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green beans with bacon on a serving plate
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Green Beans With Bacon

Green beans with bacon are crisp-tender, garlicky, and loaded with smoky bacon flavor. This easy skillet side dish is ready in just 25 minutes!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword easy side dishes, green beans recipes, vegetable side dishes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 281kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound bacon chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • 1 pound green beans trimmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Wash, trim, and drain the green beans (1 pound). Lay the beans out in a single layer on clean dish towels then roll it up. Allow the beans to dry while you cook the onions.
    Step 1 how to make green beans with bacon, Wash and dry the green beans
  • In a large, high-sided skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, until it begins to release about 1 tablespoon or more of fat.
    Step 2 how to make green beans with bacon, Cook the bacon on the skillet.
  • Add the onion (1/2 cup) to the skillet with bacon (1/2 pound) and cook until the bacon is crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer bacon and onion to a small bowl, leaving bacon fat in the skillet.
    Step 3 how to make green beans with bacon, Add the onions.
  • Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat, leaving in the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add dried beans. Sauté, using tongs to flip the beans, and season with salt (1/4 teaspoon) and pepper (1/4 teaspoon), until tender about 5-7 minutes.
    Step 5 how to make green beans with bacon, Saute the green beans.
  • Add the bacon and onion back to the skillet. Serve.
    Step 6 how to make green beans with bacon, Add the bacon back to the skillet.

Notes

  1. Dry the beans. After washing, dry them really well with a clean kitchen towel (or paper towels). Dry beans sauté — wet beans steam.
  2. Start with snappy beans. Fresh green beans should feel firm and “snap” when you bend them. Skip beans with soft spots, blemishes, or discoloration.
  3. Cook to your preferred tenderness. I like mine al dente with a little bite, but you can sauté a minute or two longer for softer beans.
  4. Turkey bacon works (with one tweak). If you swap in turkey bacon, add a tablespoon of butter or oil to sauté the onions since turkey bacon doesn’t render much fat.
  5. Add almonds for an elegant twist. A sprinkle of sliced or slivered almonds (plus an optional squeeze of lemon) leans into a Green Beans Almondine vibe — so good with steak or roast chicken.
  6. Want to skip the bacon? I get it — add a handful of freshly grated Parmesan at the end for salty, savory depth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 6mg