Why you’ll love these skillet green beans
- If you struggle to get excited about eating your vegetables, I have a feel it’s because you aren’t preparing them the right way, and by that I mean, you probably aren’t using fresh vegetables and seasoning them well.
- Even though you can easily make fresh veggies in the microwave, and we do that a lot when we’re in a pinch, making them in a cast iron skillet will take them to the next level.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Fresh green beans
- Garlic cloves – fresh garlic will give you the best flavor, but pre-minced garlic will work just fine in this recipe if that’s what you have. I wouldn’t recommend using dried or powder garlic because it doesn’t cook the same in a skillet.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make these charred skillet green beans
Prep your green beans. Wash and trim your green beans before cooking them. I like to use a pair of kitchen scissors to do this, but a knife works too. If you are buying prepped and washed green beans, just make sure they double check them for stems before cooking.
Heat a cast iron skillet. Start by getting your skillet nice and hot before adding your green beans. Keep in mind that you only want to get the skillet to medium-high heat. Don’t crank it all the way up. This will help the beans get that nice char and add flavor without actually burning the beans or causing the oil to smoke.
Cook until charred. Once the skillet it hot, add some oil and let it warm up. Then, add your green beans and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook them, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning. Let them cook for about 5 minutes – or until they started to brighten and soften up a bit, add the garlic to the pan.
Then, allow the green beans to continue cooking until they’re ready to eat. The amount of time this takes will depend on how crunchy you like your beans and how thick or thin they are, but generally 3 – 4 minutes after adding the garlic.
I typically add a splash of water to the pan during this part to prevent the garlic from burning, but use your best judgment to decide if you need it. If the pan seems really dry, that’s a good indication that your garlic will burn.
Before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste.
More fresh veggie sides you will love
- Sautéed cabbage
- Sweet garlicky snow peas
- Tarragon glazed carrots
- Roasted cauliflower with tahini harissa sauce
Dairy free recipes to serve these with
- Baked lemon garlic salmon
- Crispy roasted pork belly
- Meatloaf with ketchup glaze
- Crispy pork milanese
Skillet Green Beans
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThese skillet green beans will redefine your expectations of what fresh green beans should be. They’re slightly charred and seasoned with just the right amount of garlic to make them perfectly crisp, yet tender. This simple method of cooking green beans is my go-to and once you try it, it will undoubtedly be be your favorite, too.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- ½ –1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2–3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Add green beans with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next, add the garlic and continue to cook until green beans have softened (about 3 – 4 more minutes), adding a splash of water if needed to prevent the garlic from burning.
- If desired, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 14.9 g
- Sodium: 2354.2 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.6 g
- Fiber: 12.4 g
- Protein: 8.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg