This sauteed green beans recipe is a quick and easy side dish that's ready in 10 minutes! Lemon juice, garlic, and fresh thyme fill it with bright flavor.
This sautéed green beans recipe is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes. Perfect for weeknights and holidays alike, it’s easy to make in less than 10 minutes. I sauté fresh green beans on the stovetop in one skillet (no blanching required!), adding a splash of water to the pan so that they steam and soften as they cook. They end up with a gorgeous vibrant color and crisp-tender texture. Before serving, I toss them with a simple dressing made with garlic, lemon juice, and fresh thyme for bold, bright flavor.
If you thought green bean recipes were a) boring or b) fussy to prepare, these sautéed green beans will prove you wrong. They’re quick and delicious. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Sautéed Green Beans Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sautéed green beans recipe:
- Green beans, of course! Fresh green beans are best, as they’re crisper and firmer than frozen green beans. Any type of fresh string beans works well, but I especially love haricots verts. They’re smaller and sweeter than other varieties.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For cooking the green beans.
- Water – It creates steam in the skillet, helping the beans soften all the way through.
- Fresh lemon juice – For brightness.
- Garlic – It gives the green beans a sharp, savory bite.
- Dijon mustard – For peppery tang.
- Fresh thyme leaves – They add earthy, lemony flavor. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon dried.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Sauté Green Beans
This sautéed green beans recipe has 4 simple steps:
1. Start by trimming the green beans. Snap off their thin, dry stems and cut away any soft spots.
2. Make the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme, then set aside.
3. Sauté the green beans. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans and toss to coat, then add a splash of water to the pan and cover it. The water creates steam, which helps the green beans cook all the way through in the skillet. Without it, they’d brown on the outside without softening in the middle.
4. Toss the beans with the dressing. When the beans are bright green and tender, add them to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste and transfer them to a serving platter.
Enjoy!
Are you supposed to boil green beans before sautéing?
You don’t have to boil green beans before sautéing in this recipe. That’s because I use the steam-sauté method. Adding a splash of water to the pan, then covering it while the beans cook helps them cook evenly, becoming bright green and crisp-tender without blanching.
Recipe Variations
I love these sautéed green beans with garlic, Dijon, and lemon, but that’s not the only way to season them! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make buttery green beans. While the beans are still warm, toss them with a pat of garlic butter or herbed compound butter. Garnish with fresh parsley!
- Bring out their nutty flavor with drizzles of sesame ginger dressing or sesame oil.
- Try a summery twist. Toss the beans with red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and Italian dressing.
Let me know what variations you try!
What to Serve with Sautéed Green Beans
This sautéed green beans recipe is a versatile side dish. I love it with comforting fall and winter recipes like my butternut squash risotto and stuffed shells, though it pairs nicely with a simple protein too.
It’s also a wonderful addition to a holiday meal. Serve it alongside classic side dishes like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, or any of these 51 Thanksgiving Side Dishes!
How to Store and Make Ahead
To make ahead: Trim the green beans up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You can also make the dressing ahead of time. It will keep in a small jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I recommend waiting to cook the green beans until just before serving.
To store:Â Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy at room temperature, or reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.
More Favorite Vegetable Side Dishes
If you love this sautéed green beans recipe, try one of these veggie side dishes next:
- Green Beans Almondine
- Roasted Green Beans
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Or any of these 25 Easy Vegetable Side Dishes!
Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons water
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Stir in the thyme leaves.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans and toss to coat. Add the water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the beans are tender but still have a slight bite. Transfer to the bowl with the lemon mixture and toss. Season to taste and transfer to a serving platter, leaving any excess water behind.
WOW! I made this side dish for dinner last night! I was super impressed with the maximum flavor this recipe gave for the minimal effort required. It was yummy! Two thumbs up! Thank you so much. I have added it to my saved recipes :0)
I’m glad you loved it!
Made this for a big family gathering and everyone wanted the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Delicious! I usually leave my vegetables pretty plain but this had such great flavor!
I don’t make them any other way since coming across this recipe! Only thing I will say is I use the remainder of juices (I almost intentionally add more) to put on my aglio y olio pasta I make with it to go with my cajun chicken breasts (smoked). Perfect meal plan if anyone is looking for a meal to go with this fantastic recipe. Thank you very much. God bless ya’ll!
Great idea!
The garlic and lemon way overpowered this dish. I used 1 tsp dried thyme because I didn’t have fresh but the thyme didn’t work. Have substituted dried for fresh in the past with no issue. Regardless of the thyme, the lemon and especially the garlic didn’t work for me. Would use the sauté method again but would toss with something different (maybe dill, s&p and a touch of olive oil).
Thanks so much for the tip on adding a splash of water Рit has transformed my saut̩ing.
Have sautéed haricots verts many times since reading this, but yet to try the tempting dressing.
It won’t be long now!
Even my husband who does not like green beans loved this recipe!
Ha, I’m so happy to hear that!
Do you blanch the fresh green beans first before sautéing them?
Hi Penny, I don’t – the water added in step 2 helps them steam and become tender.
The best green beans I’ve ever had! So full of flavor, amazing! Will definitely be my go to green beans from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
Amazing!!! And so quick and easy. If I’m ever making green beans as a side, this will be it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I used frozen green beans because that’s what I had on hand. This recipe was delicious! Super simple and with pantry staples to boot. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Costco has regular green beans and the smaller Haricots Verts I just had Instacart deliver verts asparagus multi colored peppers and they were all incredibly fresh and delicious. I’m looking forward to making green beans with this great dressing. Highly recommend buying veggies right now from Costco. Especially those peppers the kids will love them. Mine do.
Hi Jo, thank you for the recommendation!