Italian Green Beans

These Italian green beans are one of the most delicious ways to eat green beans. With fresh garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning, this side dish recipe is super quick and easy but loaded with flavor.

What Makes This Side Dish So Good

• Italian green beans are incredibly easy to make but they’re full of this unbelievable flavor that’s to die for. This might just become your new go-to method for cooking green beans.
• This recipe is paleo, Whole30, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, low carb, keto, vegan, AND vegetarian. WHOA! Talk about a crowd-pleaser!
• They’re super healthy! Green beans are a fantastic source of essential vitamins like A, C, and K. They’re low calorie, low carb, and contain a decent amount of fiber per serving. They’re also full of chlorophyll, folic acid and folate, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

Key Ingredients

Green Beans – Fresh are preferable, BUT! The great thing about frozen green beans is that they’re frozen at their peak, which makes them honestly not that different from fresh green beans. Freezing vegetables as soon as they’re picked basically hits the “pause” button on their freshness and goodness, really locking it in until you’re ready to cook them.

Garlic – Use a really good, really fresh garlic, to get the most flavor. Feel free to increase the amount of garlic you use, too.

Italian Seasoning – Savory and delicious, Italian seasoning is what MAKES this dish. Basic Italian seasoning is typically a blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil, but you’ll sometimes find other spices mixed in. You can increase the amount of seasoning you use in your green beans if you want. Don’t go overboard, though!

Serving Suggestions

This side dish complements so many recipes beautifully, it’s almost more like what CAN’T you serve with Italian green beans?? Here are a few of my favorite entrées to pair with these seasoned veggies.

• Marry Me Chicken
• Sous Vide Tri Tip
• Classic Pomodoro Sauce
• Instant Pot Lasagna
• Crispy Baked Tofu
• The Best Filet Mignon Ever
• Eggplant Lasagna
• Easy Salisbury Steak (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
• How to Cook a Turkey Perfectly (with Gravy)
• Salmon Meuniere

Chef’s Tips

• To really put this dish over the top, grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese over the green beans just before serving. Parmesan goes super well with the Italian seasoning on the green beans, and you don’t need to use much at all! Of course, it’s totally optional – these Italian green beans are delicious allllllllll on their own.
• Canned green beans will work in a pinch, but keep in mind two things. 1) They’re usually packed with added sodium and even sugars. If these are problems for your dietary needs, be sure to read the labels and rinse the green beans before using them here. 2) Because they’ve been canned in liquid, their texture is a little different than fresh or frozen green beans. They’ll be softer and won’t crisp up quite as well when you sauté them.
• Be sure to slightly cook the green beans BEFORE you start making Italian green beans! They should be cooked just enough that they’re just fork-tender. Don’t overdo it! If you start with them undercooked, they’ll take longer to sauté, which could burn the oil and garlic. If they’re overcooked to begin, they’ll only get more overcooked when you sauté them.

Try These Other Tasty Side Dishes

• Cheesy Keto Green Beans
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Garlic Aioli
• Crispy Pan-Fried Potatoes
• Loaded Cauliflower Salad
• The Best Spinach Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Maple Vinaigrette
• Oven Roasted Okra
• Grilled Brussels Sprouts
• Whole30 Bacon Garlic Green Beans (Whole30 Side Dish)