Sautéed Green Beans
These Sautéed Green Beans are the perfect savory side to just about any meal. The bacon, shallots, and lemon juice balance the fresh green beans perfectly, to create a delicious and easy healthy side dish.
The flavor of this veggie side dish is what made me fall in love with it, but the versatility of it is what keeps me coming back to it. This green beans recipe is so flavorful, easy, and is one of my go-to side dish recipes because it really does go with just about any main dish you can think of!
Another thing that I absolutely love about this dish, besides how yummy it is, is that green beans are such an affordable, fresh vegetable that is available all year round at your local grocery store, making this a great, healthy but delicious easy side dish for any occasion. It’s so budget friendly, and green beans are such a versatile, filling vegetable to serve as a side–which is just a perfect option for our large crew!
There are a lot of Sautéed Green Bean recipes out there, but this one is hands-down my favorite because easy recipes are the best. Even our picky eater will happily eat these veggies, and I think it might have something to do with the special ingredient, bacon. Because who doesn’t prefer their veggies with bacon, am I right?!
One more great thing about this perfect side dish is it is just perfect anytime of year. These Sautéed Green Beans are so savory and tasty, they are a perfect addition to the holiday meal. I love to take them to holiday potlucks and to have them on our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables.
But they are equally yummy in the warmer months. They are a great simple side dish to bring to BBQs and summer potlucks, too!
These Sautéed Green Beans really feel like a fancy, elevated side dish, but they come together so easily and beautifully. The simple seasoning additions is the easiest way to bring tons of flavor into this basic side dish. I’m sure they will be on repeat at your house too!
Looking for other easy side dishes and favorite recipes? Check out my Twice Baked Mashed Potato, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, and Layered Pea Salad recipes.
How to Make These Sautéed Green Beans
Begin by thoroughly washing your fresh string beans and trimming all the ends off with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. You can cute them into smaller pieces too. Set aside to try on a dish towel or paper towels.
The cooking process is quite simple. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add your diced bacon and fry it for just a couple of minutes.
Add your diced shallots and continue to fry the mixture until the bacon is crispy and the shallots are translucent over medium heat.
Remove the shallots and bacon from the pan, and immediately add your green beans to the pan with minced fresh garlic, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and black pepper.
Stir well, lower the heat, and sauté the green beans for 6-10 minutes. Regularly toss the green beans during this time, to ensure the bottoms don’t burn or stick to the pan.
Once your green beans are cooked through they will turn a bright green color and feel less firm. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the bacon and shallot mixture back into the skillet. Mix to fully combine.
Serve with lemon slices and extra seasoning like a dash of red pepper flakes or chili flakes, if desired.
Enjoy!
Simple Ingredients in Sautéed Green Beans
- Green Beans: Fresh delicious green beans really make this side dish such a showstopper and so affordable. You’ll need one pound of green beans for this recipe.
- Bacon: Besides the green beans, bacon is what makes this side dish. It makes these savory and so delicious, and the bacon grease replaces the need for my favorite avocado oil or butter. It is a game changer and one of my favorite ways to add some flavor! You’ll need 8 ounces of diced bacon for this recipe.
- Shallots: You’ll need three shallots, diced.
- Lemon Juice: One tablespoon of lemon juice is all you’ll need.
- Garlic: You’ll need two minced cloves of garlic for this recipe. In a pinch you can use garlic powder!
- Salt and Pepper: A little salt and freshly cracked pepper bring all of the flavors together for this flavorful side dish.
What to Serve With These Sautéed Green Beans
The options are just about endless when it comes to main dishes that pair well with these Sauteéd Green Beans. Some of my favorites are:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Roasted Turkey
- Burgers
- Salmon
- Even Pasta
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you definitely do not! The final result will be slightly crispier if you don’t boil them, but I think they are delicious this way! It prevents them from getting mushy, and allows them to retain a lot of their natural texture and firmness. These Sautéed Green Beans are just delicious! If you haven’t sautéed fresh green beans before, definitely try these. I think you will love the result!
I love green beans for this reason–they are so versatile! Some great options, aside from salt and pepper, are garlic, onion, thyme, shallots, and lemon. Any combination is sure to be delicious. It’s hard to go wrong with green beans!
It might be that they aren’t quite fresh enough, or that you didn’t sauté them long enough. A good way to test the freshness of your green beans is to see if they “snap” when you break them! If not, it’s likely that they won’t cook down the way they otherwise will.
Nope, you don’t have to blanch or boil your green beans before you sauté. They will come out beautifully just from sautéing your fresh beans! If you’ve never tried sautéing your fresh beans, you are missing out. They are so tasty this way!
There are just so many seasoning options when it comes to fresh green beans. Some of my personal favorites to use on my own green beans are salt and pepper, thyme, garlic, onion, and a little bit of lemon juice.
I really think that once you give these Sauteéd Green Beans a try, they will become a family favorite! If your crew is anything like mine, these will be a regularly requested veggie in your home–and who doesn’t love it when your crew asks for green veggies?! They are so easy and so delicious, and I hope you love them as much as we do!
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PIN FOR LATER
Sautéed Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb Green beans
- 8 oz Bacon diced
- 3 Shallots diced
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 Cloves garlic miniced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and trim the green beans and set aside to dry.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and fry for a few minutes.
- Add the shallots and fry until the bacon is crispy and the shallots are translucent.
- Remove the shallots and bacon from the pan and add the green beans to the pan with the garlic, lemon juice and seasoning
- Lower the heat and sauté the green beans for 6-10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the bacon and shallot mixture back to the skillet.
- Serve with lemon slices and extra seasoning if desired.
