Brown Sugar Green Beans

Brown sugar green beans are crisp, tender veggies sautéed and topped with garlic powder, for a sweet and savory side dish. Learn how to cook fresh green beans in just 20 minutes and serve them with an easy weeknight dinner or as a holiday side dish.

Sautéed Green Beans Recipe

I love vegetables and they’re good for you so I try to incorporate them into every meal. During the holidays it is sometimes very hard to include a vegetable side with all of the rich and decadent foods, but I’ve learned to keep it simple.

These brown sugar green beans are simple but loaded with flavor. Tossing green beans with brown sugar, peppers, and garlic and then sautéeing them is a delicious way to spice up some veggies.

Why You’ll Love This Green Beans Recipe

• Quick & Easy: This is the perfect side dish when you want a meal in 30 minutes or less. I make them for every holiday gathering because they require minimum effort to make and can be prepped ahead of time.
• Tasty: Adding sugar to the vegetables enhances the flavor. It’s a good way to get picky eaters to eat their veggies.
• Customizable: I’ve made them with peppers, without peppers, with julienne carrots or julienned zucchini, and with julienned yellow squash. Feel free to mix it up!

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Green Beans

I love how versatile this recipe is. Swap the vegetables or seasonings however you see fit!

• Green beans: Ensure your string beans are firm to the touch and don’t have any spots or wrinkles. Wash them and then trim or snap off the ends because they are tough.
• Bell peppers: Use julienned red and yellow bell peppers for a pop of color and a touch of spice.
• Garlic cloves: Slice fresh garlic.
• Seasoning: Season simply with garlic powder and salt.
• Olive oil: You need oil for the sauté. Use avocado oil or vegetable oil as alternatives.
• Brown sugar: The combination of sweetness with the natural earthiness of the vegetable deepens the flavor and makes this dish mouthwatering.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Brown Sugar Green Beans

Blanch

Start by blanching green beans. I added about a pound of green beans to a pot of salted boiling water and cooked them for about 3 minutes.

Then transfer them to a bowl of ice and water and let it cool. This step is important to stop the beans from cooking and help them to retain some of their crunchiness. Try this if you prefer crunchy green beans versus mushy green beans.

Sauté

Next, add some olive oil to a deep pot or stir-fry pan over medium heat. In the picture above I am using a cast iron dutch oven. I use it for almost everything I cook so I highly recommend getting one.

Once the oil is hot, add brown sugar and garlic. I let the brown sugar and garlic cook in the oil for about a minute or so. I am not trying to make “burn sugar” the way Guyanese do for stews, but I am making a light caramel that still retains some of its sweetness.

For the next step, add the julienned red and yellow bell peppers. You can choose any color bell pepper but I like this combination because it makes the dish very colorful and festive and has a very Caribbean feel.

Then add the blanched veggies and a bit of salt immediately after adding the peppers. Sauté the veggies for about 5 minutes. Constantly toss the veggies to ensure even cooking.

As a final step, add about a teaspoon of garlic powder. The garlic powder coats the veggies and adds a nice contrast of flavor to the sweetness of the brown sugar. I do have to say that it makes the beans look a bit fuzzy and dirty, so if you’re a purist and don’t want garlic powder over your beans, feel free to leave it out. But look at how beautiful these beans look! They are still crisp, with a big garlic flavor and sweetness from the brown sugar.

Storage

Once they have cooled down, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop.

Recipe Variations

• Green Beans with Bacon: Fry up a few strips of bacon to add to the veggie stir fry. Crumble the bacon for a pop of salty flavor in each forkful.
• Soy: Add umami flavor with 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

Tips for the Best Green Beans

• Blanch before sautéeing. Blanching helps to preserve their vibrant color, crisp texture, and nutritional value.
• Avoid overcooking them, as they can become mushy. Cook them just until they are tender-crisp for the best texture.
• For the best flavor and texture, serve them immediately after cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions