Green Beans and Bacon Recipe
Green beans and bacon are the perfect side dish for everyday dinners, yet good enough for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The savory green beans mixed with crispy, smoky bacon, flavorful onions, and a dash of butter create a traditional and favorite Southern dish. The green beans and bacon recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish and can be doubled easily for a crowd.
Growing up in a Southern family, I learned this simple green bean dish from my mom–proof that the best recipes often need just a few ingredients.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 20 minutes | 10 | Beginner + |
Watch How It’s Made
Julie’s Ingredient Notes
For this recipe, I used canned green beans because they save time when you’re cooking a lot of dishes. You can use fresh or frozen green beans, but you’ll need to cook them before taking these steps.
Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions is listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
How To Make Green Beans with Bacon
Start by adding diced bacon to the saucepan and cook for a few minutes. I used a saucepan that was large enough to accommodate my green beans in a few minutes, so I didn’t have to clean two pans.
After the bacon cooks for a few minutes, add the diced onion. Cook both until the bacon is crispy and the onions are translucent. Cooking the onions in the bacon grease will help the onions hold onto that flavor, which gives it a lot of flavor.
Once the onions and bacon are cooked, place them on a paper towel to soak up some of the grease. Drain the grease from the pan.
Cooking Green Beans
Next, add the green beans to the saucepan and add the butter, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes to heat everything up. Make sure you drain the juice off the green beans before adding them to the saucepan.
Finally, add the bacon and onions back into the saucepan and cook until heated through. Once the green beans are hot, pour them into a casserole dish and serve.
Storage, Substitutions, And Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to three days. To reheat, add the green beans to the stovetop, add a splash of chicken broth or a pat of butter, and heat on medium for about 10 minutes or until they are hot. Or, add to a microwave-safe dish and heat for about two minutes.
You can add a little variety to the dish by adding turkey bacon, smoked sausage, pancetta, or prosciutto. Add some mushrooms or crispy fried onions for a little bit of crunch. Toasted nuts are always a great addition to green bean casserole. Try adding some minced garlic for extra savory flavor.
More Tasty Green Bean Recipes
- Crock Pot green beans and ham hock are a true Southern dish that can cook all day to get those traditional flavors.
- If you have leftover ham from the holidays, you can slow-cook green beans and ham for a side or main dish.
- If you’re in a rush, you can prep this family-style creamy green bean casserole in just five minutes.
- Add some flair to your side dish with cheesy green bean casserole topped with plenty of cheese and crispy fried onions.
Green Beans and Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 – 14.5 oz. cans of cut green beans drained
- 8 strips of bacon diced
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add the bacon and onions to a saucepan. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the onions are translucent.
- Remove the bacon and onions and place onto a paper towel. Drain the grease from the pan.
- Add the drained green beans, butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the saucepan. Place the burner on medium heat. Mix well.
- Add the bacon and onions back to the saucepan and cook until hot.
- Pour into a casserole dish and serve.
Mmmm! Green beans and bacon are a match made in side dish heaven!
Thanks, Carlee!
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, 511. We will be live for our special Thanksgiving Edition on Tuesday this week, be sure and stop by! Hope you have a very special Thanksgiving!
Miz Helen
This dish looks good, but it would be even better if the green beans were fresh so they would be crisp when served, not mushy like when they come from a can
Thank you. You can definitely use fresh green beans if you’d like to.
Just the right side dish for my slow cooker herb and garlic pork tenderloin. Used turkey bacon to make it a bit healthier for my family- all were happy 😊