Easy Skillet Green Beans Recipe | How to Cook Green Beans on the Stove (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when green beans are done on the stove? ›

You want them to be blistered and tender, but still have a little “snap.” When properly cooked, green beans should still have a crisp texture, and a vibrant, bright green color.

The key to the best beans is to master how long to boil green beans. Cook the green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water until crisp-tender: 10 to 15 minutes for whole or cut green beans. 5 to 10 minutes for french-cut green beans.

Butter: A bit of butter adds a rich flavor and helps the seasoning stick to the green beans. Seasoned salt: Buy seasoned salt from the store, or make your own seasoned salt at home. Chili powder: This is an unexpected knockout seasoning. Chili powder adds a touch of spice and color without being too overpowering.

Place soaked beans in a large pot; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until beans are tender but firm. Most beans will cook in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety. Periodically, try a taste test or mash a bean against the side of the pot with a fork or spoon.

If the water level drops below the beans, add more water so the beans are covered at all times. The beans are done cooking when they're all tender; you can test this as they by smooshing a bean or two against the side of the pot with a fork — it should collapse easily, but not be mushy.

Don't overcook them!

Nothing is worse than a mushy, overcooked green bean. Crisp and slightly tender beans is the goal. To achieve this, taste a bean or two during the cooking process. If it is too crispy for you, keep cooking, testing another green bean in a minute or two.

Pinto beans: 25 to 30 minutes. Cannellini beans: 35 to 40 minutes. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) : 35 to 40 minutes. Red kidney beans: 25-30 minutes (boil for 10 minutes before pressure cooking)

You can safely estimate that one handful of green beans will serve one person, or two people if you have other green sides, Hartigan says. While these calculations seem straightforward, the full breadth of your menu could reduce the IRL size of each serving—after all, there's only so much room on one plate.

You can also add almonds or hazelnuts if you want to give your green beans an even more unique flavor. You can add any of these nuts and seeds to a simple green beans dish or a salad. For example, try this fresh green bean almondine recipe, which you can modify by replacing the almonds with your favorite nuts or seeds.

Maxibel ~ If you only get one bush bean variety, make it Maxibel. This is a full-size (7-inch pods) French filet bean that has straight, dark green pods. A very gourmet-type bean, Maxibel has a flavor that can't be beat.

What do green beans do for the body? ›

The vegetable helps fight inflammation and is a good source of folate and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Green beans also are a good source of protein and fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, Vadiveloo said. "Fiber is underconsumed by U.S. adults and children, and it's good for gut health," she said.

Rinse the green beans under cool water and shake dry. Trim the stem end from the beans and halve any very long beans. Sauté the beans. Heat the oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

The only part of the bean that always needs to be removed is the tip of the stem end (this is sometimes called "topping" the bean), where the pod was once attached to the rest of the plant. There is no practical need to remove the tail end of a green bean—the choice to do so is aesthetic.

As a general rule for standard green beans, they should be ready for picking when they are around 4 inches long and the width of a pencil.

When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the green beans and stir gently until the water returns to a boil. Cook until just tender but not mushy, about 4 to 4 ½ minutes.

While some recipes call for raw green beans, eating them uncooked may lead to nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting due to their lectin content. As such, it's best to avoid raw green beans. Cooking not only neutralizes their lectins but also improves their taste, digestibility, and antioxidant content.