Garlicky and crisp. This is our favorite way to have our green beans. Sesame Green Beans take about 15 minutes to prepare and use just 5 ingredients.
These garlicky green beans are our favorite way to eat green beans!
An easy recipe, using simple ingredients, AND is 1000x better than just steamed beans. I seriously can’t stop eating them. Additive.
If you have struggled to get your family to eat their veggies, please try this recipe. I’ve been making my green beans like this since the kids were little. And to this day, I have to fight them off in order to get some beans to the dinner table. They are that good.
Summer is coming – save this recipe for when you have fresh beans in the garden.☀️🌱
Sesame oil and garlic adds a decidedly Asian vibe. We’ve served with Chinese take-out (in an effort to add some freshness). But this dish also works well next to traditional Italian style pasta meals and even summer BBQ. This veggie side dish is versatile.
How to make easy sesame green beans
You need 1.5 lbs thin green beans, washed and trimmed. And a couple of fat cloves of garlic.
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet. I use a big non-stick wok similar to this one because it is big, deep and has a lid. Having a tight-fitting lid helps.
Once the oil is nice and hot. I heat over medium-high heat. Add oil and beans. Stir-fry the beans 5-7 minutes. Beans need to cook to tender-crisp.
I like them to char a little bit in spots, but if you do this correctly over high heat, stirring often, they will char and remain crisp in places. They should still have a snap.
This is where the lid can come in handy. To ensure they cook just enough all the way through, placing the lid on the pot for a minute or so, helps them steam through.
When beans are just perfect, add sesame oil and roughly chopped garlic.
Stir fry for just another minute or you – just until you can smell the garlic. Remove from heat and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
A few notes about making Sesame Green Beans:
- For this recipe, I like to use thin and long green beans. They are tender and cook quickly. My local Costco carries a 1.5 lb package of these thin, long “fresh-style” green beans that are just perfect for this dish. But any kind of green bean will do.
- I use lots of garlic for this dish. The garlic needs to be sliced. Do not use a garlic press here. And do not use crushed garlic from a jar. You need fresh cloves thinly sliced.
- The garlic should be added towards the end of the cooking time. The garlic is cooked quickly at the end. This prevents the garlic from burning.
- This dish takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. The beans can sit for a few minutes while you get the rest of dinner ready, but really, you want to basically time things so that beans are ready when you are ready to eat.
More vegetable side dishes you might like:
Sesame Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs green beans washed and trimed
- 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt coarse
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Heat non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Wok needs to be very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the beans and stir-fry 5-7 minutes until beans are tender crisp and a bit charred in spots. You may want to use a lid to "steam" the beans. Only leave it on for a moment, then continue to stir-fry the beans so the beans do not burn. But a little charring is okay – it's actually what you want.
- Once the beans are just perfectly charred, but still crisp. Think al-dente. Add the sesame oil and roughly chopped garlic. Stir-fry for just a minute. Just until you smell the garlic. Remove from heat and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve.
Hi, I’m Trish. I share quick and healthy recipes designed to get you through your busy days, balanced with a generous serving of sweet and decadent treats for weekends and special occasions. You will find vegan, gluten-free and plant-based recipes here too. Thanks for visiting!
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