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Sauteed Green Beans

Sauteed green beans with blistered, crisp-tender texture and golden garlic. Finished with lemon zest, lemon juice, and toasted almonds for bright flavor in a skillet sauté.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 238
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1 lb fresh green beans Trim before cooking.
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
garlic
  • 3 cloves garlic Thinly sliced.
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
lemon zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
sliced almonds, toasted
  • 2 tbsp sliced almonds Toast before adding.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté the green beans
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add green beans and cook 6-8 minutes, tossing, until blistered and crisp-tender.
Add garlic and finish
  1. Reduce heat to medium, then add butter and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes until the garlic turns golden.
Season
  1. Season the green beans with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to evenly distribute the seasonings.
Brighten with lemon and almonds
  1. Toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, and toasted almonds, stirring until glossy and fragrant. Serve immediately.

Notes

For the best blistered edges, keep the skillet hot and avoid overcrowding; cook in one layer so the beans sear instead of steam. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm in a skillet over medium heat. Freezing isn’t recommended for crisp-tender texture. Dietary swap: use plant-based butter for a dairy-free version while keeping the same sauté method.