Bacon With Green Beans
Published Mar 04, 2025
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Sizzling fresh green beans with crispy bacon make this side dish truly special. You’ll love every bit of this Bacon With Green Beans recipe.
This is a great side dish for everyday dinner or a holiday meal. Phenomenally good!
My older girls are obsessed with this green beans recipe. And they are not even green bean lovers. That says a lot!
In fact, I’m convinced that bacon makes every veggie better. Don’t like brussels sprouts? Try my Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts With Bacon, and you’ll be hooked!
This recipe has me considering adding green beans to my garden this year. It is the perfect side dish!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Green Beans With Bacon💜
- Precious’ Quick Tips
- Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Green Beans With Bacon
- Step 1: Blanch Green Beans
- Step 2: Transfer To Ice Water
- Step 3: Crisp Up Bacon
- Step 4: Sauté Onions In Pan Drippings
- Step 5: Add Green Beans To Skillet
- Step 6: Add Back Bacon
- Step 7: Taste and Adjust Seasoning
- How To Serve Bacon With Green Beans 🍽️
- Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love💜
- Bacon With Green Beans Recipe
Why You’ll Love Green Beans With Bacon💜
This bacon green beans recipe is now one of my favorite ways to enjoy green beans. It’s right up there with Garlic Butter Green Beans. It will become a favorite recipe of yours, too, for many reasons!
- Taste and texture: The sweetness of the onions, the saltiness and crispiness of the bacon, and the tender green beans are a match made in heaven.
- Short prep time: This easy side dish takes 25 minutes to make from start to finish!
- Family favorite: This is a great way to get the whole family to enjoy string beans. Adding bacon makes a huge difference, converting regular green beans into a flavorful side dish.
- Versatile: This easy side dish works for weeknight dinner or special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner.
Precious’ Quick Tips
- Blanching the green beans gives you a headstart on cooking them so they don’t stay in the skillet for too long. This results in tender green beans with a bright green color.
- Add a little baking soda to the blanching water before blanching the green beans. This helps them retain their vibrant green color.
- Be careful not to oversalt this dish, as the bacon is already quite salty. The green beans only need a tad of salt.
Ingredients Needed
Regular haricot verts and regular bacon, when combined, yield extraordinary results! Here are all the ingredients you need:
- Fresh green beans: I prefer fresh green beans over frozen for this recipe. Frozen green beans can quickly turn mushy due to their time in the freezer.
- Bacon: Regular bacon or low-sodium bacon would work.
- Seasoning: A simple combination of black pepper, chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt takes this over the top!
- Diced onion: The onions add a sweetness that complements the bacon so well.
For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.
Don’t overcook the green beans. If you do, they will lose their color and crunch. Cook them until tender but still with a nice bite.
Substitutions & Variations
- Saucy bacon green greens: Add chicken stock or broth to the pan and let it simmer with the green beans before adding back the bacon.
- Spicy green beans: To give the dish a spicy kick, add a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste when adding the other seasoning.
- Lemon juice: When the green beans are done cooking, squeeze some lemon juice over them for a bright, fresh flavor.
How to Make Green Beans With Bacon
Here are the easy steps for making this delicious side dish.
Step 1: Blanch Green Beans
Boil water in a medium pot, and add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda. Add the green beans and let them boil for five minutes.
Step 2: Transfer To Ice Water
Immediately transfer the green beans to a bowl with ice and cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 3: Crisp Up Bacon
In a large skillet on medium heat, cook chopped bacon until golden brown and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving behind the bacon grease.
Step 4: Sauté Onions In Pan Drippings
Add diced onion to the skillet with the bacon drippings and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add black pepper, chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, and stir to combine.
Step 5: Add Green Beans To Skillet
Drain the green beans from the ice bath and add them to the pan with the onions. Stir well to combine, and let them cook for a few minutes. Season green beans with a pinch of salt.
Step 6: Add Back Bacon
Add the crispy bacon bits back to the pan and stir to combine with the green beans.
Step 7: Taste and Adjust Seasoning
Taste a green bean and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Stir everything well to combine.
And that’s how you make green beans with tons of flavor!
Use a cast iron skillet for even heat and to crisp up the bacon nicely.
How To Serve Bacon With Green Beans 🍽️
- These green beans go well with roasted meats like Herb Roasted Chicken, Perfect Roast Chicken, or Herb Roasted Duck.
- They also pair well with pan seared protein like Pan Seared Boneless Pork Chops, Pan Seared Chicken Tenders, Pan Seared Ribeye Steaks, and Pan Seared Lamb Chops.
- Serve them for a holiday meal alongside Cornbread Without Buttermilk, 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese, and Oven Baked Turkey Wings.
- For starchy sides, serve them with Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make Ahead: Trim and blanch the green beans ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Storage: Store leftover bacon with green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing as it will change the texture of the green beans.
- Reheating: Add the green beans and bacon to a skillet with a little water. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love💜
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Bacon With Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh green beans ends chopped
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda for blanching green beans
- 8 ounces bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of salt I used ⅛ teaspoon
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the quarter teaspoon of baking soda. Add green beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a bowl with water and ice to stop cooking.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon, leaving behind the fat.
- Add diced onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic powder, black pepper and chicken bouillon powder. Stir well to combine.
- Add the blanched green beans to the pot toss to combine. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes so the green beans can absorb the flavors.
- Add the bacon back to the pot and toss to combine. Turn off the heat and serve warm.
Notes
- Blanching the green beans gives you a headstart on cooking them so they don’t stay in the skillet for too long. This results in tender green beans with a bright green color.
- Add a little baking soda to the blanching water before blanching the green beans. This helps them retain their vibrant green color.
- Be careful not to oversalt this dish, as the bacon is already quite salty. The green beans only need a tad of salt.
