Green Beans with Bacon: a family-table method

Green beans with bacon in a skillet, topped with parsley.

These green beans with bacon are fresh string beans cooked until tender, then topped with plenty of crunchy bacon. An straightforward and elegant side dish that’s reliable for a holiday meal or an straightforward weeknight dinner.

Green beans are one of my go-to vegetables. You can enjoy fried green beans as a party snack or you can enjoy a chicken and green beans stir-fry for dinner. Also, they always make for a tasty side dish. This bacon and green beans side dish recipe can be prepared in just minutes, and is always a big hit.

My family is not a huge fan of green bean casserole, so when I’m planning my holiday menus, I often make these greens with bacon. The combination of freshly sauteed beans and crunchy smoked bacon just cannot be beat!

These green beans are memorable to make with Thanksgiving recipes like herb roasted turkey, a Thanksgiving charcuterie board and candied yams.

Green Beans With Bacon Ingredients

To make these savory green beans with bacon you will need bacon, onion, green beans, parsley, salt and pepper.

How Do You Make Green Beans With Bacon?

This recipe starts with bacon, which is cooked on the stove top. When the bacon is nice and crunchy, take it out of the pan leaving only a little of the bacon fat. That bit of bacon fat will give memorable flavor to the chopped onions that go into the pan. Cook up those onions for a few minutes until they are translucent. Put your green beans into the pan with the onions and they will absorb the savory flavor. Add a little salt and pepper and cook the beans until tender. Sprinkle the crunchy bacon on top along with some parsley, and the beans are ready to serve.

Cooked bacon and sauteed onions in a skillet.

Tips To Make The Reliable Dish

I typically make this dish with whole beans, but you can also cut your beans into 1 inch pieces if you prefer.
You can use regular green beans, or for an elegant dish try using small French haricot vert. You can also use wax beans or Romano beans with similar results.
Feel free to add any herbs you like on top for extra flavor. I like to sprinkle on a little parsley, but other great options include chives, basil or thyme.

Quick Tip

Use kitchen shears for a quick and straightforward way to cut up the raw bacon into small pieces.

Cooked green beans tossed with diced onion.

Recipe FAQs

How do you prepare fresh green beans?

To get your green beans ready for this recipe, all you need to do is give them a good wash, then trim off the stem end. The fastest way to trim off the stem end is to line up a handful of green beans, then cut the stems off all at once. It makes prep time go a lot faster.

What is the finest flavor to add to green beans?

I prefer the flavor of savory herbs and bacon for richness. I also like the flavor of ranch and bacon with my green beans like in my bacon ranch green beans. Vinegar goes well with green beans which is why they are so good in three bean salad and green bean salad.

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Green beans with bacon served alongside turkey and mashed potatoes.

Flavor Variations

This is a basic recipe for pan cooked green beans, but you can add so many different ingredients to customize your green beans to your tastes.

Cheese: Add grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese before serving.
Tomatoes: Stir 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes into the finished dish.
Mushrooms: Add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms to the pan when you cook the green beans.
Crunchy Onions: Add 1/2 cup of canned French fried onions on top of the finished dish.
Seasonings: Try adding a sprinkle of garlic powder or dried Italian seasoning while the beans are cooking.

These recipe is a classic way to prepare green beans that are full of savory flavor. The onion and bacon taste great with tender, freshly cooked green beans. These green beans are reliable for holidays and dinner parties but they are straightforward enough to make any time of the year.

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen Green beans with bacon in a skillet, topped with parsley.

These green beans with bacon are fresh string beans cooked until tender, then topped with plenty of crunchy bacon. An straightforward and elegant side dish that's reliable for a holiday meal or an straightforward weeknight dinner. Time Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients

8 ounces bacon finely diced
1/2 cup onion finely diced
2 pounds green beans trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until bacon is crunchy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.
Pour off excess fat from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat remaining in the pan.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
Add the green beans to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of water. Season the green beans with salt and pepper.
Cook the beans, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the reserved bacon and parsley over the top of the green beans, then serve.

Notes

I typically make this dish with whole beans, but you can also cut your beans into 1 inch pieces if you prefer.
Use kitchen shears for a quick and straightforward way to cut up the raw bacon into small pieces.
You can use regular green beans, or for an elegant dish try using small French haricot vert. You can also use wax beans or Romano beans with similar results.