Pan Fried Fresh Green Beans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when green beans are cooked enough? ›

So the next time you're boiling green beans, take a moment to taste one before declaring them cooked. If they taste more like grass than vegetable, give them another minute or two in the pot. Same thing for any other vegetable you're eating cooked.

In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Meanwhile, set out a large bowl of ice water. To the pot of boiling water, add the green beans and boil until tender-crisp but still bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking.

Soy sauce is one of the easiest answers to how to flavor green beans. You can throw in some of this soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and garlic and pan fry until glassy and green and you may never want to eat green beans any other way again.

Add green beans to pan and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add boiling water to pan and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, just until beans are tender. Add vinegar, butter and salt and pepper and stir.

Cook the beans for 5 minutes, then start checking them for done-ness. They should be tender but still crisp, without squeaking between your teeth when you chew them. Drain and chill: Drain the beans, then immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

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.

If you freeze green beans without blanching them first, the texture, color, and taste won't be quite as fresh when you defrost and eat them after long-term storage. They'll be good for a couple of months in the freezer, but quickly go downhill thereafter.

Blanching green beans before freezing helps them to retain that beautiful green color and crisp texture when you go to enjoy them. Skipping this step might result in your beans having a mushy texture once defrosted.

The general wisdom for blanching vegetables is to boil them in a large volume of water, always with salt, and then shock them in ice water.

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.

How can I make my beans more flavorful? ›

Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful!

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.

Your Beans Will Cook Faster

Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.

A light sprinkle of red pepper flakes can add extra oomph and a bit of heat to your green beans. Start small and add more, to taste! Add Almonds Some Crunch. My favorite variation is adding some toasted sliced almonds for a little crunch.

The perfect green bean should be a nice bright green (unless it's the yellow or purple variety), with no blemishes. They should be firm and snap when bent in half. A 3–5 minute boil or steam will cook the beans whilst retaining their crunch.

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.

It is generally recommended to cook green beans to an internal temperature of 135°F to 140°F (57°F to 60°C).

At first you will have a hard time biting through them. As the texture softens, the green beans are closer to being perfectly cooked. When you can just bite through with no resistance, they're done.