Green beans cooked in a rich broth full of smokey bacon, savory onions, and aromatic garlic make these Fresh Green Beans with Bacon exceptionally flavorful. With easy prep-ahead instructions, they make the perfect side dish to serve at your next holiday dinner or weeknight meal!
This fresh green beans with bacon recipe is served as a classic side dish on all the holiday menus, including Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinner. For a weeknight dinner we serve these Green Beans Almondine (made in a large skillet with lemon juice and almonds), but this recipe is our go-to for special occasions.
It all started when my dad's sister, Aunt Cindy, shared the recipe with my husband's sister, Cheri. Now it is a whole family favorite that Cheri brings for every holiday dinner table. I just love when family traditions make their way from one side of the family to the other.
I also like to make this for our Family Football Sundays when I am smoking ribs or brisket. They remind me of a southern green beans you get at your local BBQ joint, but they also pair well with grilled chicken or pork tenderloin.
🥇 Why they're great!
- They are perfect for prepping ahead which makes them perfect for serving a crowd. You get to do 90% of the work ahead, leaving plenty of time for cooking all the other recipes you are making.
- They are delicious. I know that seems obvious, but they really are a delicious, flavorful side dish. Green beans cooked in a rich broth of crispy bacon, sweet bits of sauteed onion, and savory garlic. Is there a better way to eat vegetables? 😉
- They are not a traditional green bean casserole covered in soup and topped with fried onions. Now don’t get me wrong- I actually like those. But these are different, and that is a good thing.
🥓 Ingredients
Green beans: Bright green, fresh green beans, either regular or french-style, work in this recipe. However, the skinner French green beans will need less time to cook.
Bacon: Any bacon will do, but thick-sliced, smokey, salty bacon is best. The smokier the better because it helps flavor the broth.
Onions: Diced sweet onion or yellow onion is preferred but white onion will also work.
Garlic: Minced garlic and lots of it add that punch of flavor that can’t be substituted.
Salt & Pepper: Use whatever you have on hand, but kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ups the flavor a bit more.
🔪 How to cook fresh green beans with bacon
This is a super easy recipe. No need for sautéed green beans, an ice bath, or a complicated cooking process. Yay!
The beginning of this recipe starts as all good recipes should...by cooking chopped bacon over medium heat in a large pot until it is almost crispy. It is probably better for our health if we don’t start every recipe this way, but oh how I wish we could! 😋
The important point here is if you go too far with the bacon it will burn when you add the onion, but if you don’t let it cook long enough the bacon won’t ever get crispy. Just to be safe you can cook the bacon until crispy, and remove it to a paper towel with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
Since that requires more dishes, I prefer to leave the bacon in the pan until just before it's fully crispy , and then add in the chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper for about 5 minutes until soft. If you choose to remove the cooked bacon before cooking the onions and garlic, be sure to put it back in the pot before moving on to the next part.
Next, add in the green beans and water and stir. Bring it to a boil with the lid on. As soon as it begins to boil, immediately turn off the burner (without opening the lid) and allow the beans to steam for at least 10 minutes. Once you have tender green beans, give them a good stir and keep them warm until it is time to serve.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
When making fresh green beans for a crowd, the first step is to decide how many recipes to make. 1 pound of green beans serves 6 people. If it is a holiday meal with lots of other sides, it will probably serve 8.
Next, choose an appropriately sized pot. For two or more recipes, you'll need a very large pot to have room to mix it all together. A little too big is better than too small.
No matter how many you're serving, the easiest way to serve these to a crowd is to prep the ingredients ahead. Read below in the FAQ section for two different prep ahead options.
For a peak into how we do it, my SIL has developed a tried and true technique for timing 6-10 pounds of green beans to be ready just in time for dinner. She cooks the bacon and onions the day before. Then, when the scalloped or sweet potatoes go into the oven, she pops the pot on the stove and adds the water. She brings them to a boil and steams them as directed, then just leaves them covered off the heat until the rest of dinner is ready. The whole process takes about 45 - 60 minutes since it is such a large amount.
🙋 Questions and Answers
1 pound of green beans will serve 6 people. If you are serving a lot of food (i.e. Thanksgiving), 1 pound can be stretched to serve 8 people.
Fresh green beans only need the "stem" end trimmed, which is the end that was attached to the green bean plant. The fastest way to trim them is to grab a pile, line them up with all the stem ends facing the same direction, and give them a quick chop with a sharp knife.
For best results, these green beans with bacon work best with fresh green beans. If you are looking for green bean recipes that uses frozen green beans try these lemony green beans with almonds.
This depends on the method of cooking. In this case, they need to boil for at least 10 minutes, or until tender.
YES! There are two ways this can be done.
1) Trim the green beans, slice the bacon, dice the onion, and mince the garlic up to 3 days ahead. Store each component separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Proceed with the recipe as follows when you are ready to cook.
2) After prepping all the ingredients, cook the bacon and then the onion/garlic mixture until the onions are soft. Turn off the burner and allow the pan to come to room temperature. Add in the green beans right on top of the bacon mixture. Store in the refrigerator with the lid on overnight. When it is time to cook proceed with the directions as written.
📖 More delicious recipes
- 🦃 You just need 4 ingredients to make this easy turkey breast brine. If you're on team ham, try making your ham in a roaster and adding this amazing Pineapple Ham Glaze.
- 🥔 anyone? Either this Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe or this Loaded Baked Potato Casserole will fit the bill perfectly.
- 🌽 This pan roasted corn recipe transforms frozen corn into caramelized goodness!
- 🥖 These Rhodes Dinner Rolls or this Herby Pull Apart Bread are both ultra-impressive without the need to make homemade bread dough.
- 🥧 Maple pecan pie... Creamy Lemon Pie.... Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.... too many good options!
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Really pay attention to the doneness of your bacon before adding in the onion and garlic. If it isn’t cooked enough the bacon will never get crispy, but if it is overcooked the bacon will burn while the onion and garlic are sauteing.
- Don’t over-steam them or they will get mushy. You can always turn the burner back on and steam them a bit more, but once they are overdone there is no going back.
- Always check the green beans for seasoning before serving. Often they need a touch more salt and/or pepper.
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📋 Recipe
Fresh Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 oz bacon thinly sliced
- ¼ medium yellow onion diced, can substitute with sweet or white
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lb fresh green beans trimmed
- 1 cup water plus more if needed
Instructions
- Cook bacon on medium heat until almost crispy, approximately 5-7 minutes.3 oz bacon
- Add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, approximately 5 minutes.¼ medium yellow onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper
- Add green beans and water. The water should come up about ⅓ to ½ way up the green beans. Give everything a good toss. Cover and bring to a boil. You will know it is boiling when lots of steam is escaping from under the lid. Immediately turn off the heat without removing the lid. Allow to steam for 10 minutes.1 lb fresh green beans, 1 cup water
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Notes
- Really pay attention to the doneness of your bacon before adding in the onion and garlic. If it isn’t cooked enough the bacon will never get crispy, but if it is overcooked the bacon will burn while the onion and garlic are sauteing.
- Don’t over-steam them or they will get mushy. You can always turn the burner back on and steam them a bit more but once they are overdone there is no going back.
- Always check the green beans for seasoning before serving. Often they need a touch more salt and/or pepper.
1) Trim the green beans, slice the bacon, dice the onion, and mince the garlic up to 3 days ahead. Store each component separately in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. Proceed with the recipe as follows when you are ready to cook.
2) After prepping all the ingredients, cook the bacon and then the onion/garlic mixture until the onions are soft. Turn off the burner and allow the pan to come to room temperature. Add in the green beans right on top of the bacon, onions, and garlic. Store with the lid on in the refrigerator overnight. When it is time to cook proceed with the directions as written. For A Crowd Read the section in the post for all the tips for serving to a crowd.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Frances L says
I use either red onions that I have sauteed or shallots. Like to use prosciutto or bits of ham. Use sparkling soda water to cook my beans in. It helps retain the beautiful green. If I use ham I use red onions then make some corn cakes to go with it with generous slices of juicy red tomatos.
Janice says
These are super delicious! I like my green beans tender but still a bit crispy, so I made sure not to let them sit in the pan too long before serving.
Danielle says
I LOVE mine crisp-tender! Great minds...or great taste buds.😉