Frozen peas in garlic butter is a quick, buttery side dish ready in under 10 minutes with just five everyday ingredients. This easy frozen peas recipe turns a freezer staple into something tender, garlicky, and properly tasty.
I make frozen peas in garlic butter most weeks at home, and it has saved more weeknight dinners than I can count. The peas stay vibrant green and tender, the butter goes golden and fragrant with the garlic, and everything comes together in one skillet while the rest of the meal finishes off. There's no boiling water, no colander, no soggy peas. If you've been wondering how to cook frozen peas so they actually taste good, this method works every single time, whether you're plating up a Sunday roast or a quick midweek dinner.
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Ingredients for Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter
Here is what you need to make frozen peas in garlic butter:
- Frozen peas (garden peas) – I use frozen garden peas straight from the bag. They're picked and frozen at peak sweetness, so the flavour is often better than tired fresh peas at the supermarket.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter lets you control the seasoning. It melts down into a glossy coating and gives the peas that proper buttery finish.
- Garlic cloves – Fresh garlic, finely chopped or grated. Don't reach for the jarred stuff here. Fresh cloves give you that warm, aromatic flavour without any sharpness.
- Splash of water – Just a tablespoon or two. It helps the peas defrost and steam in the pan without burning the butter or garlic.
- Salt and black pepper – A simple seasoning that lifts the natural sweetness of the peas. Sea salt works beautifully here.
How to Cook Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter (Step-by-Step Method)
Place a skillet on the hob and melt the butter over medium heat. Tip in the finely chopped or grated garlic and sauté for one to two minutes, stirring now and then, until it smells fragrant and turns pale gold. Don't let it brown.
Add the frozen peas straight from the bag into the skillet with the sautéed garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then add a splash of water to help them steam.
Stir everything together so the peas are coated in the garlicky butter. Cook for five to six minutes over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until the peas are hot through and tender.
Serve straight from the pan as a delightful side dish alongside your main course.
How to Serve and Store This Buttered Peas Recipe
I love serving frozen peas in garlic butter with roast chicken, grilled salmon, pan-fried steak, sausages and mash, fish pie, or alongside a Sunday roast. They also pair well with creamy pasta, lemon chicken, or a simple bowl of rice for a quick lunch. The buttery, garlicky sauce works with almost anything, which is why this easy frozen peas side dish has earned a permanent spot on my weekly menu.
If you have any left over, let them cool fully and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently in a frying pan with a small knob of butter, or in the microwave with a splash of water for about a minute. I wouldn't freeze the leftovers, since the peas have already been frozen once and the texture goes soft on a second thaw. They're at their best fresh from the pan, but a quick reheat the next day still tastes good.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more simple sides from the blog. They all follow the same idea – quick, fresh ingredients and big flavour without much effort.
- For a heartier roasted side, try this Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe. The vegetables go crispy at the edges and tender in the middle, perfect alongside any roast.
- If you love garlic and greens, this Garlic Broccolini Recipe is a quick stove-top side. The long stems crisp up beautifully in the pan with a hit of fresh garlic.
- Looking for something gentler, give this Easy Pan-Steamed Broccolini Recipe with Shallot a go. The shallot adds a sweet, mellow note that pairs well with fish or chicken.
- Courgette lovers will want this Sauteed Courgettes – How to Cook Courgettes recipe. It's ready in minutes and uses just a few storecupboard staples.
- For something a bit different, try this Easy Boiled Summer Carrots Recipe with Garlic, Lime & Parsley. The lime brightens everything up and makes a lovely change from the usual roast veg.
How Much Does It Cost to Make Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter Around the World?
The headline ingredient is, of course, frozen peas, and the good news is they're cheap almost everywhere.
- In the UK, a 1kg bag of frozen garden peas costs around £1.50 to £2.20 at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, or Lidl.
- In Ireland, expect to pay €0.79 to €2.50 at Tesco, Dunnes Stores, or SuperValu.
- In the USA, a 12oz bag of frozen peas runs $1 to $3 at Walmart, Target, or Trader Joe's, with bulk bags at Costco often cheaper per pound.
- In Australia, a 1kg bag is around AU$3 to $4.50 at Coles or Woolworths.
- In Germany, frozen peas are particularly affordable – Aldi and Lidl sell 1kg bags for €1.00 to €1.80.
With butter, garlic, and seasoning already in most kitchens, the full cost of this easy frozen peas side dish works out to well under £2 in most countries, making frozen peas in garlic butter one of the cheapest, tastiest sides you can put on the table.
Top Tips for the Best Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter
- Don't defrost the peas first. Add them straight from the freezer into the skillet. Defrosting on the counter makes them mushy and watery, which ruins the texture. Cooking them from frozen keeps the peas firm with a slight bite, and the heat from the pan thaws them perfectly in a few minutes. Frozen peas in garlic butter only works properly when frozen peas hit a hot, buttery pan.
- Watch the garlic carefully. Burnt garlic is bitter and ruins the whole dish. Keep the heat at medium, stir often, and pull the pan off the hob the moment the garlic smells fragrant and turns pale gold. If you're nervous, grate the garlic instead of chopping – finer pieces cook through faster and spread the flavour more evenly through the buttery sauce.
- Use unsalted butter and season at the end. Salted butter can vary a lot brand to brand, and it's easy to over-season the peas without realising. Unsalted butter gives you proper control. Add a pinch of salt after the peas go in, taste at the end, and adjust as needed. A little squeeze of lemon at the finish also wakes up the flavour beautifully.
- Don't skip the splash of water. It might feel odd to add water to a buttery pan, but it's the trick that makes frozen peas in garlic butter work so well. The water turns to steam, helps the peas defrost gently, and stops the butter from burning while they cook. You only need a tablespoon or two – any more and you'll end up with watery peas instead of glossy ones.
- Cook for five to six minutes, no longer. Frozen peas are already blanched before freezing, so they only need a few minutes to heat through. Overcook them and they turn dull green, wrinkled, and mealy. Pull the pan off the heat as soon as they're hot through and still vibrant green. A quick taste test is the best way to check whether they're ready.
Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter Recipe FAQ
Can I use fresh peas instead of frozen?
Yes, but the cooking time will change. Fresh peas need about three to four minutes in the pan, depending on how young they are. Frozen peas in garlic butter is genuinely the easier route, since frozen peas are picked and blanched at peak sweetness, while fresh peas can sometimes be starchy by the time they reach the supermarket.
Do I need to defrost frozen peas before cooking?
No, and you really shouldn't. Defrosted peas turn watery and mushy when they hit the pan. Adding them straight from the freezer keeps the texture firm and lets the splash of water in the skillet steam them through evenly.
What's the best way to cook frozen peas?
A skillet on the hob with butter and garlic is, in my view, the best way to cook frozen peas. Boiling them washes out flavour and leaves them watery. Pan-frying gives you frozen peas in garlic butter that are coated, glossy, and properly seasoned, and the whole thing takes under ten minutes from start to finish.
How do I make frozen peas taste good?
Butter, garlic, salt, and a hot pan. That's the formula behind any good buttered peas recipe. Most people boil frozen peas in plain water, which leaves them bland and waterlogged. Cooking them with proper seasoning turns them into something you actually want seconds of, rather than a sad heap on the side of the plate.
Why are my peas turning grey?
Overcooking is the usual cause. Frozen peas only need five to six minutes in a hot, buttery pan. If you cook them for longer, the chlorophyll breaks down and they lose that vibrant green colour. Keep the heat moderate, stir gently, and pull the pan off as soon as the peas are hot through and tender.
Frozen Peas in Garlic Butter Recipe
Frozen peas in garlic butter is a quick, buttery side dish ready in just 10 minutes. Tender garden peas are pan-fried in fresh garlic and unsalted butter for a simple, flavourful side that works alongside almost any main. A foolproof recipe that uses five everyday ingredients and one skillet.
Ingredients
- 50–70 g unsalted butter (3.5–5 tbsp)
- 3–4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 500 g frozen peas, garden peas (1 lb / about 4 cups)
- 1–2 tablespoon water
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter until it's just foaming. Add the finely chopped or grated garlic and sauté for one to two minutes, stirring now and then, until pale gold and fragrant. Keep the heat moderate so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Tip the frozen peas straight from the bag into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, then add a splash of water to help the peas steam through gently.
- Stir everything together until the peas are coated in the garlicky butter. Cook for five to six minutes over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until the peas are hot through and tender but still bright green.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve straight from the pan as a side dish.
