Sautéed Green Beans

Name: Sautéed Green Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 1 pound green beans, trimmed; Salt and black pepper; 1/2 lemon

By Kia Damon

Published June 5, 2024

Sautéed Green Beans — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 5(609)
Comments: Read comments

Vibrant, snappy yet perfectly tender green beans needn’t involve large pots of boiling water. Here, a mixture of butter and olive oil coats the pan while the beans release their natural water content in a combination of steaming and sautéing. Fresh garlic is preferred for its subtle sweetness and texture, but if need be, you can use granulated garlic or garlic powder instead. Finish with a squeeze of lemon for a silky, garlicky sauce and a perfectly balanced side dish. Serve with baked fish, steak au poivre or some simple roasted or grilled chicken.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

2tablespoons unsalted butter
1tablespoon olive oil
2large garlic cloves, minced
1pound green beans, trimmed
Salt and black pepper
½lemon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the garlic and swirl into the butter mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute. You don’t want the garlic to take on much color, just to become tender.
Step 2
Add the green beans and toss well, until they’re coated in the butter and garlic mixture. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes (the beans will begin to steam and will brighten in color to a more lively green), then remove the pan from the heat, uncover and toss again. (The goal is to make sure all the beans have an opportunity to make contact with the bottom of the pan.) Return the covered pan to the heat and cook, tossing every so often, until the beans are tender and cooked through but with a bit of a snap, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Ratings

5 out of 5

609 user ratings

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Comments

Mary M Zhu1 year ago

Sounds like a variation of the basic Chinese way to cook greens, ideally in a wok. Start with smashed garlic in hot oil (I use canola oil for health reasons), remove garlic, toss in veggies to sear in flavors, add a bit of water, cover to steam under lower heat, when veggies are bright green and al dente, can add a cornstarch paste to thicken remaining liquid, add flavoring as desired, serve.

Jon1 year ago

I must say, I always parboil the beans first in the same pan, then remove, drain, then cook the oil/butter and saute the garlic at a fairly low heat to make sure they don't brown, then readd the beans where they take just a minute to get back to heat. Still one pan, beans aren't as brown but the garlic is soft and perfect.

Walter1 year ago

To dry the beans thoroughly, I use a salad spinner. Any water covering the beans will make the oil slide off.

Wendy S2 weeks ago

Great and easy recipe. I also like to switch it up and cook my green beans with shallots instead of garlic.

jean2 weeks ago

I liked the cooking method, but there was much too much oil. I would cut in half next time

good - make again / notes below2 months ago

Easy, fast and tasty. Used 50/50 sesame oil/olive oil as well as butter. Toasted sesame seeds would be a nice addition.

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