Simple and full of flavor, this recipe for garlic green beans is truly amazing whether cooked quickly in a skillet or grilled – the more charred, the better! Take a look at more Quick Healthy Recipes.
Super flavorful garlic green beans is one of our family’s favorite recipes when green beans are in season. Well, it’s also our favorite way to eat our frozen garden green beans, too, but in the summer when the beans are coming on strong we eat our weight in garlic green beans almost weekly.
This easy recipe is deceptively tasty. Seriously. I know it has, like, only 3 or 4 ingredients, but I can’t just have one helping…or even two. And since I can’t possible have a third helping of anything, I just pick the beans out of the serving bowl.
I know. But it’s not a real third serving, right?
I grow a couple of types of beans, but my favorite variety that I have grown every year for more than 10 years is a pole filet-style bean called Emerite. You can pick it short and skinny for the true filet style beans (which I do at the beginning of the season), or leave them to grow longer and thicker. Either way, they stay tender and yummy and never have any strings.
I can’t be bothered with “snapping” one bean at a time- I lose more bean than I want and it takes longer- so I pile up a bunch of similar lengths and cut just the tips off all at once. For this recipe, cut the beans in the length you’d like to serve. Sometimes I leave them long for that restaurant look, but most of the time I cut them into 1 to 2-inch pieces because they are easier to eat.
Garlic Green Beans Recipe
Skillet Version:
Use a shallow pan large enough to hold the amount of beans you have. I like to use my 10-inch cast iron skillet. It’s a quick three-step process to cook them in a skillet – basically we’re sautéing, steaming, and then charing them a bit to resemble roasted, but without turning on the oven!
For the first step you’ll sauté the beans a bit, in a mixture of olive oil and butter for a few minutes.
The second step is to add garlic (with red pepper flakes, if using) and some water, then cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how you like your beans. I like them crisp-cooked, not mushy, so 3-4 minutes is usually good.
In the third step remove the cover, turn the heat to high and quickly cook the liquid away, stirring gently a few times, until the beans are sizzling in the pan and some are starting to char.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve right away.
New Grill method:
The grilling method is more simplified, since all the charring takes place at once on the grill.
Prepare beans as you normally do, but use only olive oil to coat them, adding the other seasonings (garlic, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes) at the same time and tossing together.
Using a high-sided grill pan with holes, grill the beans over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until done, tossing frequently. Like the skillet method, these are so good with little charred areas on them, so make sure to grill long enough to get them.
Either way you make them, the beans become nicely coated with buttery-garlicky goodness – and a little spice if you add the red pepper flakes – which pretty much makes them so hard to stop eating! And come on, healthy green beans you can’t stop eating? That’s a good thing, right?
Amazing Garlic Green Beans (with Skillet and Grill Options)
Ingredients
- 4 cups trimmed fresh* green beans cut as desired
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste optional
- 1/4 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Skillet method:
- Prepare green beans.
- Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large, shallow pan.
- Add beans and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes, if using, and stir.
- Add water and cover. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on desired doneness.
- Remove lid and, turning heat to high, cook stirring constantly until liquid evaporates and some beans start to brown.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
- Grill method:
- Prepare beans.
- Coat beans with only olive oil (no butter) and toss with garlic, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using.
- Using a high-sided grill pan with holes, grill the beans over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until done, tossing frequently. Make sure to let some of the beans get a little charred on them…oh SO good.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: this classic AOC recipe was originally published in 2010 and has been updated with all new photos, formatting and printable recipe. The amazing results are the same!
Other Green Bean Recipes You May Like:
Greek Style Pasta Salad with Green Beans
Garlic spiced canned pickled green beans
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Andrea says
Wow so awesome!! Thanks for sharing! I love your recipe! Everything looked so yummy!!
Annette says
Hi. We make them with just beans, garlic, kosher salt and olive oil and eat them over angel hair pasta. They are delicious.
Eileen says
This is how we like to make our green beans too with the exception of the red pepper flakes. I will definitely give that a try. We add dried Summer Savory when cooking. Something I learned from my husbands family in France.
Jami says
I’ve never thought of that, Eileen, I’ll have to try summer savory!
Teri says
And how many will this recipe serve, please?
Jami says
4-6, but it’s easy to make it less or more and tailor to your needs! 🙂
Its A Blog Party says
Yum
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz
~Holly~ says
Thanks for the green bean recipe. My beans have snuck in a second crop and it’s growing like crazy! Will have to try your recipe!
Jami @An Oregon Cottage says
Hah! I decided to leave out the picture of when I added the garlic and just write it in- seemed like too many pictures of a pan of beans!- guess I should’ve left it in? 🙂
Thanks, Native Texan, for the kind comments and helping Chris!
Sherri B.- Yes! I’ve done that, too, but I also add a bit of soy sauce along with the pepper.
Betherann says
All I can say is YUM!
Jenelle says
These look wonderful! I will definitely be giving them a try. Thanks!
ChRiS says
maybe its me i have my moments but when do you add the garlic?
Sherri B. says
These sound like the ones I have been trying to duplicate from our favorite Chinese buffet. I couldn’t get it right but I think if I add a pinch of red pepper flakes and follow your instructions I will finally have it. A big Thanks!
nativetexangirl says
Chris,
“Add a tablespoon of minced garlic for each 4 cups, stir, and then pour in about 1/4 cup of water.”
Jami has this after the beans are added and before the water. It is in between two pictures.
nativetexangirl says
These look fantastic, Jami. thanks for sharing. You really are inspirational for making me want to cook and eat at home! I just shared your recipe and web site address with my two sisters.