Easy Seasoning for Sautéed Green Beans

Name: Seasoning for Sautéed Green Beans
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ¾ pound fresh green beans; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter ((salted or unsalted)); ½ teaspoon garlic powder ((or 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced)); ¼ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon salt ((a little less if using salted butter)); 1 pinch black pepper; 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese ((optional))

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Using just a few common spices makes the best seasoning for green beans. This seasoning for fresh green beans is great to keep on hand!

Cooked green beans with shredded fresh parmesan on top.

Are you ready to learn how to make the best fresh green beans ever? Fresh veggies make for easy side dishes. This is a great summer green bean recipe or you can whip it out for the holidays as a great addition to your lineup.

Using some of the best seasonings makes the best green beans. There is so much flavor in these cooked green beans and it is a simple way to cook garlicky green beans at home!

Make last year the last time you cook with canned green beans. A can of green beans often has that canned taste but with this seasoned green beans recipe, you are sure to impress!

This seasoning for fresh green beans is a great addition to any fresh beans.

If you are using Frozen Green Beans, check out this post for the best Frozen Green Bean Seasoning.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Most of the ingredients are easily found in your pantry and the fresh green beans can be found in the grocery store, a farmers market, or from your own garden!
This is a great side dish full of fresh flavors to compliment your main course.
The cooking process is quick and simple and I have a ton of variations listed below to change it up for the next time. The total time for cooking is under 10 minutes!

Recipe Ingredients

This is a simple recipe that combines some of the best spices for green beans. You'll need the following ingredients to make this seasoning for Sauteéd Green Beans.

The ingredients to make seasoned sautéed green beans.

Olive Oil helps to cook the green beans while also adding nutritional value to them!

Butter adds a rich flavor and works with olive oil to sauté the green beans.

Green Beans have a lot of antioxidants and can improve many aspects of your health.

Garlic Powder adds a delicious umami flavor while adding some more health benefits.

Onion Powder will spread a sweet and savory flavor evenly throughout the dish.

Salt pulls out more of the flavor from these savory green beans.

Black Pepper adds a little bit of spice and heat to this

Parmesan Cheese (optional) has a rich and delicious flavor that helps these beans be the perfect side dish.

Combine these together and you end up with a really good seasoning for green beans that is also super simple!

How to Make Seasoning for Sautéed Green Beans

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!

Here are some quick visual instructions to make this easy seasoning for string beans. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!

Rinse the whole green beans and trim them at the base of the stem.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium skillet or sauté pan on medium heat.

Add the green beans to the olive oil and melted butter. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fresh green beans in a sauté pan with butter and olive oil.

Add the spices to the green beans. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for another 5-7 minutes, continuing to stir. When they are softened, remove them from the heat.

Green beans beginning to cook and soften in a sauté pan.

If the seasoning is beginning to brown or you want your beans to be softer you can add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and cover it.

Green beans cooking in a pan with a glass lid on top.

Add parmesan cheese on top if desired. Serve with a slotted spoon and enjoy your sautéed green beans.

Cooked green beans on a plate with fresh parmesan sprinkled on top on a marble table.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

If you like your green beans very soft, add two tablespoons of water after sautéing them for a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and put the lid on the pan. The steam will help them to soften.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store leftover green beans in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheating: The easiest way to reheat them is in the microwave for 1 minute. You can also reheat green beans in a skillet. Add some oil and cook on medium-low (from a cold start) until they are heated through.
Freezing: Cool the cooked beans and freeze them for an hour laid out flat on parchment paper. Then move them to a plastic freezer bag and freeze them for up to 6 months.

Substitutions

Fresh Garlic can be a substitute for garlic powder. Mince two fresh garlic cloves and add it when you add the salt and pepper.
Fresh Onion can replace the onion powder. Cut up ¼ of a sweet onion and add it to the green beans.
Haricot Vert is a great substitute for green beans and adds a little french flair to your dinner table!
Vegetable, canola, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil can replace the olive oil in the recipe.

Variations

Try some of these variations for another seasoning for string beans.

Southern Seasoned Green Beans: For some southern green beans, make some crispy bacon and cook the beans in the bacon grease. The bacon fat will replace the olive oil, butter and salt. It will add so much flavor. You can also follow the regular recipe and just use bacon bits. These southern style green beans are amazing.
Lemon Pepper Green Beans: Add a little lemon zest and lemon juice, black cracked pepper, and salt.
Green Beans with Everything Bagel Seasoning: Reduce the salt and add two teaspoons of everything bagel seasoning once the beans finish cooking. If you don't have your own Everything Bagel Seasoning to add, add a combination of poppy seeds and sesame seeds and change the onion and garlic powder to onion and garlic flakes.
Green Beans with Italian Seasoning: Add a half teaspoon of Italian seasoning to make some Italian green beans.
Asian Inspired: Reduce the salt to only a pinch and add a splash of soy sauce at the end. If you like them spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. This is a delicious way to cook fresh green beans!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you season unsalted green beans?

Start by cooking them in butter and oil. Then add your preferred seasonings for your taste. Spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper add a lot of flavor.

What can I add to green beans for flavor?

There are a lot of options to add flavor for green beans. A really easy seasoning for green beans is a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

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Seasoning for Sautéed Green Beans

Using just a few common spices makes the best seasoning for green beans. This seasoning for fresh green beans is great to keep on hand!

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sautéed Green Beans, Seasoning for Fresh Green Beans, Seasoning for Green Beans

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: side servings

Author: Jen Talley

Cost: $4

Equipment

1 sauté pan or skillet

Ingredients

¾ pound fresh green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced)
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt (a little less if using salted butter)
1 pinch black pepper
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Rinse and trim the green beans at the base of the stem.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium skillet or sauté pan on medium heat.
Add the green beans and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to the pan. Turn down the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes. (You can also add a splash of water and cover the beans if the spices begin browning, but the beans aren’t softened enough.) The green beans are finished when they are softened to your liking.
Serve as is or add some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Video

Notes

Tips:

If you like your green beans very soft, add two tablespoons of water after sautéing them for a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and put the lid on the pan. The steam will help them to soften.

Storage:

Storage: Store leftover green beans in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheating: The easiest way to reheat them is in the microwave for 1 minute. You can also reheat green beans in a skillet. Add some oil and cook on medium-low (from a cold start) until they are heated through.
Freezing: Cool the cooked beans and freeze them for an hour laid out flat on parchment paper. Then move them to a plastic freezer bag and freeze them for up to 6 months.