Garlic Buttered Green Beans

Green beans make for an ideal side dish. They require minimal preparation time and, depending on the cooking method, they can be ready in a flash. This quick and easy recipe only takes 5 minutes to prep and around 10 minutes to cook (adjusting for your preferred level of crunch), with the entire dish ready in 15 minutes. It's a favorite among our Dinogo home chefs, with hundreds of positive ratings and reviews.

Ingredients for Garlic Green Beans

Simply butter, minced garlic, and a touch of lemon-pepper seasoning are all it takes to bring out the full flavor of fresh green beans.

If you don't have lemon-pepper seasoning or just prefer a fresh lemon taste, substitute the lemon-pepper seasoning with freshly ground black pepper to taste, along with the zest of one lemon and a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice.

How to Prepare Buttery Garlic Green Beans

The full recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions is listed below, but here’s a quick overview of the simple steps:

1. Simmer: Bring the green beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer until they’re just tender. It’s better to slightly undercook them than to overcook them. Drain the beans and return them to the skillet, where the residual heat will continue to cook them.
2. Sauté: Add butter to the hot skillet, then stir in minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, ensuring the beans are well coated in the garlic butter. Season and serve.

How to Quickly Trim Fresh Green Beans

There are several ways to trim green beans, from snapping off the ends to individually cutting them with a paring knife. However, many home cooks and chefs prefer a simpler method that’s both quick and effective. Here’s how you can trim green beans in no time:

1. Start by aligning the green beans on your cutting board so that the ends are all level. You can keep them bunched together or spread them out a bit.
2. Using either a chef’s knife or a paring knife, make a single cut to remove the tips.
3. Turn the beans around so the trimmed ends are closer to your cutting hand, and realign them if necessary. Again, slice through the beans in one clean motion.

And that’s it! If you prefer shorter beans, simply line them up again and cut them to your desired size. For this buttery garlic green beans recipe, just halve the trimmed beans. It’s that simple!

Dinogo Community Tips and Reviews

"A fantastic base recipe for fresh green beans," says Shelagh Adam. "The simmering, draining, and sautéing technique preserves the beans' crispness and color. I started the garlic in the butter before adding the beans back in."

"This is one of my go-to ways to prepare green beans," says Sarah Jo. "I like to toss in some finely chopped onion along with the garlic. I usually double the recipe because my family eats it up so quickly."

"So simple and so delicious!" praises Babs. "I made these for Thanksgiving. The day before, I parboiled the beans for 5 minutes, then cooled them by running cold water over them and refrigerated them. On the day, I sautéed the beans in butter, added garlic, and cooked until fragrant."

Editorial contributions by Carl Hanson.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅛ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, or more to taste

• salt to taste

Instructions

Place the green beans in a large skillet and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the beans begin to soften.

Drain the beans and return them to the skillet. Add the butter and stir until it’s fully melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's tender and aromatic.

Season with lemon-pepper seasoning and salt just before serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving)