Green Beans and Onions is a quick and easy side dish for your next weeknight meal. Fresh green beans are tossed with flavorful sautéed onions, garlic, and butter. Ready in twenty minutes.
This green beans recipe is filled with flavor and surprisingly simple. Fresh green beans are sauteed on the stove top with onions and garlic butter.
My secret to tasty vegetables is simple - add flavor! By sautéeing the onions and garlic, you create a deliciously flavorful butter sauce. It adds so much depth and flavor to otherwise plain beans.
Serve these green beans as a side dish for your next weeknight meal or holiday dinner. Green beans pair well with meatloaf, baked chicken, and spiral sliced ham.
Using fresh green beans
I highly recommend using fresh green beans for this recipe. I find them in the produce section of my local grocery store, or at my local farmer's market. The extra flavor you get from using fresh produce can't be beat.
If you can't find any fresh green beans, I recommend using frozen green beans instead. They will thaw while boiling, though may require an additional minute of cooking time.
If you have canned green beans on hand, simply skip step one (boiling), and continue as written.
How to trim green beans
Trimming green beans is very easy. First, turn all of your green beans with the stems pointing in the same direction. Gather them in a small bundle and trim off the stem ends.
There is no need to cut off the opposite "curly" end of the green bean, it can be eaten as is!
What to serve with green beans
Green beans make an excellent side dish for your next weeknight meal or holiday gathering.
I enjoy making Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving, but these sautéed green beans would make a fantastic and healthy alternative for your holiday table.
Trying pairing these green beans with a few of my favorite main courses:
- Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- Pan-Seared Ribeye with Garlic Butter
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Easy Panko Crusted Salmon
- French Onion Pork Chops
Green Beans and onions
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil. Boil green beans for five minutes, then strain and set aside.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add butter. Once melted and bubbling, add sliced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned and begin to turn translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic (it will brown quickly).
- Add green beans to sauté pan, stirring to combine. Cook for one additional minute before removing from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh green beans can be substituted with frozen green beans instead.
- If using canned green beans, skip step one, then continue recipe as written.
- Make this recipe vegan by substituting the butter with olive oil.
Hi Heather! My mom asked for this dish to be served today for Thanksgiving and I like your recipe the best. It is simple, and, while I haven’t made it yet, I can tell it will be delicious. I know she will love it. Thanks for the recipe Heather!
Yum! These are amazing! Thanks!
Can the green beans and onion recipie be frozen and if so for how long?
Hi Lisa, your cooked green beans and onions can be stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 3 months.