This Sautéed Green Bean Recipe is super easy and quick to make! Makes a great side dish for a variety of main courses!
Growing up, canned green beans were one of my favorite vegetables that we had with our meals. They beat the canned mustard greens my mom would occasionally serve by a long shot. Yuck! I still haven’t ever eaten them as an adult because of those memories of sour greens. It was all I could do to get them down. I’m sure fresh cooked mustard greens are so much better, but I just can’t even bring myself to buy them to find out.
I don’t buy canned green beans anymore, but I do occasionally grab a bag of fresh to go with a meal. The inspiration for this Smokey Sautéed Green Beans recipe comes from the One Skillet cookbook that I mentioned before.
Green beans aren’t exactly the most exciting veggie in the world, but the seasoning on these take them to a whole other level. My husband absolutely loved these, so they will be making more appearances on our dinner table.
You can find 12 oz. bags of fresh green beans at several supermarkets. I picked up a bag at Trader Joe’s. They also sell 16 oz. containers. I purchased a bag that said Haricots Verts, which is French for green beans and is a French variety of green bean.
How To Sauté Green Beans
This recipe is so quick and easy to make, you’ll want to make it again and again! It’s the perfect side dish for meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
- First, you will need to wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Then, cut them in half.
- These green beans get a boost of flavor at the end with a flavored butter combination. Prepare that before you begin cooking the green beans and set it aside.
- Let the green beans cook until they begin to get some brown spots, then add some water and cook until they turn bright green.
- Add the butter mixture to the pan and toss to coat the green beans and cook until they are crisp-tender and lightly browned all over.
Smokey Sauteed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp . butter , softened
- 2 cloves garlic , grated
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 (12 oz) package of fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
- 1/4 tsp sea salt , plus black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 scallions , finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet (that has a lid) until you begin to smell the oil. Add the green beans, 1/4 tsp sea salt and black pepper to taste. Let cook, occasionally stirring, until the beans begin to develop brown spots, about 4-6 minutes.
- Pour in the water, cover, and cook until the beans are bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high and cook until the water has evaporated. ( I didn't have much left after removing the lid.)
- Add the butter mixture and scallions to the pan and toss with the beans. Cook, stirring often, until the beans are lightly browned, crisp-tender and beginning to wrinkle, about 1-3 minutes more. Place into a serving bowl and serve.