Make these Green Beans with Bacon when you need an easy side dish that’s impressive. In twenty minutes you can have fresh green beans with crispy bacon and garlic. It pairs great with almost any side dish and is the perfect quick and easy recipe for the holidays.

Green Beans with Bacon in stovetop skillet using wood spoon to toss

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Green beans with bacon — the combination that everyone looks forward too. Is bacon neccesarilly the healthiest option? Probably not. But green beans are vegetables, so it balances out! That’s how it works, right? Regardless, this delicious recipe is loaded with flavor and cooks the green beans to perfection.

Basically, if you want bacon wrapped green beans but you don’t have to time to make each little bundle, then turn to this recipe! With simple ingredients and easy to follow steps, you can make a classic side that is always a crowd hit.

Pair it with some pork schnitzel and you’ve got a stellar dinner!

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Why You’ll Love Green Beans with Bacon

You only need 5 ingredients to make easy garlic green beans with bacon. This is a simple recipe is the perfect side dish that you can put together with minimal effort and maximum flavor!
Green beans with bacon are a classic southern side dish that are great for any meal, from holiday dinners to quick weeknight dinners.
It only takes 20 minutes to make this recipe. You’ll have a delicious and flavor side dish in no time, great for quick meals on a busy day or a holiday meal.

Overhead Image of Green Beans with Bacon Ingredients

Ingredients for Green Beans with Bacon Recipe

Green beans – For best results, buy some fresh green beans, wash them well and trim the ends.
Bacon – I love to use thick cut bacon so that even after it cooks down, the bacon bits are still chunky.
Garlic – For the best flavor, mince your own fresh garlic. But you can also use minced garlic from a jar.
Salt and pepper – The bacon and garlic provides so much flavor that the only seasonings you need for these green beans are salt and pepper.

Helpful Tools

Large skillet
Slotted spoon
Paper towels
Plate
Spoon

Uncooked bacon pieces in stovetop skillet for Green Beans with Bacon recipe

Cooked and crispy bacon in skillet for Green Beans with Bacon recipe

How to Make Green Beans with Bacon

In a large skillet, heat chopped bacon over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy.
Then remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and place it onto a paper towel lined plate to collect excess grease.
Discard most of the bacon drippings in the skillet, but keep about two tablespoons in it. You will cook the green beans in bacon fat in the next step.
Add the washed and cut green beans to the large skillet with bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Stir the beans occasionally and cook for about 8 minutes.
Then add the minced garlic and reserved bacon bits to the cooked green beans, and toss together, cooking for one more minute.
Serve immediately!

Fresh green beans with ends snipped in skillet for Green Beans with Bacon recipe

Adding cooked bacon, garlic, and seasonings to green beans in skillet for Green Beans with Bacon recipe

How to Store Leftover Green Beans with Bacon

FRIDGE: Place leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

FREEZER: While I find that these southern green beans with bacon store best in the fridge, you can also freeze them. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw completely before reheating.

How to Reheat Leftovers

To reheat, place into microwave and heat until warmed through. You can also place the beans back into a hot skillet to reheat them!

What to Serve with Green Beans with Bacon Recipe

You can serve many of your favorite main dishes with a tasty side dish of garlic green beans with bacon. We love making air fryer pork chops or parmesan crusted pork chops since they complement the bacon so well.

But this easy recipe can be good with these delicious recipes like tilapia and cajun chicken pasta. You can make a fancy meal like shrimp pasta, or something super easy like chicken cordon bleu casserole.

Add a heaping serving of these yummy veggies to your easy dinner of air fryer steak bites or even cheeseburger casserole. These classic green beans are even a hit at cookouts with a big juicy burger! Pair them with anything because they’re super tasty and have a flavor that will go well with a lot of different foods.

Do I need to blanch green beans before sautéing them?

It is not necessary to blanch fresh green beans before using them in this green beans with bacon recipe. You can if you would like though! Some people say that the texture of the green beans turns out better when they are blanched, but it’s really just personal preference and you do not have to add on the extra step.

Can I use canned green beans?

While fresh green beans produce the best results in this recipe, you can use canned if your prefer. However, canned beans will not need to sauté as long as fresh. So adjust the cooking time accordingly and make sure you do not overcook the green beans.

Pro Tips

While the bacon grease should be plenty of fat/oil to sauté green beans in, you can add a bit of butter if you are finding the beans to be a bit too dry.
Don’t sauté on too high of heat or you will burn the green beans. A medium heat will do the trick!
Make sure to chop the bacon in small enough pieces that they will easily distribute throughout the green beans.

Bacon Green Beans being tossed with wooden spoon in stovetop skillet

This simple side dish finishes off your holiday dinner. It’s safe to say these flavorful garlic green beans with bacon are going to be a new favorite for sure!

With just a handful of ingredients and really easy steps, you can have a hearty vegetable side dish at the drop of a hat! Mix up your traditional Green Bean Casserole with this easy side dish.

More Side Dishes You Will Love

Glazed Carrots are a quick and easy veggie to add to any meal. This is one of favorite ways to eat carrots at our house, and I think you’ll love them too!
Looking for a sweet side dish to pair with a savory meal? This Ambrosia Salad is just perfect!
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob is an incredibly easy way to make this classic side dish.
Add an extra item to your Taco Tuesday menu with this yummy Spanish Rice.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

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Green Beans with Bacon

Quick and easy Green Beans with bacon are a side dish quick enough for a weeknight meal and impressive enough for a holiday meal.

Prep:5

Cook:15

Total:20

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Ingredients

▢ 2 pounds green beans washed, ends trimmed
▢ 6 slices bacon chopped
▢ 1 clove garlic minced
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat cook chopped bacon until crispy.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
Discard bacon drippings except about 2 Tablespoon in a skillet.
Add green beans to the skillet with bacon grease and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Add garlic and reserved bits, toss and cook for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Tips

RIDGE: Place leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To reheat, place into microwave and heat until warmed through. You can also place the beans back into a hot skillet to reheat them!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 35kcal (2%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g (1%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 7mg, Potassium: 239mg (7%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 782IU (16%), Vitamin C: 14mg (17%), Calcium: 42mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.