green beans get warm and tender while still staying crispy.
Quick to make: This veggie side dish takes only 12 minutes to make, start to finish. I simply heat a skillet on the stove and saute the green beans in some oil.
Nutritious: Like other vegetables, green beans are a great source of nutrients, including fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and folate. Fun fact: by cooking this veggie in a little fat (which is mostly monounsaturated fat from the olive oil or avocado oil), the human body is able to absorb the nutrients in the beans more efficiently.
Just A Few Pantry Staples Are Required
There aren’t any fancy ingredients in this side dish recipe – just straightforward pantry staples in addition to the fresh green beans.
- Green beans – in the summer, when I have an abundance of pole beans growing in my garden, this veggie is one of my go-to summer side dishes. But in other seasons, I simply grab a 12-ounce bag of green beans from the grocery store. It’s the perfect amount for cooking in a 10-inch skillet. I don’t recommend using frozen green beans, as they’ll be too soggy.
- Cooking oil – most often I use extra-virgin olive oil, but avocado oil also works. After misting the skillet with cooking spray, I find that I just need 2 teaspoons of oil in the skillet to help get the green beans slightly browned and cooked without sticking. For a slightly different flavor profile, use sesame oil instead.
- Salt and pepper – I prefer just simple seasonings of salt and pepper to season the green beans. But feel free to add others to give it a different flavor profile, such as garlic powder or minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, or toasted sliced or slivered almonds or pine nuts.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
4 Simple Steps
This easy side dish is so quick, making it a great addition to weeknight meals. Here are the main steps:
- Trim the green beans: I pinch or slice the stem end off of the green beans. Then, depending on how long they are, I either cut them in half or leave them whole for more of a look like haricots verts, which are a variety of very long and tender green beans. Either way works.
- Oil the pan: This isn’t a recipe for fried green beans, so only a little bit of oil is needed in the pan. First, I mist the hot skillet with nonstick spray, then I add oil and swirl the skillet until the bottom is nicely coated.
- Saute the green beans: I add the trimmed green beans to the hot skillet and saute them, cooking and stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Season and serve: Season the cooked green beans with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish and serve right away while they’re still hot.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Make The Green Beans More Tender
As written, this recipe provides green beans that are warm and crisp-tender. That means they still have a good amount of crunch and crispiness to them. However, if slightly more tender green beans are desired, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the skillet about halfway through the sauteeing time. Then cover the skillet and let the beans cook this way for about 4 minutes. This step helps soften the green beans more. They’ll still be crispy, but also easier to chew.
What To Pair This Side With
This simple side goes well with almost any main dish. I serve these easy sautéed green beans often when I’m making classic meatloaf and mashed potatoes. They also pair well with pork chops, chicken piccata, sloppy joe casserole, and this sesame chicken.
This recipe also can be used in place of canned green beans when making green bean casserole.
Storage Directions
Store the cooled green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or reheat them in the microwave for 1 minute or air fryer for 2-3 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, green beans can be cooked raw without the need to boil them before sautéing.
Most often I simply season these green beans with kosher salt and black pepper. Sometimes I’ll also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest. They’re also good when sautéed alongside some minced fresh garlic cloves and served with toasted almonds or pine nuts. Or, top the sautéed green beans with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and dash of red pepper flakes. When seasoned like this, they’re a good match for an Italian meal.
More Side Dishes To Make
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Sautéed Green Beans Recipe
Make a simple veggie side dish to complement any meal in just minutes. This method results in delicious green beans that are crisp-tender and a perfect match for a variety of main dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 12 ounces fresh green beans, washed and trimmed*
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
- Optional: Flaky sea salt or fresh lemon wedges
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
- Place a 10-inch or larger skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the skillet is hot add the oil, swirling the pan to coat.
- Add the green beans and cook, uncovered, until they’re bright green and have reached desired tenderness, for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (See Notes section below for an optional step to get more tender green beans).
- Season with salt and pepper, then taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve while warm.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Notes
* After trimming the stem end off the green beans, they can be cut in half or left long, depending on your preference.
For more tender green beans, during Step 3, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan for the last 4 minutes of cooking and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid so the beans get gently steamed.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 46
- Fat: 2 g
- (Sat Fat: 0 g)
- Sodium: 237 mg
- Carbohydrate: 5 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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