My Arkansas green beans are tender, a little bit smoky, and a little bit sweet. These are so delicious, everyone will enjoy eating the vegetables!! After you taste these, you’ll want to put them in your regular dinner rotation for side dishes. This is a classic Southern dish you don’t want to miss out on!
BTW…these are my hubby’s favorite green beans and let me tell you, we eat green beans all the time!
Southern green beans, my all-scratch-made green bean casserole, roasted green beans, and air fryer green beans.
What Are Arkansas Green Beans
These green beans are a classic-style green bean recipe. Southern green beans are loaded with bacon and slowly simmered in broth until they’re meltingly tender. Arkansas green beans are similarly made and also include bacon but they also are seasoned with a bit of soy sauce and brown sugar.
They’re super tender, sweet, savory, and with just the right amount of saltiness.
Arkansas Green Beans Ingredients
- Green Beans: I like to use fresh green beans. If you’d like you can use frozen, thawed, and well-drained, or canned, rinsed, and drained.
- Bacon: I like to use nitrite-free bacon.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, adjust the amount of salt you add.
- Soy Sauce: This adds great depth of flavor and a strong umami taste.
- Garlic Powder: Adds just a hint of garlic to the beans.
- Salt + Black Pepper: Finishes the seasoning perfectly.
- Brown Sugar
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Can You Freeze This? Store this bacon and brown sugar Arkansas green beans in a resealable plastic bag and it can be frozen for 10 months!
- Make-Ahead Tips: Chop all the veggies ahead and place them in the fridge.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
What To Serve With Arkansas Green Beans
I love to serve this with my smothered chicken, crock pot pork chops (smothered in mushroom and onion gravy!), blackened chicken, or my chicken Lazone!
My baked mac and cheese or Chick-Fil-A mac and cheese, KFC coleslaw, and Southern cornbread are also great sides to serve with this Southern feast! Finish things off with my possum pie from Arkansas!
How To Cook Green Beans
In this recipe, the green beans are cooked briefly in boiling water and then immediately shocked in an ice bath to stop the cooking. They then are layered in a baking dish with the other ingredients and baked.
How To Make Arkansas Green Beans
- Boil the green beans then simmer for 4 minutes.
- Drain and then plunge the beans into the ice bath. Drain again.
- Spread the green beans in the prepared baking dish. Toss with salt and pepper.
- Cook the bacon until done, but not crispy.
- Sprinkle the bacon on top of the green beans.
- Mix butter, sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Pour the mixture over green beans. Toss to coat.
- Bake.
See full instructions below.
More Vegetable Side Dishes
- Hoppin John
- Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Brown Sugar Carrots
- Sauteed Asparagus
- Roasted Garlic Asparagus With Feta
Arkansas Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 11X17 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare an ice bath by placing 2 cups of ice cubes in a large mixing bowl then add water to cover; set aside.
- Add the green beans (1 1/2 pounds) to a large pot and cover with water then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Immediately drain then plunge the beans into the ice bath. Drain again.
- Spread the drained beans in the prepared baking dish. Toss with salt (1/2 teaspoon) and pepper (1/4 teaspoon).
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon (6 slices) until done, but not crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and let sit until the excess grease is absorbed. Sprinkle the bacon over the green beans.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together melted butter (1/4 cup), brown sugar (1/4 cup), soy sauce (1 tablespoon), and garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon). Pour mixture over green beans and toss to coat.
- Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.
Loved these beans.
Enjoy, Marilyn! 🙂
We doubled the bacon (just because) and we loved it!
So happy to hear that, Jody! These beans are truly special!
I think this green bean dish is fabulous. I live deep in the south and traditional green bean casserole is not my thing. This recipe rocks. Thanks for the inspiration.
Velva
Wow, thank you so much, Velva!
Thanks Velva! I just subscribed to your second blog!