Blanch green beans in a large pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.
Meanwhile, combine butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. When the garlic begins to turn dark gold, remove it with a slotted spoon and discard. Stir the lemon juice and the blanched green beans into the butter. Continue to sauté until green beans are coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
Keep a close eye on the butter and garlic as they cook in the skillet. Brown butter only takes a few minutes to make, and the garlic can burn quickly if you're not stirring.
For a stronger lemon flavor, garnish the green beans with lemon zest just before serving.
You can use frozen or even canned green beans for this recipe, too.
Cooking for a larger family? I recommend doubling all of the ingredients and preparing two pounds of green beans in brown butter.
Add fresh herbs for even more flavor. In the summer, fresh basil, thyme, oregano or rosemary would all be delicious in this dish.
You can't beat the combination of green beans with bacon! Feel free to add a few slices of cooked, chopped bacon to the sauteed green beans.
Some toasted nuts on top would also be a great garnish for added crunch. Try walnuts, pecans or almonds.