These Green Beans with Bacon make the best easy side dish! It’s made with perfectly crisp-tender green beans that are tossed with aromatic onion and garlic, a couple of simple seasonings, and crispy pieces of bacon.
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If you’ve never had green beans and bacon together, then get ready for your life to change.
These Green Beans with Bacon are the ultimate side dish (and the one way I can get my kids to eat green beans!)
While I love my classic Roasted Green Beans, these green beans are on another level. I mean, crisp-tender fresh green beans, sautéed onion, and garlic, crispy pieces of bacon…does it get any better than that?!
This flavorful, decadent, and super simple side dish can be served with pretty much anything and comes together in just 20 minutes!
Serve it up with Slow Cooker Chicken Breast or Instant Pot Pork Chops with Gravy and Garlic Mashed Potatoes for a meal your family will love!
Ingredients Needed:
- Green Beans: you’ll need 1 pound of fresh green beans for this recipe. You can buy them already prepped or trim them as necessary.
- Bacon: use chopped, thick-cut bacon.
- Aromatics: we’re using very finely diced onion and freshly minced garlic to add so much flavor to the green beans.
- Seasonings: I keep it simple with salt and fresh cracked pepper, but feel free to add in whatever seasonings you like.
How to Make Green Beans with Bacon
This simple side dish takes a total of 20 minutes to make!
- Boil the beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the green beans. Cook until crisp-tender (don’t let them get mushy!).
- Cook the bacon: In a skillet, cook the bacon until browned. Don’t drain the grease! We’ll use it to cook the onion.
- Add the aromatics and seasonings: Add in the onion, cook until the onion is soft and the bacon is crispy, then mix in the garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Combine and serve: Drain the green beans, then add them to the skillet with the bacon. Stir, then taste and re-season if needed, and serve.
FAQs for Green Beans with Bacon
That depends on how crisp or tender you like your green beans, but I recommend anywhere from 5-8 minutes. If you prefer your green beans softer, boil them for closer to 8 minutes. If you prefer them with a little more structure, boil them for closer to 5.
You can, just keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different. To use frozen green beans, simply steam them first, then add them to the skillet with the cooked bacon.
Leftover green beans will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, warm on the stove in a skillet until heated through.
Variations
- Make them cheesy. Finish the green beans off with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan or crumbled feta.
- Play with flavor. Drizzle the green beans with balsamic glaze, sauté them in a splash of soy sauce, add a dash of sesame oil…the possibilities are endless!
- Spice them up. Feel free to play around with seasonings as you like. Kick up the heat with red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, add a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning, taco seasonings, or Italian seasoning, or mix in a dash of your favorite dried herbs.
- Add nuts. Add a handful of slivered almonds to the skillet for a layer of toasty, nutty flavor.
- Make them sweeter. Give your green beans a sweet flavor twist with a drizzle of maple syrup or a scoop of brown sugar.
Serving Suggestions
These green beans with bacon are an incredibly versatile side dish!
Serve them with your favorite soup, pasta, or paired with your favorite protein. I love Baked Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Salmon, or Instant Pot Pork Chops with Gravy!
More Veggie Side Dishes You’ll Love
Green Beans with Bacon
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans (trimmed as necessary)
- 4 slices thick cut bacon (chopped)
- ½ medium onion (finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add green beans and reduce to medium. Boil for 5-8 minutes, until desired tenderness is reached (ideally crisp-tender)
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium until lightly browned.
- Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and the bacon is crispy.
- Add the garlic, salt and some fresh pepper to the bacon.
- Remove green beans from water and add to the bacon in the skillet. Stir until coated. Taste and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Peg says
Our family does this but before adding the beans into the bacon grease and a little cider vinegar and a small amount of water. Heat, stirring, add beans and toss it all together to meld the flavors. We never have left overs.
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s always a good side dish to make! Thanks Peg!
Pamela J Neumann says
I don’t have to try the recipe my family has made this for 6 or 7 decades that I know of. It always was a winner.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Pamela!