Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas

If you’re in the market for a wildly quick and easy, goes-with-anything side dish that comes together in under five minutes, the answer is snap peas. Sautéed in a fiery skillet with a glug of olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon, they make for a light and vibrant side with a tender, snappy bite and bright flavor.

The beauty of preparing sugar snap peas is that they don’t need a whole lot of effort or time — they hit your plate in under five minutes.

1. Sauté the snap peas in a hot skillet with just a little bit of olive oil until they’re vibrant green and crisp-tender.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice after removing the skillet from the heat.
3. Serve.

Prime season for sugar snap peas is April through August, which is when you’re most likely to find them at the farmers market. However, they’re widely available at the grocery store (both bagged and loose), year-round.

Look for snap peas with a smooth, plump surface and vibrant green color, and avoid any that are soft, bruised, or browning, which are signs of spoilage. Remember that bigger isn’t always better, and this is true when it comes to snap peas. Try to avoid any that are much longer than two inches, as they tend to be tougher than their shorter counterparts.

Yes! The skin on sugar snap peas is crisp and totally edible.

If you purchased loose snap peas from the farmers market or grocery store, chances are they’re not trimmed, so you may want to remove the stem and pull the string off the side, both of which can be tough. 

Sautéed sugar snap peas are a light, fresh side that brighten everything else on the plate. Here are some of our favorite dinners to serve them with.

• Honey-Glazed Salmon
• Rebekah Peppler’s Mayo Roast Chicken
• Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Sauce
• Air Fryer Scallops
• Tender Grilled Chicken Kebabs