Crispy Fried garlic (and loads of it) in melted butter with perfectly cooked green beans and lots of salt and pepper. Meet your new favorite easy vegetable dish-- crispy garlic butter green beans. Very simple to prepare, these buttery garlic green beans take close to no time and make a side dish that you will want to be eating right out of the pan!
What makes this easy green bean recipe so special?
- Green Bean Texture. One of my least favorite things is mushy, overcooked vegetables. Vegetables that have been cooked to death and have lost the majority of their nutritional value are no fun at all. By flash cooking green beans at a high heat, they develop a nice crispiness to their outside, while still staying firm.
- Simple ingredients. Salt, high heat, and a little fat elevate this simple dish to be something great.
I love adding loads of fresh cracked black pepper here. Pepper is often seen as just the other half of the more important salt, but pepper is a delicious spice that can add a lot to a dish!
- Crispy Garlic. The sliced garlic is cooked until it is brown and crispy, but not burned. Crispy garlic has a delicious flavor and chewy texture that is unlike regular cooked garlic.
Looking for another recipe for green beans? Try this Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole.
Ingredients
- butter
- fresh green beans
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- sliced garlic cloves
How to Make Garlic Butter Green Beans
Slice garlic thinly and set to the side. Clean and trim ends off of green beans, but leave whole.
In a large skillet, add butter and turn the heat on medium. Once the butter is hot, add garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until it is golden brown and crispy. Remove garlic to a plate and add green beans to butter.
Leave green beans cooking for 10 minutes until they begin to brown and are cooked through to your desired doneness level. You may need to cover the pan to help the cooking process along.
Generously add salt and pepper and stir to coat.
Top Tip
For this buttered green beans recipe, you are sauteing instead of boiling or steaming the string beans to cook them. You can do this without a lid, but if you want to help move the process along a little faster, try covering the garlic butter beans for a few minutes after they brown.
Variations
Add fresh lemon juice. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to these green beans with garlic and butter for some added freshness and to cut the butter flavor with something acidic.
Use olive oil. Looking to make these buttered green beans dairy free? Swap out the butter for olive oil.
Saute the garlic instead of frying it. If you would like a more milder garlic flavor and texture, cook the garlic on low heat and cook it alongside the green beans instead of frying the garlic up by itself. Make sure to stir often to avoid the garlic browning.
Use spinach. Like in this Garlic Butter Sauteed Spinach recipe.
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes totally! Frozen green beans would work, just add a minute or two to the cooking time. You may find that the frozen string beans have a bit more liquid to them as they thaw, but it won't affect the flavor too much.
Storage
Because of the crispy fried garlic, these garlic butter string beans are best eaten fresh. You can refrigerate them for a few days, but the texture will not be the same.
What to serve with these crispy garlic butter green beans
- French Onion Soup Meatballs
- Bone in Chicken Breast with Compound Butter Sauce
- Chicken Parmesan
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi without Wine
- Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Crispy Garlic and Butter Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb. fresh green beans ends trimmed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves sliced
Instructions
- Slice garlic thinly and set to the side. Clean and trim ends off of green beans, but leave whole.
- In a large skillet, add butter and turn the heat on medium. Once the butter is hot, add garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until it is golden brown and crispy. Remove garlic to a plate and add green beans to butter.
- Leave green beans cooking for 10 minutes until they begin to brown and are cooked through to your desired doneness level. You may need to cover the pan to help the cooking process along.
- Generously add salt and pepper and stir to coat.
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