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This Chicken and Green Beans recipe is a true weeknight hero! Ready in just 20 minutes, this simple skillet dinner brings together tender chicken, crisp green beans, and juicy tomatoes in an irresistible tangy pan sauce!
Reasons to Love Chicken & Green Beans
Chicken and Green Beans is an MVP when it comes to fast, flavorful, and wholesome family dinner recipes.
- 20-Minute Dinner Recipe. Oh yes, just 20 minutes from start to finish! This one pan dinner recipe is perfect for any night of the week, even busy nights!
- Wholesome, Simple Ingredients. Just a handful of everyday ingredients delivers big, satisfying flavor.
- Elevated Flavor. Chicken with green beans may sound basic or even boring, but not here! This recipe brings them both to life with a tangy, acidic sauce, aromatic thyme, and sweet tomatoes.
- Suited to Various Diets. This chicken and green beans skillet is naturally low in fat, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, and relatively low in carbs. Omit the Parmesan, and it's dairy-free too!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs.
- Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are my go-to for this skillet recipe, as they taste delicious year-round and don't need deseeded.
- Green Beans: Fresh green beans are best, but if you don't have fresh green beans, you can substitute thin frozen green beans that have been defrosted.
- To Flavor: A combination of salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and thyme leaves add so much flavor to this otherwise simple dish.
- Parmesan Cheese: The parmesan is completely optional, but does add a nice finish to this recipe. Omit for a dairy-free, paleo-friendly, and whole30 approved recipe.
How to Make Chicken and Green Beans Skillet
This one skillet recipe comes together FAST but I have a few tips to help you achieve perfect results.
- Brown Chicken. In a large nonstick skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, add in the chicken, season with salt and pepper and sauté until golden on each side.
- Add Green Beans and Tomatoes. Once the chicken has browned, add green beans and tomatoes and sauté for 1-2 minutes to let the green beans begin to soften.
- Add Garlic. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute just to toast the garlic briefly.
- Simmer. To the skillet, add in the broth, lemon zest, thyme, and balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the green beans are crisp-tender.
- Finish with flavor. Remove from the heat and add the fresh lemon juice and serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Complete Dinner
Packed with protein and veggies, you can simply plop this skillet with chicken and green beans on the table and say dinner is done--and everyone would be satisfied. That said, I often pair with a side of two to make dinner stretch a bit further.
- Add a Starch: Serve over Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot quinoa. Or try roasted red potatoes or orzo rice on the side (a family-favorite!)
- Add a Salad: Add even more veggies to your dinner plate (or keep this dinner lower in carbs), by paring this skillet recipe with a Copycat Panera Greek salad, BLT salad, or spinach bacon salad.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Add a Splash of Dry White Wine: If I have a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio on hand, I love using that in place of the chicken stock. It adds a nice punch of flavor and makes the dish feel even fancier. Note: If using wine, omit the addition of the balsamic as it will be acidic enough.
- No Fresh Thyme? Leave it out! This dish will still be plenty flavorful without thanks to the lemon and balsamic.
- No Tomatoes? If you don't happen to have fresh tomatoes, simply omit them from the recipe. The green beans and chicken will shine on their own!
- For Soft Green Beans: I love the crisp-tender bite the fresh greens retain when they are simply sauteed in the skillet. However, if you like your softer green beans, I would recommend blanching or steaming them prior to adding them to the sauté pan with the chicken.
More Easy Skillet Dinner Ideas
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Chicken and Green Beans
Ready in 20 minutes, this simple skillet dinner brings together tender chicken, crisp green beans, and juicy tomatoes in an irresistible tangy pan sauce!
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, + more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, + more to taste
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, optional
- 1 medium fresh lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to skillet and brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
- Once the chicken has browned, add green beans, and tomatoes to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for just 1 minute longer to toast.
- Add chicken broth, lemon zest, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the beans are just crisp-tender.
- Turn off the heat and add the juice of the fresh lemon and serve with parmesan, if desired.
Notes
Replace Chicken Stock with Wine: Feel free to use a dry white wine, like a pinot grigio, in place of the chicken stock. Be sure to omit the addition of the balsamic though, as the wine and lemon juice will be acidic enough.
Lemon Juice: If you don't have fresh lemons, do NOT substitute jarred lemon juice. Instead, add an extra teaspoon of balsamic to round the flavor out.
Frozen Green Beans: You can substitute defrosted, thin frozen green beans (not thick-cut green beans) for fresh.
Option for Soft Green Beans: For green beans that do not have a crisp-tender bite to them, I recommend either blanching or steaming the green beans before adding them to the skillet. To blanch the green beans, drop them into boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Alternatively, place the green beans in a large heat-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave for 3-4 minutes.
Storage: Cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 9gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 689mgPotassium: 613mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1360IUVitamin C: 42.7mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2025.
This is a terrific tasting and easy to make recipe from Kristen. I added one fresh ear of cut corn from my local Walmart. Great healthy ingredients!
Love hearing you enjoyed David! And great idea to add the corn!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! Followed the recipe pretty much, used French green beans and even though thinner, they still came out crisp, but just the way I like them. Added wine so didn’t use balsamic vinegar, but when plating I added a splash of balsamic glaze before the Parmesan and it was just right. My husband also loved the dish and I know we will be making it again soon, and often.
Thank you for sharing, Susan! I am thrilled you and your husband enjoyed this simple recipe. Love the addition of a balsamic glaze too 🙂
Made this and it was amazing quick healthy great start for meal prepping
Thanks for sharing, Natalie! So happy to hear you enjoyed.
I love this quick on bust weeknights, especially with sports practice for the kids. They love this one and I know they'll gobble it up!
I love hearing this, Sandra! Thank you for taking the time to share.
This is one of my favorite meals. I love that it’s easy, quick and you get a lot of flavor “bang” for the buck.
Thanks so much for sharing, JoAnne! I do love this simple meal as well.
Hi,
Can I substitute broccoli for the tomatoes? I have a sensitivity to tomatoes.
Thanks!
Pam
Yes! The broccoli may need a bit longer to cook. Feel free to use additional green beans as well.
If you use something other than tomatoes you won’t get the tomato juices in the sauce so the dish will come out drier. If you want more sauce, you could add a little more broth.
So good! I am making this again. I may steam my beans first next time. I enjoy the crunch however. The flavors are spot on!!!
Thanks for sharing, Beth! Love hearing you enjoyed this simple skillet. And yes, steaming the beans will soften them more if you like them that way 🙂