Simple Skillet Green Beans {The Best Fresh Green Beans Of Your Life}
This simple recipe for skillet green beans is delicious and fast! They are most definitely the best fresh green beans in the world.
This recipe proves that side dishes for dinner don’t have to be fussy or fancy or complicated.
You are only three-ish ingredients and 12 or so minutes away from fresh green bean heaven.
I’m so lazy I don’t even trim the ends of the beans all the time (or very thoroughly) in my haste to get this delectable side dish on the table and they are still wonderful. Untrimming green beaners unite.
What started out a couple years ago as a I-Have-Green-Beans-What-Shall-I-Do-With-Them-That-Doesn’t-Involve-Pressure-Canning conundrum has turned into our absolute favorite way to eat fresh green beans as a side dish.
With green beans in season and more widely available right now than, say, in mid-January (jealous if you are actually getting them from your own garden!), this recipe just plain makes me happy.
It’s not a stretch to say we eat these with any variety of main dishes several times a week and sometimes I whip them up for lunch because…well, it feels weird to say I crave green beans but I guess just really like them and think about them all the time…you know, because that’s not a strange thing to confess at all.
Plus, no better way to justify carrying around pockets full of dark chocolate chips the rest of the day for instant indulgence than eating a skillet loaded with green beans for lunch.
These simple green beans are definitely not cutting edge or rocket science but that’s ok, because squid and chia seed smoothies are pretty highly overrated or so I hear.
And if you love fresh green beans, you must (absolutely must) at some point in your life try this Balsamic Fresh Green Bean Salad. Ah, green beans. I’m so glad you are in season.
One Year Ago: Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Two Years Ago: Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark
Three Years Ago: Turkey Burgers with Romaine and Carrot Slaw
Simple Skillet Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil or butter
- 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil or butter over medium heat. Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, to crisp up the edges of the beans just slightly.
- Pour in the broth and bring the beans/broth to a simmer. Cover the skillet and cook anywhere from 6-10 minutes, depending on how tender you like your green beans. Keep an eye on the skillet – if it is simmering too vigorously and the liquid evaporates out, add a bit more as needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
61 Comments on “Simple Skillet Green Beans {The Best Fresh Green Beans Of Your Life}”
I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times now, with no changes! it is delicious. My husband says it is the best I have ever made fresh Green Beans. I am making again today to serve with Flank Steakl. Thank you for this realy easy and yummy recipe!
Made this tonight but added a dash of liquid smoke. Blew our minds! It was so good!
I never liked green beans until I tried this recipe! Thank you!
Husband Mario says “Mel knows her way around a green bean”! I couldn’t agree more. These were fantastic. I did add some chopped tomato per his request (added it in after sauteeing). Also I used “Better than bouillon” beef flavored bouillon because that’s what we had. Yum. I agree with Mario, thanks Mel!
Thanks, Lori (and Mario!)
I just read the note about teaching your kids to cut up their food and I’m laughing. I always leave them long and then battle the eating them french fry style. I should cut them and save myself a table manners battle. I love this variety of cooking green beans because I normally just steam them. And the bacon definitely takes them to the ‘husband is extra happy’ level!!
I love your delightful personality, humor and the recipes are over the moon. So glad I signed on today. I am a newby on the the site that is a Old as (86 years ) but eager to learn new tricks. Such a fun site and like all the posts too. Thanks for sharing your creations You, my dear are a keeper!, I read your site as if it. Was a treasured book. I signed up for your newsletter and posts Just think of me as an eccentric old aunt. But family .
Thank you, Diane! So glad you found your way here!
My favorite way to do fresh green beans! So delicious.
These were really good. I wasn’t impressed with the “fresh” green beans at the grocery store but bought them anyway to make this. I don’t usually like cooked fresh green beans because they still taste a little too raw for me…I prefer home canned ones. But these were spectacular.
This is my go to recipe for a quick week night side dish. I doctored it up tonight by sauteing bacon and onions before adding the green beans. I added 1 cup of chicken stock and let it simmer for 10+ minutes because I wanted the green beans to soak up the bacon/onion flavor and get pretty soft. It was delicious.
Delicious
These were so easy and tasty! I was kind of shocked how much my young children loved them- they would not stop eating them! I cannot recall any other time that’s happened with a vegetable side!! 🙂
A quick and easy way to trim the green beans is to stand a bunch of them on end. Now lay them down and take a knife and chop off the ends of that bunch. Now, do the same to the other end. Very fast and kind of fun..at least my husband thinks so and he does it for me. We cook together to get to spend some quality time together. He is my sous chef. LOL!
Mel I just did the same last night lol they are yummy but I added fresh garlic chopped up in my small food processor really fine just a few minutes before serving. It takes those beans to a whole new level.
Thanks for another great recipe. I combined green beans and yellow beans and my husband and children actually had 2nds! That is very rare for a vegetable in our house.
I know this recipe is old but I looked to you for my Easter dinner green beans yesterday (in addition to your au gratin potatoes) and as I suspected, you had just what I was looking for. What a treasure and blessing you are to so many of us home cooks, Mel. These green beans were simple, fast and incredibly delicious. Several of my guests commented on the deliciousness of this “new” cooking method and I gave you full props. 🙂 My kids even liked them which is a grand slam. Thanks again!
Thanks, Michelle! 🙂
I made this recipe for dinner tonight, it was a big hit. Delicious! Thank you.
Mel we had this for Easter dinner tonight and it was amazing!! We had a lot leftover though…do you think we could freeze it? If so, how would you reheat it?
Whoops! I meant to post this on your sweet ham recipe, not green beans!
Yes, I freeze this all the time and just thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven.
I bought green beans yesterday determined to find a simple way to use them. Tada. Thanks!!!
Well it is mid January and I tried these tonight for the first time. They were a hit! My three year old girl loved them. She even asked for seconds. I was able to use them as bribery to get her to eat more quiche. I love your site. I haven’t made one recipe from you that we haven’t all loved!
I make green beans in a similar way. The biggest difference is that I start with the liquid and butter in the pan and let the liquid cook off. They can brown in the pan at the end of the cooking. As others have mentioned, the addition of garlic Is a good thing.
I have to share that my 17 month old SCARFS these! I make them a lot in huge batches so I have leftovers for a day or two. I tend to make those with frozen beans from Costco, but they still taste great! Thanks for a great veggie recipe my picky eater loves!
I finally tried this recipe last night (after pinning it over a month ago) and it did not disappoint. I used green beans freshly picked from my gardens and crisping them up in butter before hand was perfect. Thank you for another great recipe!
Yum! These are so quick and easy and delicious! Thanks for being my go-to recipe guru when I need a recipe.
these were awesome!! So simple but delicious!!
These turned out great and my crew loved them. Thanks again for another hit!
Amazing! *
These were so amaIng!!!!!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
We do a similar recipe, but saute about four cloves of garlic in the butter/oil before adding the beans. We take the garlic out and exchange them for the beans, but add them back in during the last minute of cooking. It is wonderful (but we really love garlic).
I want to make these for someone else to warm up later. How would you suggest doing this? I am going to put them in a foil throw away pan . Thanks!
Stefanie – I’d probably make them according to the recipe but undercook them by a minute or so. Then if you put them in the foil pan with a couple tablespoons of broth then the person you are giving them too could warm them up in the oven on 325 or so for 10-15 minutes.
Thank you so much for your quick reply! Great suggestion!!
Absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing a recipe that is simple and healthy, without sacrificing flavor. This will be a new go-to recipe in our house.
Mel, we tried this green bean recipe yesterday and even the pessimists (the guys) couldn’t believe they would be good. We fixed over 2 lbs, of them for four people and there wasn’t a single bean left. Thanks for this great recipe.
I couldn’t help but add bacon, onion and a tad of sherry vinegar & brown sugar. (Learned from German neighbors, now deceased). In their honor, they are FABULOUS! (Even without the German enhancements). Thank you for a Memory Lane stroll.
We also love green beans! One of our favorite ways is to wash/trim and microwave beans for about 3-4 minutes, then toss them in a wok or fry pan with olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle with kosher salt before serving. Yum!
I’m anxious to try your recipe, Mel. You never disappoint!
I love green beans! I love them about any way, but I love to roast them. I will definitely be trying this recipe!
HI MEL, What brand of stock do you use? or do you make your own? I tried so many brands but they all have so many additives in them, I feel like it ruins a healthy meal.
I am looking for a good chicken or beef stock homemade recipe but a lot of them requires simmering for 24 hrs and I just don’t feel comfortable leaving my oven on all night. For the past couple of weeks I have been making one of your recipes everyday and everything turned out great, except for the cream puff cake, but I will try that one again.Thank you!!!!
Aneta – Homemade stock is a great choice but I don’t always have it in my freezer/fridge and can’t make it every time I need it so when I’m using storebought, my very favorite brand is the Natural Goodness Low Sodium brand by Swanson’s.
I am going to make your key lime bars reciepe. I see you make it in a 8-inch square pan. Have you ever “doubled” the recipe and it so, does it go in a 9×13? Does it set up ok by making a double batch OR should I make two 8-inch pans? Also, I want to make this on a Friday night for a Sunday afternoon event – possible ??
Yum! Love green beans! I stopped snipping off the ends years ago — why waste it when it’s the most tender part? Besides, I think it makes them look prettier. :o) Thanks for another great recipe!
I fry green beans in olive oil and sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt. I also add sliced onion with great results! Good baked in the oven as well. I have used frozen beans and they are great too.
I just finished feeding six hungry missionaries tonight. They scarfed down these beans, and two of them mentioned how delicious they were! One asked if there was a sauce on them which made them so good. ha!
I added in a few cut up raw Roma tomatoes and added them to the cooked green beans for color. So quick and easy!
Thank you, Mel! 🙂
For a little Asian flair, try adding a dollop of oyster sauce to the broth. I’ve been cooking broccoli that way for years and it’s seriously delicious!
Excited to try this! I love the idea of adding fresh garlic too.
Can this work with frozen green beans? You know, for when they’re not in season?
Annette – Definitely worth a try!
These looks great. I have never tried this method. Note to self: MUST DO! Like you, I do not tire of the little green darlings. Hot or cold…..breakfast, lunch or dinner……so good!
Great!! I literally just came in from the garden with a huge bowl full of green beans and thought, “Great, now what?”
Thank you!
Toss them in (garlic infused) olive oil, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with your choice of seasonings and roast them at 450 – 500 for about 10 minutes. Roasting veggies makes them more flavorful for two reasons. It steams off some of the water content in the veggie flesh which somewhat intensifies the flavor and it carmelizes the natural sugars on the outside somewhat. Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, squashes, corn, snap peas, whatever – just different cooking times. They’re done when black on the edges.
You know, the way I make my green beans 90% of the time is to blanche them/boil them for about 3 minutes and then add them to a pan with melted butter/sauteed garlic. I don’t know why I never thought to just combine the steps!
What a great idea! I love the chicken broth addition. I can’t wait for our green beans to start {bad weather up here so the garden planting had to be post-poned.}, but it will be soon! I will have to try to give this recipe a go and post my version up on my blog.
From your whole foody!
Janie Lynn
Oh man, have you tried adding garlic?? It’s a game changer. I find every excuse to make that side dish
I’ve used this method for great tasting green beans. Also, when we are eating oriental type dishes, I will splash a little low-sodium soy sauce in.
So simple, so good!
Hey, green beans are great but chia seeds are certainly not overrated. 🙂 Both are favorite foods. Great simple and clean recipe. But my childhood has taught me bacon in green beans makes all the difference. 🙂 I wonder if I can clean up my act and make this yummy recipe resisting the temptation of adding at least a pound of bacon! I’m making the spinach and cheese enchiladas tonight for supper.
I crave green beans, too! I usually blanch them and shock them (to set the bright green color) before sauteeing them in a little butter or olive oil. Your method is so much easier, and I can imagine the chicken broth gives the beans so much flavor. This is a must try recipe for me!