Green beans with bacon is a flavorful side dish that will pair well with almost any main dish!
A little bacon, garlic, and some green beans are all that is needed for this easy side. Simply season with salt & pepper and enjoy.
A Savory Side Dish
- This is a simple side with just 3 ingredients plus salt & pepper.
- It’s quick and easy to make yet it packs big flavor.
- The beans are fresh and crisp; perfect served warm or chilled in salads.
Ingredients for Green Beans with Bacon
Green beans – For the best results use fresh green beans for this recipe. Give htem a quick rinse and trim the ends. Frozen or canned beans can also be used, but they will not be as crisp as fresh.
Bacon – Uncooked bacon is the best option for this recipe as the little bit of fat adds flavor and is used in place of oil. If you cook batches of bacon in the oven, reserve some of the pan drippings for the beans (and other dishes).
Garlic – Fresh garlic can burn easily so it is added at the end for flavor and just needs a couple of minutes. You can substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder if it’s all you have on hand.
Variations
This side dish is so delicious as is but you can change it up a bit if you’d like.
- Fry a little onion in the bacon grease for a few minutes before adding the beans.
- Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.
- Top with toasted sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or even toasted pine nuts.
- Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or fresh herbs before serving.
How to Cook Green Beans & Bacon
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove it from the pan leaving some of the drippings.
- Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp (as per the recipe below).
- Add the garlic and the bacon and cook for a little more.
Leftovers
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They also freeze well. To reheat simply add to a pan and fry until heated through. They can also be added to this classic green bean casserole.
Great Green Bean Recipes
Did you make these Green Beans with Bacon? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds green beans washed, ends trimmed
- 6 slices raw bacon chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place chopped bacon into a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy.
- Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- Discard all but (approx) 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings.
- Add green beans to pan and cook over medium heat until they are lightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes).
- Add garlic and bacon, toss and cook for 1 minute more.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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that’s what I’m doing to! hope it turns out swell! Go Navy!
Was thinking about what green dish to cook for a dinner we are having on Saturday. Right on time, you sent this out. Presto, this is it. Will get the green beans and bacon when I go to the store today. Thanks for the idea.
John
I can’t wait for you to try it John! Have fun at your dinner on Saturday!
I guess I sound like a dummy asking this… but how do you chop raw bacon? I’ve tried before and it was rather difficult. Any tips would be helpful!
It sure can be tricky! A quick tip I learned is to pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping. I hope this helps!
My husband loved this. Did partially cook onions first then mushrooms then beans.
Threw in 1 T granule chicken stock which acted like salt.
Cooked for a while then covered.
Delicious !!
Oh, the lemon juice on top added the top of the taste pallet.
I didn’t know lemon juice could make dishes so delicious taking
it from a 4 to a 5.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it Carol!
This was delicious. The only change I made was to blanch and dry the green beans, which helped them get done faster on a hot skillet. Thank you!
Great tip Sarah!
Very good! I only had room in my pan for 1# of green beans because I chose the wrong pan, but it was so easy and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Thanks Deanna, glad you loved it!
I’m adding crushed pistachios and diced green onions.
Sounds delicious, thank you for sharing!
The beginning talks about garlic but it’s not listed in the ingredients. Are you supposed to put garlic in it?
I apologize for the confusion, I’ve updated my recipe system and this one was pulling an older version of the recipe. I’ve updated it.
This is also delicious done on the grill.
Oooohhh, that WOULD be yummy!! Great idea!
Gave it a try with lemon and mushrooms. AWESOME
Sounds delicious to me Karnett!
I had never tried this one with bacon. But, it sounds to me, I love green beans recipe. Can’t wait to prepared this one. Thanks, for sharing this recipe with us.
Enjoy! :)
Will canned green beans work for this recipe?
You can use canned or frozen green beans in this recipe but I strongly suggest fresh for the very best flavor and texture.
Is the lemon just for extra flavor…I am asking because I have a family member allergic to citrus fruits….
Yes, it’s for flavor and could definitely be skipped.
I also put in fresh mushrooms and garlic.. yummy ..
Do you cook the greenbeans first?
No, just in the frying pan. This keeps them tender crisp!
This recipe gets twice as awesome if you add some chopped sweet onion and some red and yellow sweet peppers to it.
That is our favorite way to enjoy green beans …. we add some crumbled Feta sprinkled over before serving …. puts us ‘over the top’ on the “enjoyment” meter.
Oh that sounds so delicious!! I’m going to try that next time I make it!