Learn how to cook the best green beans ever! They are totally simple but totally delicious. They may be your family’s new favorite vegetable. We’re all about that tender green bean with a buttery finish. By steaming the green beans first, you’ll lock in their fresh flavor while cooking them to the level of tender you prefer (we all have a preference!). A quick toss in a hot skillet with melted butter takes these beans to the next level. It sounds too good to be true, but here we are with the best green beans ever!
Serve this classic side dish alongside our slow cooker turkey breast or our easy baked pork chops.
Why Our Recipe
This classic, delicious green bean recipe pairs well with nearly every meat, any dish, and fits any occasion. All it takes is four basic ingredients and 20 minutes. Plus we’ve got give easy flavor variations that include garlic, spicy, and bacon options. It’s a recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
Ingredient Notes
- Green beans: Fresh green beans work best. Trim off the ends before cooking. You can also use frozen green beans.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work here. You can then adjust the additional salt to more or less depending on the type of butter used.
Green Bean Options
This recipe will work with any of the many varieties of green beans that exist, whether it’s string beans, snap beans, french green beans, romano beans, or long beans.
Frozen green beans are a great option that can still work in this recipe. Frozen green beans have been blanched before freezing so they can either be steamed further if you like your green beans extra soft, or you can add them straight to the skillet if you like tender-crisp.
Simply measure out 1 1/2 pounds of frozen green beans and add them to the skillet with the melted butter. Cook them over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they’re heated through and tender. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
Snapping and Trimming
Fresh green beans need to be rinsed and then the ends need to be trimmed. You can use your hands to snap off the very end of each side or use a knife to trim. Long green beans may need to be snapped in half for easier eating. The best way to cook green beans starts with properly prepared vegetables!
Steamers
This recipe starts with steaming your green beans using a steamer basket. If you don’t have one, no problem! There are other options you can make work based on what you have available in the kitchen.
Steamer: There is a specialized kitchen appliance you can buy called a steamer. It has a base, a steaming basket, and a lid.
Makeshift steamer: A makeshift steamer can be made using a pot, a colander, and a lid that at least somewhat fits. Use a colander over a pot with an inch or two of boiling water. Cover with a lid that fits well enough to trap steam.
Saucepan: The pan method isn’t perfect, but it does work. Pick a saucepan that is big enough to fit all your veggies in it. Place green beans in a large saucepan with 1/2 inch of water. Cover and simmer over low heat until tender, but some beans touching the water may overcook.
Microwave: Place green beans in a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of water to cover the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes for steam to escape, and microwave until tender.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat portions in the microwave on high in 30-second increments until heated through. You can also reheat on the stovetop if you’d like. Place a bit of butter or olive oil in a saucepan or skillet (so that the veggies don’t stick) over medium heat and cook until they are warmed through.
Love these beans. Got my sister in law hooked as well. Really appreciate your videos and how you give options, i.e. like examples of how to steam if ya don’t have an actual steamer.
And always keep you in my prayers. Always when I see a new recipe pop up from you. ❤
Delicious, quick and easy, my favorite kind of recipe. I paired it with your amazing green beans, and some steamed red potatoes.
Put some Teriyaki sauce and sesame sauce and saute for about 5 min after you steam string beans not too much because you don’t want them mushy. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve as a side. Delicious!
I use some diced onion and a little worcestershire sauce and a tad of red pepper flakes.
My husband adds chopped fine garlic to this recipe, yikes, they are delicious!
Yummy
I make something similar. Brown up chopped bacon, strain out and set aside. Blanch lots of trimmed green beans, like 4 – 5 minutes and strain. Melt PLENTY of butter into bacon fat (or olive oil), heat and add green beans and LOTS of FRESH minced garlic. Like a big spoonful. S&P to taste. Saute 1-3 minutes and add in bacon for a another minute. OH my goodness! Amazing!
I slightly undercook my green beans and add fresh chopped garlic cloves when using this butter stir-fry enhancement method. Green beans are also good boiled in water and better-than-bouillon ham flavored base.
My son loves my string beans too. I use olive oil instead of butter though and I add scallions and sliced mushrooms, sprinkled with sliced almonds bn st the end.
Love this recipe. I finely chop one garlic clove and saute in olive oil or butter and then add beans. Have used frozen French cut blanched a few minutes before frying. Canned beans work great also. You don’t get that canned taste. My husband was not a green bean person until I started using this method.