Easy Sautéed Green Beans

Whip up a side of these quick and easy Sautéed Green Beans with dinner tonight. This recipe works with fresh OR with frozen green beans – a total keeper!

Green beans are one of my favorite vegetable side dishes. They are quick and easy to make, the kids love them… And we usually grow them in the garden, which is an added bonus.

Here I’m sharing how I make sautéed green beans – how to blanch them, how to cook them properly and how to season them to make sure they taste amazing!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients to make sautéed green beans with text overlay — Ingredients for sautéed green beans: Olive oil, pepper, Dijon mustard, green beans, onion, garlic, butter, salt and pepper.

Ingredient notes

Green beans: Either use fresh ones, or use frozen. I still blanch frozen ones to flash-defrost them. If you sauté from frozen, they release a lot of water and tend to come out soggy.
Onion and garlic: If you don’t have these fresh on hand, you can use ½ teaspoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead. I’ve been doing the same lately because of a picky eater, and the beans still taste delicious.
Mustard: If you’re not a fan of mustard, just leave it out. You can also use prepared mustard instead of wholegrain mustard if you don’t have it.Butter: If you want to make this dairy free or ar otherwise opposed to butter (don’t know why you would be, but to each their own 😉 ), you can just use olive oil instead.
Extras: Feel free to add chopped bacon for extra flavor and deliciousness. I often do this, but I wanted to keep the recipe as simple and basic as possible. Just cook it together with the onion and garlic. You can also sprinkle fried onions over the top in the end.

Step by step photos

collage of photos to show making of sautéed green beans — Steps to make sautéed green beans: 1) Blanch green beans. 2) Sauté onion and garlic, then 3) add green beans and sauté until softened. 4) Add butter and mustard (if using) and 5) stir well to serve.

Recipe tips

Trimming the green beans: If you’re using fresh beans, use kitchen shears to trim them in bunches. So much faster and easier than doing it with a knife!
Sautéing: Make sure to use medium heat, or the beans will blacken on the outside and stay too firm on the inside.
Season to taste: Our favorites are a pat of butter, some lemon juice and mustard – but feel free to adjust this according to your taste!

Green bean FAQs

Should I blanch green beans before sauteing?

Blanching means you’ll only cook the beans for a couple of minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them straight into a bowl filled with ice cold water.
This helps to make the green beans soft without having to sauté them until they are black on the outside. It also helps them keep their nice green color!
But you can sauté green beans without blanching – so just skip it if you’re OK with firmer beans. I don’t mind a bit of crunch, but if you want your beans to be soft all the way, you pretty much have to cook them in salted water first.

Should green beans be soft or crunchy?

This is a matter of preference to me. Personally, I really enjoy them cooked until almost soft, but retaining a crispness and their bright green color.
My husband on the other hand prefers his beans cooked to a very soft stage. The beans turn from bright green to a darker olive green at this point. They can become mushy in texture if over-cooked.
I recommend trying both to figure out which one you like best.

More vegetable side dishes

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card

skillet with sautéed green beans and wooden spoon

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Easy Sautéed Green Beans

My Sautéed Green Beans are so quick and easy to whip up, and they taste amazing! Make these with fresh or frozen green beans for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time you want some greens on your plate.

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

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4.68 from 264 votes

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Recipe details

Prep 15

Cook 10

Total 25

Servings 4 servings

Difficulty Easy

Equipment

▢
Large Skillet

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed, (OR 1 pound frozen, not defrosted)
▢ 1 tablespoon oil
▢ 1 onion chopped
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ salt & pepper to taste
▢ ½ tablespoon butter
▢ 1 teaspoon mustard (I like whole grain Dijon here) and ½ tablespoon lemon juice; optional

Instructions

Blanch green beans (see notes):
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl with ice cold water.
Sauté:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and sauté until softened to your taste, about 5 minutes.
Season:
Stir in the butter mustard and lemon juice (if using). Check for seasoning and serve warm.

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Trimming the green beans: If you’re using fresh beans, use kitchen shears to trim them in bunches. So much faster and easier than doing it with a knife!

Blanching the green beans: Blanching helps the beans to retain their color. You can sauté green beans without blanching – so just skip it if you’re OK with crisper beans.

Sautéing: Make sure to use medium heat, or the beans will blacken on the outside and stay too firm on the inside.

Seasoning: Our favorites are a pat of butter, some lemon juice and mustard – but feel free to adjust this according to your taste!

Ingredient Notes:

Green beans: Either use fresh ones, or use frozen. I always blanch frozen ones to flash-defrost them. If you sauté from frozen, they release a lot of water and tend to come out soggy.

Onion and garlic: If you don’t have these fresh on hand, you can use ½ teaspoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.

Mustard: If you’re not a fan of mustard, just leave it out.

Butter: Can just use olive oil instead.

Extras: Feel free to add chopped bacon to the garlic and onion for extra flavor and deliciousness. You can also sprinkle fried onions over the top in the end.