This garlic butter green beans recipe makes a quick and delicious side dish for any meal. Fresh green beans soak up the flavors of garlic and butter, so make a double batch; you will want a second helping!
My family loves roasted green beans so that’s usually the way that I cook green beans. I cook with these green beans so often that you’ll find many recipes here on the blog, like my Sweet Potato Green Beans Shrimp Skillet and Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.
This recipe has a delicious flavour because of this amazing garlic butter sauce. Mm… So yummy! I’m sure you’ll love making this side dish to serve along some good quality protein like my Simple Salmon Recipe and my scallops recipe.
What is the difference between green beans and snap beans?
The surprise answer is, there is no difference at all! People may call them different things, but they are green beans.
How to shop and prep for this green beans recipe
Green beans are best when they are freshly picked.
Look for beans that are three to four inches long and just starting to bulge. The bright green color is an easy give-away of a fresh bean that will taste amazing.
Before you make the garlic butter green bean recipe, be sure to “top and tail” the beans. This entails using your fingers to pinch a little bit off of each end of the bean. Or, use a kitchen knife to cut the ends off.
Fresh green beans shouldn’t be stringy. If you have beans that are past their prime, you may notice stringy parts. Eating them can be unpleasant so if you notice any strings, just pull them out.
How long should I cook the beans?
It’s easy to overcook green beans. When they boil too long, they turn dark green and lose all their texture. As a result, they have little flavor, since most of it is lost to the water.
After the water has reached a boil, add the beans and cook them for five to seven minutes. When green beans are properly cooked, they will be bright green and crisp.
In this green bean recipe, we steam the green beans in a pan of water. This helps to ensure they don’t overcook.
RECIPE NOTE: If you’re using thin French-style beans, be aware that they cook in half the time of regular green beans.
Can I use butter instead of ghee?
Plain butter is not Whole30 or Paleo approved because of the milk proteins in it. An alternative to butter is ghee, which tastes fantastic on green beans!
Ghee is pure butterfat cooked until all of the moisture is removed. The solids are filtered out. Because the fat from the butter is concentrated, ghee is very delicious.
If you like this easy side dish, you may like my Carrot Quinoa Salad, Perfect Mashed Cauliflower Recipe, Quick Easy Bean Salad, and Whole30 Mashed Cauliflower Recipe!
More Green Beans Recipes:
- How to Make Crispy Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
- Roasted Green Beans with Spicy Tahini Sauce
- Ground Turkey Skillet with Green Beans Recipe
- Sweet Potato Green Beans Shrimp Skillet
Garlic Butter Green Beans Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- 2 tablespoons butter or ghee for Whole30 and Paleo
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pinches lemon pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place green beans into a large skillet and cover with water. Bring water to a boil.
- Once water is broiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain water and bring the pot with the green beans back to the medium heat.
- Add butter, stir and cook until butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for more 2 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can quickly trim the green beans by lining them up on a cutting board and cutting the tops and bottoms off.
- Make sure you don't overcook the green beans or they'll get mushy. They should be bright green and crisp.
- Keep in mind that thin French-style beans cook in half the time than the green beans used in this recipe.
- To store: You can store cooked green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the green beans in the microwave or skillet.
- To freeze: You can freeze cooked green beans in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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