After developing over a thousand recipes, I’ve discovered a brilliant little secret: simple is almost always better. This 2-ingredient side dish recipe is the perfect example of that. Green beans and bacon. That’s all you need, really.
Bacon makes everything better, right? In this case it adds a deep salty, smoky flavor to your green beans and also provides the fat to sauté them! Multitasking to the max.
You’ll be so glad you have this recipe in your back pocket whether you need an easy side for burgers or you're trying to get your kids to eat something green or you need a no-fuss side for Thanksgiving. It’s got your back.
You'll love this Fried Green Beans Recipe
You've probably noticed fried green beans or fried string beans in the grocery store -- packaged as a crunchy snack.
This recipe isn't about deep frying green beans to the point of making them unrecognizable. (Although commercially fried green beans are pretty tasty. I admit.)
I'm talking about pan-fried green beans here.
Green Beans and Bacon Recipe Ingredients
- Green beans: Fresh, please! You can get the pre-trimmed ones at the grocery store to save you some prep time.
- Bacon: Whatever kind of pork bacon you prefer works well here. I don’t recommend using turkey bacon since it doesn’t render enough fat to cook the beans.
How to Make Fresh Green Beans With Bacon
- Slice the bacon into ½-inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon reaches your desired crispness. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Drain all but 2-3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Bring the remaining drippings up to medium heat again and add the trimmed and halved green beans. Toss the green beans around occasionally as they cook, 12-15 minutes or until they're crisp-tender and have golden brown spots.
- Stir the bacon back into the green beans, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Fried Green Beans Recipe Variations and Substitutions
You could swap out the green beans for Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, cubed sweet potatoes, cabbage, or cauliflower.
Can I use Frozen Green Beans in this Green Beans With Bacon Recipe?
Yes, you can. You can put them into the pan while they’re still frozen, this will result in a slightly longer cooking time. Be careful not to over cook them and turn them to mush!
Green Beans and Bacon Recipe Serving Suggestions
This would make a great side dish for your Thanksgiving, served alongside Smoked Chicken Breasts or Instant Pot Corned Beef.
How to Store Fresh Green Beans With Bacon
How to reheat Pan Fried Green Beans
I'd recommend throwing them back into a skillet.
They should still have enough cooking fat on them that you don't need to add anymore. Just heat them gently until they're barely reheated. If you cook them too long the green beans won't be so green anymore.
And they'll be mushy.
Green Beans With Bacon Recipe FAQs
I suggest cooking the bacon first and removing it from the pan as the beans and bacon have slightly different cooking time.
For this recipe, no. It's not needed. They cook quickly enough that you don't need to do any prep work besides trimming and halving them. I love an easy recipe!
The Most Magical Sauteed Green Beans -- This recipe only has a few ingredients, too, and my kids love these, too! (They're particular about green beans.)
I mean, it's hard to imagine green beans more magical than ones that have bacon. It might be a toss up. They're that good.
By the way, my Bacon Fried Green Beans would be a great Thanksgiving side dish because once you get the bacon cooked (which you can do ahead of time), it takes just a few minutes to fry up the green beans!
More Recipes on Perry's Plate
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Bacon and Green Beans
Never heard of Bacon-Fried Green Beans? It's the ONLY way to eat green beans, really. Just TWO ingredients (I'll let you guess which two), a hot skillet and you're set!
Ingredients
- 6-7 slices thick-cut, nitrate-free bacon
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
Instructions
- Slice the bacon into ½-inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon reaches your desired crispness. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Drain all but 2-3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Bring the remaining drippings up to medium heat again and add the green beans. Toss the green beans around occasionally as they cook, 12-15 minutes or until they're crisp tender and have golden brown spots.
- Stir the bacon back into the green beans and transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
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