Tender-Crisp French Green Beans With Excessive Garlic
Smoky, blister‑charred veggies are my love language. These haricots verts—always my pick over standard green beans—deliver that deep, almost‑burnt flavor in every bite. They’re tender, but not mushy, and stand up to practically any entrée. Pair them with steak frites with twice fried potatoes or ridiculously crispy duck fat potatoes for a side dish that feels straight off a French bistro menu.
Recipe Highlights At A Glance (’cause I know you’re busy!)
- No parboiling required! Skip the extra step — these beans go straight into the pan, saving you at least 10 minutes.
- Quick cooking. Once they hit the hot skillet, they’re ready in under 10 minutes, making them the perfect fast vegetable side dish.
- Big flavor. All they need is plenty of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Simple, fresh, and delicious.
For more restaurant-worthy side dishes, be sure to try my warm green bean and potato salad, this broccoli rabe, roasted pepper, and mozzarella salad, or a classic green bean almondine next!
Pro tip: Buy pre-washed haricots verts from the store and save yourself even more time!
Traditional green beans tend to be thicker than French green beans, so if you’re using those, plan to adjust the cook time accordingly.
How To Blister Any Vegetable!
Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Truly one of my favorite vegetable side dishes! You could follow this same method with snow peas, snap peas, or even edamame.
If you’d like to change up the flavor, add seasonings right at the end once the pan-fried green beans are nearly done cooking. A splash of soy sauce with minced ginger, fish sauce, and a squeeze of lime makes a fantastic Asian-inspired variation (we often do the same with shishito peppers — chef’s kiss).
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Serving Suggestions
What doesn’t go well with sautéed veggies?! You can serve anything from grilled chicken, seafood, steak, or pork to pasta dishes and risotto. My kiddos like these with meatloaf and mashed potatoes — total comfort food!
A few of my personal favorite weeknight dinners are this crispy pecan-crusted chicken cutlets, tender, slow-baked salmon, and oven-baked cod with buttery panko topping.
Best Enjoyed Fresh
These blistered haricots verts are best enjoyed fresh, when they’re at their crispiest and most flavorful. That said, you can absolutely make them earlier in the day or even meal prep a larger batch to enjoy throughout the week.
Haricots verts never tasted so good — once you try them blistered, you may never go back! 🙌🏻 If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and star rating below. I can’t wait to hear how you served them.
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15-Minute Blistered Haricots Verts with Garlic
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or light, neutral oil
- 1 lb haricots verts trimmed French string beans
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the pan. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until very hot, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil.
- Cook the haricot verts. Add the trimmed haricots verts, season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until blistered on all sides, about 7-8 minutes.
- Season, then serve. When the beans are mostly blistered on all sides, add the chopped garlic, then cook for 1 minute more. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge on top, then stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (or continue cooking if you want them even more blistered). Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
- To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over medium heat to help bring back some of that signature blistered texture (the microwave works too, though the beans will be softer).
Another winner!!!! I made this for a test run to see if it would be good to add to my thanksgiving menu. Nope, this is now going on my every day/week/any holiday menu! Absolutely delicious, full of flavor, love the taste of the lemon with the bite of saltiness and kick of garlic. To die for. Make it now! I’m literally eating the whole plate as I type this with one hand. Thank you Ari!!!
This is perhaps my favorite review of a vegetable EVER. Seriously the best string beans on the planet! xo, Ari
This was a surprisingly delicious recipe. Surprising only because it has just a few basic ingredients but makes the most delicious green beans. I made an 8 ounce package of haricot verts and we devoured them. I’d love to know if there are other vegetables you can substitute for the green beans.
Love love love to hear this! I eat them straight out of the skillet sometimes! This same recipe can be followed with snow peas, snap peas, and edamame. We’ve also made it with Chinese long beans (there are multiple varieties) — anything in the bean family should work! Enjoy! xo, Ari
Excellent! I’ve been making blistered vegetables in the oven, but these are so much easier in a frying pan. They were delicious. I added fresh feta cheese from our local farmers market on top.
Oh, I love the addition of feta! Great idea, Connie! Cheers, Ari
These were so easy and really tasty. Loved the lemon tang and a good punch of garlic. We ate them with steaks.
Yes, the perfect pairing with steak! How delicious. Thanks, Marie! Cheers, Ari