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These Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon are the perfect way to cook green beans. Easy to make with diced sauteed onions, hearty beef broth, a touch of cream, and of course, pieces of crisped bacon, these green beans are a show stopper!
This recipe was originally published in December 2016. It has been updated for content and photos.
Braised until tender, these bacon green beans retain just a touch of crispness. Add some crisped bacon, a touch of cream and beef broth, you've got some amazing flavor packed green beans!
Related: Sous Vide Green Beans (Italian style)
Bacon. Is there anything it can't do?? take a somewhat bland vegetable and turn it into an amazing, "I want to eat all of it" kind of dish. Seriously. Who else out there just loves bacon?
These braised Green Beans with Bacon are super simple to make, perfect to bring to a holiday potluck, serve at Thanksgiving dinner, or just eat on a Tuesday afternoon. They are perfection guys. Even if you don't like vegetables, I'm pretty sure you'll convert after trying these!
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Why This Recipe Works
- The bacon is cooked ahead of time so it doesn't get soggy while braising the green beans;
- A touch of cream is used to add richness to the green beans;
- The green beans are braised in a rich beef broth for an extra deep flavor.
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Step By Step Instructions
Cook the bacon until crisp. I typically cook bacon in the oven to avoid the mess and have time to sit down and relax for a few minutes while it cooks. Check out this post on how to cook bacon in the oven by Jessica Gavin to learn how.
When your bacon is done, reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease and add it to a skillet. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
Then add the green beans and cook, covered for about 3-5 minutes (stirring periodically).
Then add the beef broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the cream, bacon, salt and pepper and simmer fr 10-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the green beans are tender.
Expert Tips
- Fresh or frozen green beans can be used. Fresh will have a better flavor, but frozen work great in a pinch as well;
- The bacon is salty, so be careful not to add too much salt;
- Substitute salt pork or pancetta for the bacon if desired. Cook it before hand and add it when you would have added the bacon.
- Stir the green beans periodically when cooking to avoid any possible burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can these green beans with bacon be made ahead of time? This can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Can you use frozen green beans for this recipe? While fresh green beans will have better results, frozen works well too (I actually use frozen all the time for convenience).
- How long will these green beans last? They will last for about 3 days in the fridge.They can be frozen (see below), however tend to become mushy when thawing so I don't recommend freezing them.
- Why are my green beans tough? If beans are too old (i.e. picked past their prime), they can be tough and fibrous. Also, if you do not cook them for the full amount of time, they can be tough.
- Do you need to trim the ends of green beans? I always trim the ends off my green beans. They can be tough and unpleasant.
- Can you freeze these sauteed green beans with bacon? While these green beans can technically be frozen, I don't recommend it as they become very mushy upon thawing and reheating. If you do choose to freeze them, store them in an air safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat.
Make it a Meal
Serve these Bacon Green Beans with some of these amazing dishes to make it a whole meal!
- Chicken Paprika;
- Roast Duck or Roast Goose;
- Honey Baked Ham Recipe;
- Linguine with White Clam Sauce;
- Instant Pot Coq Au Vin.
Favorite Vegetable Recipes
- Parmesan Roasted Asparagus;
- Calabacitas Recipe (Sauteed Squash and Vegetables);
- Oven Fried Squash;
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus;
- Roasted Winter Vegetables.
Did you make these Sauteed Green Beans with bacon? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how they turned out!
Recipe
Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 6 oz. bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 tbsp. bacon grease
- ½ small onion diced
- ½ cup beef broth
- 4 oz. heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the bacon and crumble it in pieces. Fry on the stove or cook in the oven (Learn how to cook bacon in the oven). Reserve 1 tbsp. of bacon grease and add it to a skillet.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat (with the bacon fat) and add the onions. Saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the green beans (fresh or frozen) and cook, covered, about 3-5 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Add the beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the bacon, salt, pepper and cream and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the liquid has cooked off and the green beans are tender.
Expert Tips:
- Fresh or frozen green beans can be used. Fresh will have a better flavor, but frozen work great in a pinch as well;
- The bacon is salty, so be careful not to add too much salt;
- Substitute salt pork or pancetta for the bacon if desired. Cook it before hand and add it when you add the bacon.
- Stir the green beans periodically when cooking to avoid any possible burning.
Nutrition
Natalie
Love green beans but I never paired them with bacon. Which sounds absolutely yummy. This goes on my to try list. I bet my boys will love this too... although they are not fan of greens, but because of the bacon, of course 😉
Danielle
Of course 🙂
Byron Thomas
Green beans - yum. But pairing them with bacon is even yummer!!! 🙂 It's smack-dab in the middle of winter here, so frozen green beans are my go-to for this recipe. To be honest, I prefer frozen because it cuts out the washing and trimming time.
Danielle
I like fresh, but I use frozen all the time too - I'm totally with you on the cleaning!
Ramona
I could have this beans and bacon every day - a great idea for my green beans to make tonight. Thank you so much for sharing and for the inspiration 😉
Danielle
Hope you love them ramona!
Annie @ Annie's Noms
I love green beans and buy them most weeks. Bacon makes everything better, so I am definitely trying these as they look sublime!
Danielle
Hope you love them!
Whitney
Yes!!! The only way to eat green beans is with bacon! That's how my dad always made them too, it tastes delicious!
Danielle
I totally agree!
Joanie
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Danielle
I'm so glad you liked it!
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
That's a great side dish for any supper! Thank you for the recipe. I like how quick and easy it is.
Danielle
You're welcome!
Ashley
My dad just loved this recipe! He said it reminded him of how his mom used to make green beans when he was as a child! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Danielle
I'm so glad he liked it!
layla
Love bacon with vegetables!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
Green beans with bacon and corn souffle are the two favorite sides at my house. I love these! I can eat the whole thing as a meal!
Danielle@wenthere8this
Oooh corn souffle just sounds so delicious!