These green beans are such an easy go-to when you’re looking to complete a meal. Plus they couldn’t be easier to make! Follow me…
Preparing Green Beans
Do you need to trim green beans?
The great thing about green beans is they’re fairly low maintenance. Most stores will sell trimmed green beans, so I recommend grabbing them if you can. If not, don’t panic. To be honest, it’s only the very long bits at the end you’ll need to trim. As you can see in the photos, a little tip won’t harm you, unless it’s fairly firm and scraggly, in which case just trim it off. If you want to fully trim the green beans, just evenly line them up and slice off the very ends.
Should you blanch green beans before cooking?
To get the party started I always boil the beans until they just begin to soften, before combining with the garlic butter. This will help tenderize them. Just pop the beans in boiling water with a heavy pinch of salt for a few mins until fork tender.
Can I steam them instead?
You can also steam the beans too if you’d prefer. I just find they fit better in a large pot than they do in a steaming basket.
Garlic Butter Green Beans
Alrighty, here’s where things get good.
Garlic Butter
To make the garlic butter I always start with unsalted butter. Not a deal breaker if you’ve got salted, but it just gives you a little more control over the seasoning if you’re using unsalted butter, especially if you’ve parboiled the beans in salted water. With regards to the garlic, I like slicing a clove up into very thin strips. This way you’ll end with mini garlic chips that are golden and crispy. I don’t recommend using pre-chopped garlic – it’s usually kept in a brine which makes the garlic sour.
Browned Butter
You may also find the butter starts turning a deeper shade of brown. In contrast to the garlic, this is actually a desirable thing. Browning the butter adds a gorgeous nutty flavour!
How to make Garlic Green Beans (quick summary)
How do I prevent the garlic from burning?
Just be vigilant with the garlic as it will go from golden and crispy to brown and bitter very quickly. You want it tinged golden before you add the beans, then it will carry on cooking very slightly as you toss. If you see the garlic browning too quickly, just take the pan off the heat and turn the heat to a low.
What texture should the beans be?
Personally, I like my green beans with a little ‘bite’ to them. Slightly al dente even. This is completely down to preference, but if they are still a little firm for your liking after you’ve coated them in garlic butter, just lower the temp and let them fry for a few more mins to soften.
Can I make these ahead of time?
I don’t recommend fully cooking then reheating them, just because the butter can turn greasy upon reheating. But, you can still blanch the beans, rinse then cool and store in the fridge. You can then toss in the garlic butter to heat through.
Garlic Green Beans
What can I serve garlic green beans with?
Great as part of a Roast Dinner. As part of a quick & easy Dinner (i.e Honey Garlic Pork Chops or Garlic Butter Chicken). As part of a Hearty Dinner such as Cottage Pie (or Shepherd’s Pie)
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these garlic green beans shall we?!
How to make Garlic Green Beans (Full Recipe & Video)
Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other recipes?
Easy side dishes
Dauphinoise Potatoes Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Roasted Baby Potatoes Cheesy Baked Asparagus
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