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Garlic Green Beans are a super simple yet flavorful side dish that’s fast and easy to make. Green beans cooked until crisp-tender and coated in garlic butter with a burst of lemon flavor.Â
Looking for more vegetable side dishes that your family will actually eat? My kids love my Honey Roasted Carrots and Roasted Sweet Potatoes almost as much as they love these garlic green beans!
Garlic Green Beans Recipe
There’s nothing better than the fresh SNAP of green beans. They are delicious and heart healthy, full of protein and can actually help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. 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 green beans just became your new favorite vegetables.
Why we love them
- They are good for your health and your heart.
- The intense garlic flavor is addicting.
- They only take about 10 minutes to make.
How to make Garlic Green Beans
- Start by preparing your green beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly in a bowl cool water and break off the ends. They should snap when you bend them. Dry completely with paper towels.
- Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Slice several cloves of garlic and saute them in the butter. Transfer the garlic to a plate once it’s soft but before it scorches. This process will flavor the butter with the garlic without it burning and ruining the flavors.
- Add the green beans to the skillet and stir them around to coat with the butter. Let them cook for several minutes, stirring often. The beans may blister a bit, which we want; just don’t let them burn.
- Add the garlic back into the skillet with about a half cup of water and 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 with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Serving suggestions
Parmesan cheese goes really well with the flavor profile of these garlic green beans, so I will often sprinkle some grated parm on top just before serving. The heavy garlic flavor of these beans goes well with a variety of entrees, but here are a few of our favorites:
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Spaghetti Pomodoro with Homemade Meatballs
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken
What to do with leftovers
Garlic Green Beans can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Freeing is not recommended. Reheat on the stove in a little melted butter rather than in the microwave.
More delicious veggies:
- Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch!)
- Best Roasted Broccoli
- Balsamic Grilled Vegetables
- Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Squash Patties
Garlic Butter Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ½ of a lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly shredded 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 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 from half a lemon over the beans and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grate fresh Parmesan over beans (if desired) and serve immediately.
