Lemon Garlic Green Beans Recipe
It’s fresh green bean season! Head to your local farmer’s market or supermarket, then pounce on this opportunity to make one of the easiest yet delicious green bean recipes you can imagine.
Side dishes are often heavier than the main — think rice, starchy potatoes or pasta. This penchant for carb-heavy sides probably stems from the limp, overcooked veggies and sad iceberg salads many of us endured in our youth. But no more! There’s no reason not to have a side that’s full of flavor and easy to make.
These Lemon Garlic Green Beans recipe is not your grandma’s recipe. They require only a handful of ingredients and just 15 minutes, but are a tasty complement to your favorite meals, like burgers and grilled chicken. Kitchen novices, this is a terrific recipe to boost your cooking confidence.
Green beans nutrition is also outstanding. High in fiber, green beans also exhibit strong antioxidant activity that protects from various diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
And garlic nutrition? Eating garlic regularly is not only good for us — it has been linked to reducing or even helping prevent four of the major causes of death worldwide, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and infections.
Heat the coconut oil (or ghee) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the green beans and garlic and stir fry until the beans are a bit crispy.
Next, reduce the heat to medium. Add in the lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper. Cover the pan and steam the lemon pepper green beans for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and sprinkle with grated lemon rind. Serve immediately.
Enjoy these lemon garlic green beans the next time you want a lighter side dish with minimal effort.
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Lemon Garlic Beans Recipe
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Lemon Garlic Green Beans recipe is not your grandma’s recipe. They require only a handful of ingredients and just 15 minutes, but are a tasty complement to your favorite meals, like burgers and grilled chicken. Kitchen novices, this is a terrific recipe to boost your cooking confidence.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh green beans
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- black pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the green beans in water and then cut off the stems.
- In large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil or ghee. Add the greens beans and garlic, then stir-fry until crisp and tender, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low; add lemon juice, lemon peel, pepper and salt. Cover and let steam for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (245g)
- Calories: 114
- Sugar: 7.7g
- Sodium: 111mg
- Fat: 5.1g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 6.2g
- Protein: 4.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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9 Comments
Dr Axe, are you just using the zest of the lemon or are you including the white pith also?
Just the zest, thanks Bruce for the good question.
Made these for a side for thanksgiving and they were a perfect palate cleanser. The lemon is so bright! Super easy and tasty. I juiced and zested the lemon in advance so the day of it was fast to throw together.
Wow I love vegetables ,I can eat it everyday
I am curious to know if when adding the chopped garlic to the hot pan, if there are any nutritional benefits remaining? It seems the taste of garlic has all but disappeared; has the good stuff of garlic also disappeared?
Hey Robert, since you’re adding the garlic at the same time as the gb’s and other ingredients, its never really cooked to the point where it’s burned or scorched therefore it retains the flavor and nutritional value. The key is as Dr. AXE suggests which is brief cooking time-crisp/tender — delicious :)
Thank you Dr. Josh Axe , I’ll give this green bean recipe a go for sure.
We Greeks have eaten green beans (as well as broccoli, swiss chard, dandelion greens and others) this way since, well, forever! One difference is use good olive oil instead of coconut. Kick it up another notch and add a little garlic — trust me, you’ll begin to CRAVE your cooked greens this way!
I already know that this is going to be a favorite of mine!