Skillet Chicken with Garlic-Butter Green Beans

From the garden

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon — half juiced, half in wedges
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and the paprika.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the chicken 5–6 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through (165°F). Move to a plate and tent with foil.
3. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the green beans with a pinch of salt and cook, tossing only occasionally, 5–6 minutes, until blistered in spots and crisp-tender.
4. Push the beans aside, drop in the remaining butter and the garlic, and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Toss everything together with the lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken.
5. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan just to warm through. Serve with lemon wedges — rice or crusty bread catches the garlic butter.