Chicken and Green Beans is a weeknight warrior recipe! Made with tender chicken, crisp green beans, bright tomatoes, and a tangy pan sauce in under 20 minutes, this chicken and green bean skillet boosts protein, nutrients, and serious flavor!
![Chicken and Green Beans Large skillet with chunks of chicken, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Chicken-and-Green-Beans-Recipe.jpg)
Skillet dinner recipes, like this Chicken and Green Bean Skillet, Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, and Turkey Taco Skillet, are MVPs when it comes to fast, flavorful, and wholesome family meals.
While I love all my skillet dinner recipes, I find myself turning to this Chicken and Green Bean recipe again and again. From the protein-rich chicken to crisp-tender green beans to the fresh sweet tomatoes to the lemon garlic pan sauce, this chicken skillet is both satisfying and delicious.
Reasons to Love Chicken & Green Beans
- 20-Minute Dinner Recipe. Oh yes, just 20 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for any night of the week, even busy nights!
- Wholesome, Simple Ingredients. This recipe uses simple ingredients to pack in some serious flavor!
- Elevated Flavor. While many people think of chicken and green beans as rather boring or bland, this recipe brings them both to life with a tangy, acidic sauce, aromatic thyme, and sweet tomatoes. While super simple to prepare, the flavor produced is restaurant-worthy.
- Adaptable and Allergy Friendly. This chicken and green bean skillet is low in fat, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, and relatively low in carbs, as written. By omitting the parmesan, the dish is dairy-free as well.
Notes on Ingredients
![Green Beans and Chicken Ingredients labeled on white counter for chicken green bean skillet.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Green-Bean-Skillet.jpg)
- Chicken: Use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or even seeded, diced Roma tomatoes will work. If I am making this dish in the winter months, I find grape tomatoes are best, as their flavor is good year-round.
- 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. For this recipe, I would not use canned green beans or cut thick frozen beans.
- Seasonings + Flavor: Using 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
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 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.
![Easy Chicken Breast Recipe with Green Beans Chicken breast cubed in bite-sized pieces browned in skillet.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20-Minute-Chicken-Skillet-Recipe.jpg)
- 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.
![Skillet Chicken Recipe Green beans and tomatoes with chicken in skillet after simmering.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Recipe-for-Green-Beans-with-Chicken.jpg)
- 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.
![Green Beans and Chicken Recipe Green beans and tomatoes added to browned chicken in skillet with fresh thyme in background.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Recipe-for-Green-Beans-with-Chicken-1.jpg)
- Finish with flavor. Remove from the heat and add the fresh lemon juice and serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
![Chicken and Green Bean Skillet recipe Bowl of chicken and green beans with tomatoes.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Chicken-with-Green-Beans-Recipe.jpg)
Substitutions/Modifications
- Swap Chicken Stock for Dry White Wine: If I have a chardonnay 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 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!
- Soft Green Beans: I love the crisp-tender bite the fresh greens retain when they are simply sauteed in the skillet. However, if you would like your green beans on the soft side, I would recommend blanching or steaming the green beans prior to adding them to the sauté pan with the chicken.
Serving Suggestions
While this recipe for Chicken and Green Beans can stand on its own as a complete meal, it is also delicious served over brown rice or quinoa or with a baked sweet potato on the side. If you want to keep this meal low-carb, I suggest pairing it with a Copycat Panera Greek Salad or Spinach Bacon Salad.
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet
- Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
If you enjoyed this simple one-pan chicken and green beans recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
![Skillet with chicken, tomatoes, green beans, and tomatoes.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chicken-Green-Beans-360x360.jpg)
Chicken with Green Beans and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 medium fresh lemon juice and zest
- Parmesan Cheese optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon 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 skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for just 1 minute longer to toast.
- Add in chicken broth, lemon zest, thyme, and balsamic vinegar. 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 Cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2016, but was updated in 2021 and 2024 with new photos and a video.
Pam Kelly
Hi,
Can I substitute broccoli for the tomatoes? I have a sensitivity to tomatoes.
Thanks!
Pam
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! The broccoli may need a bit longer to cook. Feel free to use additional green beans as well.
JoAnne
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.
Beth Jones
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!!!
Kristen Chidsey
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 🙂
JoAnne Meadows
I love this dish! After I started making it tonight i discovered I had neither fresh nor dried thyme, so I used a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning. It was a different flavor but it still turned out great.
Rick
When you give the calories in a serving, you don’t give serving size. Can you add that?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rick, this serves 4. So the calories are based on 1/4 of the entire recipe, which is about 2-1/2 to 3 cups.
Julie
Just wondering what happened to the other half teaspoons of salt and pepper. Should I add them straight to the pan?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Julie! Add them after cooking if desired by taste 🙂 Enjoy!
Gregg DeShon
I love balsamic vinegar but a little goes a long way; I will cut in half when I make again. Also I will put tomatoes in at the end during the last five minutes when covered.
Beth
I just made this and found it was tasty - thoroughly enjoyed. I served it with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and loved the creaminess of it mixed with the sauce.
Kristen Chidsey
What a great idea to add some yogurt to the final dish! Thanks for sharing.
Suzzie
This was quick and easy to make once the prep is done.
It has a nice tangy taste, not too overbearing by any means.
I blanched my beans, first.
Also added fresh parsley and McCormick Italian seasoning to the chicken.
I used unsalted chicken stock too.
Trust the process, during the cooking it wasn’t looking too promising. But at the end adding in all the liquids and the lemon juice, it was coming together.
Also better if you let it sit and soak up the juices before serving.
I ate it as is, but would have been great over brown rice or quinoa.
Denny Zeszuterk
Just learning to cook so I tried this recipe. My wife said it was cooked well, very tasty and she enjoyed it; so did I.
For me just starting the recipe was very easy to follow and very sufficiently detailed.
P.S. The color pictures give something to compare against.
Thanks Kristen, on to more recipes. I need to get the guts to tackle the Instant pot recipes!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Denny! I am honored this was one of your beginning recipes and glad to hear the pictures help. I have tons of tips for Instant Pot success. You may want to sign up for my email series for Instant Pot Tips. But regardless, reach out any time with questions.
Thomas
Perfect for chicken breast(cubed), over a pound green beans and tomatoes. I blanched the green beans over 15 minutes. I don’t like crunchy green beans. I replaced dried flakes of thyme. Sprinkle white shredded cheddar while hot. I used 2 whole medium sized tomatoes sliced in small pieces and no zest. Wonderful use of chicken breasts, tomatoes and green beans.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Thomas!
Diana
I'm on Keto and This is a Very Good Recipe for Me
Keep those Coming
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! Happy this met your needs Diana!
Nick
Very good and easy recipe, a added some leftover corn cut off the cob and some white wine and fresh basil. Served over orzo pasta, turned out great!
Kristen Chidsey
Sounds like you made great additions Nick! Glad you enjoyed!
Sara
Is one chicken breast correct or is that supposed to be 1 lb?
Thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Oh my goodness, that is supposed to be 1 pound!! Changing now!
Joyce
This was really delicious! I would definitely recommend this recipe!! My only question is - how do you know how many grams each serving is?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Joyce! I typically do not calculate grams per serving. I base each serving off about 4 ounces chicken and 1 1/2 cup veggies. Hope that helps you! And I am glad you enjoyed!
Heather F
FYI the instructions don't include the thyme! I ended up forgetting to add it because it wasn't spelled out (I assume it goes in with the broth and the garlic etc).
Kristen Chidsey
Oh Heather, thanks for the heads up--yes, this was an oversight on my part. I am fixing right now. And you were correct, the thyme goes in with the broth.
I hope you still enjoyed!
Denay DeGuzman
This delicious skillet chicken is just as quick and easy to make as described, and tastes twice as good! This yummy recipe's a keeper!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!!!! I am so glad you enjoyed Denay and the recipe lived up to it's claim! It is one of our go-tos on busy nights
Helen
Oooh, so delicious, healthy, and quick!
You're so right that you can never have enough easy dinner ideas.
This is just up our alley. I love easy one skillet chicken dinners. Love anything with cherry tomatoes, too - I find they make a kind of sauce when cooked. Yummy!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed Helen! I agree--there is just something about cooked grape or cherry tomatoes--magic sauce 🙂