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Home » Recipes » Sides

How to make Easy Garlic Green Beans

Published: Oct 3, 2019 · Modified: Nov 8, 2023 by Gitta Grether-Sweeney · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 3 reviews

Easy garlic green beans are delicious and simple to make. They can be prepared ahead of time and reheated right before serving. This is the perfect side dish for family weeknight dinners or special occasions.

Easy Green Beans Finished Green Beans
Easy Garlic Green Beans

Easy garlic green beans are a delicious addition to any dinner. They are a favorite vegetable with both children and adults. On their own, green beans can be bland. Garlic adds the perfect kick to make them go from bland to a dish with great flavor. Garlic and green beans just "go together!"

Why I make this recipe:

  1. My son is a picky eater and he does not like very many vegetables. However, he loves these green beans because they have a crisp texture and the garlic gives it a nice flavor. I hate to make something and then no one eats it. So this recipe is one of my "go-to" vegetable dishes.
  2. There are only a few simple ingredients in this recipe.
  3. It is easy to make.
  4. It is fast to make.
  5. Easy garlic green beans can be prepared ahead of time. Sometimes, I cook the green beans and place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Right before serving I cook the garlic and add the green beans until they are heated through.

Ingredients for Garlic Green Beans

Green Beans- Use fresh green beans. To make sure they are fresh, they should snap when you fold them in half. Canned green beans will not work in this recipe because you want the green beans to be crispy. Canned green beans are too soft. Frozen green beans are also not a good choice because of their texture. If you are short on time, purchase cleaned ready to cook green beans. You can find them in the produce section of the grocery store.

Garlic-Fresh garlic is best but you can purchase crushed or minced garlic in a jar in the produce section of the grocery store.

Olive Oil-I prefer the taste of olive oil in this recipe. You can also use canola or other vegetable oil. Olive oil also helps cut down on saturated fat by using it in place of butter.

Butter-I prefer to use unsalted butter because I can control the amount of salt in the food. Even though butter is saturated fat, I like to use a small amount because it adds flavor to the dish.

Pro-Tips

  1. Before you trim the ends of the green beans, clean them by rinsing them under running water. Rinsing removes pesticide residues and prevents food born illness. If you cut the tips off before you wash them, you increase the risk of bacteria getting into the green beans.
  2. Use fresh green beans. Canned and frozen green beans are not suited for this recipe because of their texture.
  3. After you cook the green beans, drain them and run them under COLD water so that you stop the cooking process. Otherwise, the green beans will not have a crisp texture.
  4. Green beans are done if they have a crisp texture and are bright green. This normally takes about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Use fresh garlic and not garlic powder. Fresh garlic adds a contrasting color to the dish and is not as overpowering in flavor as garlic powder.
  6. This is a great dish to make ahead. You can cook the green beans and place them in the refrigerator. Finish cooking them right before your meal.
  7. I only need one pan to prepare it so I save time at cleanup.

Serving suggestions

Easy garlic green beans can be served as a side dish with beef, chicken, fish, lamb or pork. I make this recipe at Thanksgiving because it is simple and easy to make and goes well with the other sides. It has fewer calories than the traditional green bean casserole, and we like them better. I also like to serve it with Fast Roast Chicken and My Meat Favorite Meat Sauce for Spaghetti which I serve on Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash.

Equipment you will need to make easy garlic green beans

  1. 3-quart saucepan or soup pot
  2. Cutting board (either plastic or wood)
  3. Colander
  4. Chefs knife
  5. Garlic press
  6. Cooking Spoon or heatproof spatula
  7. Measuring spoons

How to make easy garlic green beans

Rinse green beans under cold running water.

Easy Garlic Green Beans rinse before using

Cut the stems off the green beans.

Easy Green Beans Trim the Beans

Cook the green beans in simmering water.

Easy Green Beans Boil water

Drain and rinse the green beans under cold running water.

Easy Green Beans Rinse Green Beans

Crush garlic to remove garlic skin.

Smash garlic using a chefs knife

Place garlic in the garlic press and crush the garlic.

Easy Green Beans Garlic Press

Melt butter and oil together in a saucepan.

Easy Green Beans Oil and Butter in pan

Cook garlic and green beans.

Easy Green Beans Heating Green Beans

Season with salt and pepper. Place the green beans in a serving bowl or serve them directly from the pan (that's how I do it to save time on clean up).

Top view green beans on a white bowl

Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat: place green beans in a saucepan and warm on low until heated through, or place in a microwaveable container and heat on high for 1-2 minutes.

Garnishes

The garlic green beans can be garnished with chopped parsley. If you like heat, sprinkle them with red pepper flakes.

I hope you try this recipe! Please give it a rating and comment below. I love to hear from you!

Print

📋 Recipe

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Easy Green Beans Finished Green Beans 3

Easy Garlic Green Beans

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Gitta
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 people
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
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Description

These delicious green beans are easy to make and they can be prepared ahead of time and reheated right before serving. This is the perfect side dish for family weeknight dinners or special occasions.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound fresh green beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic (about 8 cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper


Instructions

  1. Fill saucepan ¾ full with water.
  2. Place on stove on high and bring to a boil.
  3. While the water is heating, place green beans in a colander and rinse them with cold running water.
  4. Drain the beans, and cut the stems off the green beans.
    Trimmed green beans with a knife on a cutting board
  5. When the water is boiling, add the green beans to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-high so the water is simmering but not boiling. Cook for about 4 minutes. The beans should be crunchy. If you prefer softer, cook them for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the beans into a colander under running COLD water. You want to stop the beans from cooking, so it is important to use cold water. Rinse them for about 1 minute with cold water. Place beans in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate if you will use them later in the day or the following day. They can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time.
  7. Crush garlic cloves by laying them on a cutting board and laying the flat side of the knife on the garlic clove and pounding the knife with your hand.
    Garlic on a cutting board with a chef knife
  8. Remove the skin from the garlic clove and crush the cloves with a garlic press.
    Garlic press over glass bowl
  9. Heat oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until the butter melts Add the crushed garlic and toss in the mixture for 30 seconds. Add the green beans and cook them until they are hot, 2-3 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
  10. Season the garlic green beans with salt and pepper. You might need to adjust this to your taste. 
  11. Enjoy!Top view green beans in a white serving bowl

Equipment

Image of Garlic Press

Garlic Press

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Image of Chef's Knife

Chef's Knife

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(affiliate link)


Notes

  1.   This recipe is best made with fresh green beans.  Frozen or canned beans are not a good option.
  2.    Cleaned green beans can be used and are located in the grocery store's refrigerated section. 
  3.    You can purchase crushed garlic in a jar instead of using fresh garlic.  It is normally located in the produce section of the grocery store.  

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Portion
  • Calories: 122
  • Sugar: 2.8 g
  • Sodium: 324.4 mg
  • Fat: 7.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.8 g
  • Protein: 3.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 9.2 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @gittas_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #gittas_kitchen

For your convenience, I have included links to Amazon for equipment that I use to make this recipe. “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.” If you purchase the equipment, I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my policy.

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Paula

    November 16, 2023 at 7:11 am

    For printing recipe could do without a whole page of, for example, garlic press. Waste of paper having to print pictures.

    Reply
    • Gitta Grether-Sweeney

      November 18, 2023 at 2:26 pm

      Thank you for reaching out to me about your concern. I agree that we don't need to waste paper with the pictures.
      Good news! You have the option of not printing the pictures.

      When the sample print page displays, there are options at the top of the page where you can choose what you would like to include to be displayed on the page when it is printed. The program automatically defaults to showing the pictures. However, if you do not want the pictures to print, click. he box that says "images" and they won't show on the printed page.

      I hope this helps!

      Happy Cooking,
      Gitta

      Reply
  2. Mitzi Maier

    October 14, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    This recipe is not only very ease and delicious but also very informative. It will be filed under my favorite recipes. Thank you Gitta for sharing!

    Reply
    • Gitta

      October 14, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      Thank you! I am so happy you liked the recipe!

      Reply
  3. John

    October 12, 2019 at 8:08 am

    Definitely a family favorite!

    Reply

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