Easy Sautéed Green Beans Recipe

This easy-to-make sauteed green beans recipe is lightly browned and finished with garlic, butter, Dijon, and soy sauce for incredible flavors. I have a feeling this will become your new favorite side dish.

We are big green bean fans in our family, as it is one of the few vegetables we can all agree to enjoy. If you and your family are the same, you must try my Ham and Green Bean Stew or Three Bean Salad.

Sauteed Green Beans

Sautéed green beans are lightly fried in oil while frequently stirring until they become lightly browned and cooked. It’s best to boil the green beans ahead of time to help reconstitute them and to help them keep color and firmness. If you sauté them, it will take longer, and the beans will turn color and begin to become soggy or, if the oil is too hot, burnt.

There are many ways to flavor these fried green beans, including onions, garlic, herbs, spices, or acids like citrus or vinegar. Feel free to tailor this recipe for you and your family’s tastebuds.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beans – I used haricot verts in my recipe, which are French-style green beans. These tend to be a little longer and thinner. Regular green beans will work in the exact same way.
• Butter – Always use unsalted butter in cooking and baking so that you control the sodium content and not a butter company.
• Oil – Olive or avocado oil is the best to use.
• Mustard – A little bit of Dijon mustard adds a wonderful punch of flavor to the beans.
• Garlic – Some finely minced fresh cloves are the hero for these sauteed green beans.
• Lemon – A little lemon juice will help to brighten up the beans.
• Soy – Any good shoyu or tamari soy sauce will work.

How to Make Sauteed Green Beans

Add the green beans to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes.

Strain the beans and keep them in the draining basket. There’s no need to run them under cold water or shock them in ice water, and it’s best to let them slightly air dry.

While the beans are drying out, add the oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium-high heat until it smokes lightly.

Place in the beans and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until they become lightly browned.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and push the beans to one side of the pan and on the other, add the garlic and butter and stir and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.

Mix the green beans with the garlic and butter and remove the pan from the heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and soy sauce.

Add the mustard-soy mixture to the pan of beans along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Mix until combined.

Serve with optional red pepper flakes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done cooking. You can keep them warm in the pan for up to 15 minutes before serving.

How to Store: Green beans will be kept in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 3 days. These don’t freeze well after being cooked because they lose a lot of moisture. If you decide to freeze cooked green beans, it is best to thaw and use them in a soup.

How to Reheat: Add the green beans with a small amount of chicken stock or water and 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan. Cook over medium heat until the green beans are warm.

Chef Notes + Tips

• These green beans will be al dente or slightly crunchy when finished.
• If you want your green beans a little more done, boil them for 5 to 7 minutes.

More Green Bean Recipes

• Boiled Green Beans
• Oven Baked Green Beans
• Pickled Green Beans
• Green Bean Casserole
• Mulligan Stew

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Easy Sautéed Green Beans Recipe

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5 from 8 votes

This easy-to-make sautéed green beans recipe are browned and finished with garlic, butter, Dijon, and soy sauce for incredible flavors.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 pound trimmed green beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 finely minced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 tablespoon
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add the green beans to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes.
• Strain the beans and keep them in the draining basket. No need to run them under cold water or shock them in ice water. It’s best to let them slightly air dry.
• While the beans are drying out, add the oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
• Place in the beans and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until they become lightly browned.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and push the beans to one side of the pan in the other add in the garlic and butter and stir and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until it becomes fragrant.
• Mix the green beans with the garlic and butter and remove the pan from the heat.
• In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and soy sauce.
• Add the mustard-soy mixture to the pan of beans along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Mix until combined.
• Serve with optional red pepper flakes.

Notes

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done cooking. You can keep them warm in the pan for up to 15 minutes before serving.

How to Store: Green beans will be kept in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 3 days. These don’t freeze well after being cooked because they lose a lot of moisture. If you decide to freeze cooked green beans, it is best to thaw and use them in a soup.

How to Reheat: Add the green beans with a small amount of chicken stock or water and 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan. Cook over medium heat until the green beans are warm.

These green beans will be al dente or slightly crunchy when finished.

If you want your green beans a little more done, boil them for 5 to 7 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 399mgPotassium: 268mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 871IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Author: Chef Billy Parisi