Sauteed Green Beans with Soy Sauce Glaze

This easy Sauteed Green Beans recipe is ready in no time! You’ll love the soy sauce glaze and garlicky, tender green beans. Just five ingredients, prepped in less than five minutes, for a simple vegetable side dish to pair with your main meal.

Glazed green beans are the ideal side dish for a busy weeknight. Save this recipe for the next time you’re thinking, “Hmm, should we add some veggies?”

Answer: yes! As a dietitian, my answer will always be yes. But they should taste as amazing as your main dish, and I think these sauteed green beans with a sweet soy sauce glaze hit the mark!

Sauteed Green Beans Ingredients

You only need five simple ingredients to make this easy recipe for sauteed green beans:

• Fresh green beans, trimmed. Canned green beans are much softer, and won’t get the nice sear marks or absorb as much flavor as the fresh ones.
• Garlic
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Toasted sesame oil
• Honey

(full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below)

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Look for ready-to-cook trimmed green beans in the produce section of your grocery store. This saves time and can be a good option if fresh green beans aren’t in season. If you need to trim the green beans once you start cooking, add an extra five minutes of prep time. Don’t forget to wash them first.

​Swaps and Substitutions

This sauteed green beans recipe is already dairy-free and nut-free, making it an allergy-friendly side dish. But soy sauce contains gluten, so swap for tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce alternative) or coconut aminos.

And there are plenty of ways to add more flavor to these glazed green beans! Here are a few ideas:

• Add 1-2 teaspoons of oyster sauce for a more saucy, umami flavors
• Swap the honey for brown sugar or maple syrup, which makes it fully vegan-friendly
• Replace the garlic with fresh ginger (or use both!)
• Add a small splash of rice vinegar at the end of cooking

The possibilities are endless, so keep scrolling to see some flavorful serving suggestions below.

One thing you really shouldn’t skip is the nutty sesame oil. It helps add big flavor to such a simple dish.

Now let’s get cooking!

How to Make Sauteed Green Beans with Soy Sauce Glaze

Start with clean, trimmed green beans. Mince the garlic if you’re not using the pre-minced kind. Grab a large skillet (nonstick or stainless steel works best) and start with high heat.

Once your pan is hot, add the green beans. Saute for 7-8 minutes, or until they turn bright green and start to brown in some spots. Don’t stir too often, otherwise you’ll get more of a steaming effect. 

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: ​Toasted sesame oil has a lower smoke point than refined sesame oil. It should only be used for low heat cooking, or at the end of cooking just before serving. If your green beans are sticking to the bottom of the pan, use a little bit of vegetable oil, peanut oil, or another cooking oil with a higher smoke point and neutral flavor. 

Turn the stove down to medium heat, then add the garlic. Stir it in, then add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. The heat will make it sizzle, coating the green beans in a sweet soy sauce glaze with practically no effort at all!

This process only takes 10 minutes of cooking time from start to finish, so in 15 minutes (or less!) you’ve made some delicious sauteed green beans to serve with your main dish.

​What to Serve with Sauteed Green Beans

Once your green beans are tender crisp and saucy from the sweet soy glaze, they’re ready to enjoy! 

I always like to add some toasted sesame seeds on top just before serving. They add a little bonus flavor and texture, plus who doesn’t love a nice garnish?

Adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, MSG, or white or black pepper. And this dish is not spicy whatsoever, so add red pepper flakes or some of your favorite chili crisp or chili oil if you want a little heat.

As for pairings, this easy green bean side dish pairs well with most Asian-style meals. Think rice bowls, noodle dishes, stir fries, soups and stews with steamed white rice…the list goes on! Here are a few reader favorites you might want to try:

• Mushroom Stir Fry Noodles
• Crispy Orange Tofu and Edamame
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Furikake Salmon (Oven or Air Fryer)

Storing Leftover Green Beans with Soy Sauce Glaze

Hopefully you think this is the perfect side dish and there are no leftovers! But in the off chance you don’t finish them, just pack them away in an airtight container. Refrigerate and reheat in the microwave next time. Eat within 3-4 days for best flavor and food safety.

​As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!