My Southern style green beans recipe will become a favorite in your house!
Side dishes like this aren’t just for accompanying Easter recipes — this is one of those vegetable sides that goes with every main! These beans come loaded with bacon and a meltingly tender texture. And while yes, they are one of my family’s favorite Easter side dishes, they’re a veggie my kids actually eat, so I cook them year-round!
If you love roasted green beans or sauteed asparagus, you’ll flip over these beans! Serve with creamy Southern macaroni salad, and you’ve got a delicious pairing.
Let’s cook!
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What I Love About This Recipe
Is there anything more lovable than a green thing that your kids don’t scoff at? Dinner winner in my book!
- Kids love these!
- BACON
- Easy to make
- Slow cook flavor without the slow cooker
How To Make Southern Style Green Beans Recipe
Start by rinsing your green beans and letting them dry. Meanwhile, cook your bacon, then add the green beans to the pan until the beans turn bright green.
Slowly add the chicken broth, then the salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer with the lid cracked until the beans are tender.
Serve!
Southern Green Beans Recipe Notes
What could go wrong with such simple, direct steps and easy to find ingredients? Nothing, especially if you go into this recipe armed with knowledge!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some tried and true tips for your ingredients:
- Dry: After rinsing the beans, it’s VERY important to dry them! When you add the beans to the hot bacon grease, you risk reactions like this one if you have excess water. Avoid the danger by drying your beans!
- Onion: Try this recipe with a bit of onion! Chop up 1/2 cup of yellow onion and saute it in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes, with the heat on medium-low, before adding the green beans.
- Fresh is Best: If you heed no other warnings, heed this one: use fresh green beans! You know that I love using convenience foods when the time is right, but this is NOT one of those time. You need the structural integrity of fresh beans to stand up to the long cooking time. Frozen or canned beans would just disintegrate!
Tools to Make
The tools to make this Southern style green beans recipe are very straightforward:
- A colander, for draining your beans
- A pan
- A spoon
That’s it!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
This recipe is one that can sit out for a little while, so if you’re serving it at a party, don’t fear any adverse reactions to letting it rest on a buffet line. But do try to refrigerate it ASAP!
Store your Southern style green beans in the fridge for up to five days.
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! This makes a great freezer meal to have on hand when you need a quick, delicious side dish.
Portion out your green beans and store in the freezer for up to a full year! The lack of dairy or other more perishable ingredients gives these a long shelf life.
To thaw, simply pop your containers in the microwave and hit the “thaw” setting!
Make Ahead Tips
Since these beans have to simmer for at least an hour, they come with make-ahead built right in! Just start these beans an hour before you need them, and they’ll be ready and waiting for you.
Or you can always make them ahead of time and store overnight! Just reheat and serve.
Serving Recommendations
I love serving these Southern style green beans with just about anything! But it’s always fun to build a theme dinner, so let’s go full Southern: make up some smoky, meaty jambalaya and a big ol’ pot of crockpot baked beans to get the good times flowing!
Recipe Variations
There’s one big, delicious variation I love using this recipe for, and that is:
- Green bean casserole! Use these Southern style green beans to spruce up boring old green bean casserole by adding bacon and extra flavor to the mix.
Southern Style Green Beans
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 pounds fresh green beans ends trimmed and snaped in half
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse beans in a colander, then wrap up in a clean dish towel to dry.
- Cook bacon pieces in a large saucepan until crisp. Add green beans to the pan and continue to cook on medium heat, tossing beans well to coat in bacon dripping, until beans turn bright green about 3 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, then the salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer on low, covered with the lid cracked just a bit, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning. Remove to serving platter with a slotted spoon. Top with a splash or so of the cooking liquid and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
More Vegetable Sides Recipes
Want more delicious veggie sides your family might actually eat? Here you go!
- Parmesan Asparagus – CHEESE! Need I say more?
- Cowboy Caviar – Great as a side or a chip dip
- Brown Sugar Carrots – Sweetness on sweetness is the way to go
- Fried Zucchini – Better than fried potatoes!
- Roasted Broccoli – The best way to eat broccoli — crispiness for days!
- Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Feta – Tender asparagus infused with garlic and perfectly coated with feta!
Conclusion
Don’t let your Easter recipes sit in the cupboard all year — crack them out now to get delicious dinner treats like this Southern style green beans recipe! Your family will love this inventive side dish.
What main course did you serve with these beans? Let me know in the comments!
This is the only recipes I use for green beans! Absolutely love it!
Yaaay! Thank you so much, Kim! 🙂
I have always made my green beans like this – but added 1 tablespoon of garlic powder to them. Yum!!!!!!! Only way to make them in CA too.
Hi, Kathi! Yes to garlic powder! Thank you 🙂
Can you remove the bacon after cooking and add it to the finished dish so it stays crisp? thx!!
Hi, Caitlin! Yes, that’s perfect. Thank you!
This is a family favorite. I use whatever broth I have on hand or bullion cubes in a pinch. I also sauté diced onions in the bacon grease.
Hi, Angie! That’s perfect 🙂
Thank you for your positive review!
I bought fresh green beans for the first time and wasn’t sure how to make them. Your recipe took me right back to my folks house where my Mom made green beans just like these! Thank you so much for a recipe that is easy to follow and brings back sweet memories of many days gone by!
Oh, Shari, you’ve made my day! I love when my recipes remind you of Mama’s cooking. I’ve got lots down-home recipes so I hope you find many more you like!!
I grew up on fresh green beans and my mom made the BEST! This is now my go to recipe every time I serve green beans. Absolutely LOVE it!
I’m so happy to hear that, Kimberly! So glad you loved these green beans <3