My Southern style green beans are meltingly tender, butter, and deliciously smoky! These are vegetables your whole family will ask for. I predict they’ll quickly become a favorite in your house and in your regular dinner rotation!
If you’re from the South, I can almost bet your grandma made green beans just like these. My grandma used to serve these on almost every Sunday supper, right after church. This recipe is pure Southern goodness that will take you back right back to your grandma’s kitchen!
If you love green beans you’ll love my sweet and smoky Arkansas green beans, roasted green beans, green bean casserole, and, or my super easy air fryer green beans!
What I Love About This Southern Style Green Beans
Is there anything more wonderful 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
Southern Green Beans Ingredients
- Bacon: I use nitrite and nitrate-free bacon. It’s a little more expensive but I think it’s worth it for the health benefits.
- Green Beans: This recipe is best made with fresh green beans. Trim them and cut in half or in thirds depending on the length of the beans.
- Chicken Broth: I like to use low-sodium broth so I can control the salt in the overall dish.
- Salt + Black Pepper: The perfect simple seasoning to finish off these beans!
Tips
- 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 with a clean kitchen towel! Please!!
- Onion: Try this recipe with a bit of onion! Chop up 1/2 cup of yellow onion and sauté it in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes, with the heat on medium-low, before adding the green beans.
- Fresh is Best: Use fresh green beans! You know that I love using convenience foods when the time is right, but this is NOT one of those times. You need the structural integrity of fresh beans to stand up to the long cooking time. Frozen or canned beans would just disintegrate!
Tools You’ll Need
The tools to make this country style green beans recipe are very straightforward:
- A colander, for draining your beans.
- A clean kitchen towel.
- A large pan.
- A spoon.
Storing + Freezing +Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? These Southern style green beans with bacon will last in the fridge for 4 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 them in the freezer for up to 2 months. The lack of dairy or other more perishable ingredients gives these southern green beans 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 them overnight! Just reheat and serve.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Serving Recommendations
I love serving these Southern style green beans with bacon grease with just about anything! But they’re awesome with more Southern classics.
Try my smothered chicken, crockpot pork chops smothered in mushroom onion gravy, chicken lazone, blackened chicken, jambalaya, or my baked mac and cheese.
My grandma always had biscuits on the table for every Sunday dinner! Try my super quick and easy Bisquick biscuits!
More Really Delicious Vegetable Recipe!
- Broccoli Salad
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Roasted Broccoli
- Simple Roasted Peppers
- Roasted Garlic Asparagus With Feta
- Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Carrot Salad
- Fajita Veggies
- Fried Cabbage And Bacon
- Southern Collard Greens
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Craving more delicious recipes?
I hope you’ll join our cooking family! Subscribe to Gonna Want Seconds and receive all our latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Absolutely free to you and we never share your email address.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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 (4 slices) in a large saucepan until crisp. Add green beans (2 pounds) 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 (2 cups), then the salt (1/2 teaspoon) and pepper (1/2 teaspoon), 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:
Notes
- 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 with a clean kitchen towel! Please!!
- Onion: Try this recipe with a bit of onion! Chop up 1/2 cup of yellow onion and sauté it in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes, with the heat on medium-low, before adding the green beans.
- Fresh is Best: Use fresh green beans! You know that I love using convenience foods when the time is right, but this is NOT one of those times. You need the structural integrity of fresh beans to stand up to the long cooking time. Frozen or canned beans would just disintegrate!
Teresa says
Hi Kathleen I’m new to your blog but I must say your green beans sure look & sounds great can’t wait to try! I have some fresh canned greens will they work ?
Kathleen says
Hey Teresa. I only use fresh green beans in this recipe 🙂
Laura says
I thought southern style green beans have the addition of some brown sugar? I would eat dinner occasionally at a southern lady’s home and she had the most amazing green beans. She had in them bacon, butter and brown sugar.
Kathleen says
Hey Laura. Well, I’m sure many cooks do include the sugar, this is the way I was taught to make them 🙂
Damian says
I’m allergic to chicken can you substitute beef bullion and water for the chicken broth? Any other suggestions?
Kathleen says
Hi Damian. Yes, beef bouillon would work out really well. You can also use vegetable bouillon 🙂
the1chery says
These were absolutely delicious. But you don’t have to cook them for an hour. I cooked mine for half an hour and they were perfect. Just my two cents. 🙂
Kathleen says
Thanks Chery! I love hearing your two cents! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Tonia says
I am going to try this today for the Mother’s Dinner I’m cooking this afternoon. Thank you for sharing. It looks so good.
Kathleen says
Hi Tonia! Loooove this recipe! Enjoy 🙂
Tricia says
I make my green beans this way but I have been using beef broth or a beef bouillon cube when I don’t have the broth. My daughter’s mil from Roanoke gave me the idea several years ago. Also, when I can’t find fresh I drain the canned beans and use them. They are almost as good as the fresh!
Kathleen says
Hi Trish. Thanks so much for sharing. I’ll have to try out the beef broth!
Jess W says
These remind me of my Mom’s. I can almost hear her saying, “don’t touch my bacon grease!” Everything is better with a lil bacon. Great post!
Kathleen says
Thank you, Jess! I totally agree-everything is better with a little bacon!
Diana says
Thank you for this recipe. My ex mother in law introduced it to me about 20 years ago. I’ve tried to duplicate it from Internet recipes, but somehow none of them are really right. This one is. Thank you.
Kathleen says
Hi Diana! So glad to hear it!
Amy says
I made these this year for Thanksgiving. They were so delicious and so easy to make! Great recipe.
Kathleen says
Thanks so much Amy 🙂
Sara says
How would you make this if you couldn’t get your hands on fresh green beans?
Kathleen says
Hi Sara. Honestly, I only make this with fresh green beans!
Lori says
Just made these and loved them! So tender and full of flavor…sharing with everyone I know! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Kathleen says
Hey Lori.So very glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing my recipe. I really appreciate it!!!
Lisa says
this recipe looks delicious. How many times would I have to double this to make enough for 50 people?
Kathleen says
Hey Lisa. I’d probably make make 8-9 times the recipe.
sunita says
ilike green beans
recipe of green beans so yummy
Kathleen says
Thank you Sunita!
Marigene says
My favorite way to have green beans and I am not even from the south!
Kathleen says
Hi Marigene. This is my all time favorite way to eat green beans, too. I crave these all the time!
Dana says
They sure do look good.I will try this,thanks for the recipe.
Kathleen says
Hey Dana! I sure hope you enjoy!!!
sharon skidmore says
the word you were looking for is shudder, not shutter which is a window covering. FYI only.
Kathleen says
Oh Sharon, thank you. I hate when I do that. The older I get, the more it seems to happen LOL. Going back and correcting it now 😉
Kelly says
Hi, Great recipe foe So. style greenbeans!! If in a hurry try KFC string beans. They ROCK!!!
Kathleen says
Hey Kelly. Good to know!
Joanne says
I could see even the pickiest eaters eating a whole plate of these!!
Kathleen says
Thanks Joanne 🙂
Marianne says
i made a big pot of southern-style Limas today, then I saw this on Facebook. The recipe is almost identical and I had to chuckle at our similar taste in food. I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes and they were all keepers.
Kathleen says
Hey Marianne. Isn’t funny how food can connect us! Your Lima Beans sound delicious!
Penny says
I love Southern style green beans. I love your addition of chicken broth and the way you sauteed them in the bacon fat. Will have to try it Kathleen.
Kathleen says
Hi Penny! Hope you try them and enjoy them as much as we do 😉