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Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon Zest, and Toasted Almonds

Sauteed green beans with garlic, lemon zest, and toasted almonds—blistered in a hot skillet for crisp-tender texture. Finished with butter-garlic, bright lemon juice, and crunchy almonds for a quick American side.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

green beans
  • 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
fat and flavor base
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced
seasonings
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
lemon and crunch
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the beans
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the green beans and cook 6-8 minutes, tossing often, until blistered and crisp-tender (you should see browned spots).
Finish with garlic and butter
  1. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and thinly sliced garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes until golden. Keep tossing so the garlic toasts without burning (look for light golden edges).
  2. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat the beans evenly. The seasonings should look evenly distributed on the green bean surface.
Brighten and serve
  1. Toss with lemon zest and lemon juice, cooking just until the aroma is bright, about 30-60 seconds. Finish by tossing in the toasted sliced almonds so they cling to the beans.
  2. Serve immediately while the beans are crisp-tender and the almonds stay crunchy. (Optional visual cue: the beans should look glossy from butter and speckled with golden garlic.)

Notes

Pro tip: keep the skillet hot for the first 6-8 minutes so the beans actually blister instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then toss with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Freezing isn’t recommended because green beans soften after thawing. For a dairy-free option, replace the butter with olive oil (or a dairy-free butter substitute) and add an extra pinch of salt to maintain flavor.