This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
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.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
This recipe was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2025.
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.
I am so glad you enjoyed Thomas!
I'm on Keto and This is a Very Good Recipe for Me
Keep those Coming
YAY! Happy this met your needs Diana!
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!
Sounds like you made great additions Nick! Glad you enjoyed!
Is one chicken breast correct or is that supposed to be 1 lb?
Thanks
Oh my goodness, that is supposed to be 1 pound!! Changing now!
This was really delicious! I would definitely recommend this recipe!! My only question is - how do you know how many grams each serving is?
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!
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).
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!
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!
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
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!
So glad you enjoyed Helen! I agree--there is just something about cooked grape or cherry tomatoes--magic sauce 🙂