If you need an easy and delicious side dish these beautiful green beans are cooked up with crispy bacon and soft onions with just the right amount of spice. They cook up in 20 minutes and add a pop of color and loads of flavor to any meal.
Green beans are a great side dish and can be cooked up in so many delicious ways. Southern style green beans with bacon and onion was a catering favorite. I mean, who doesn’t love crispy bits of bacon with their vegetables. I honestly can’t tell you how many pounds of this recipe I’ve made over the years, and I’ve got some great tips to help you make this recipe at home.
Ingredients
Green Beans- Look for firm beans that are a nice, bright shade of green. Modern varieties of green beans no longer have a tough string down that runs the length of the bean. This makes cleaning very easy since you just need to remove any remaining stem and cut long beans in half.
Yellow Onions- Slightly pungent onion that gets sweeter as it cooks. Overall, the flavor is mild and delicious.
Bacon- Choose a savory style bacon and preferably a thick cut.
Paprika- This will add a mild, sweet pepper flavor that will round out the dish.
How to Make Southern Green Beans with Bacon
Step 1: Clean Green Beans
- Start by cleaning the beans and cutting them in half.
Step 2: Par-cook Green Beans
- Next, par cook the beans using either the boiling or microwave method.
- Place cleaned green beans in a microwave safe bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water to the bowl and cover with cling wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. After four minutes the green beans will be near fully cooked.
- (See boiling method below.)
Step 3: Crisp Bacon
- Then, fry diced bacon pieces in a large pan on low heat slowly rendering out the fat.
Step 4: Add Flavor
- Once the bacon is crispy and brown, add diced yellow onions and cook until softened.
- Then, add paprika, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 5: Finish the Green Beans
- Finally, add the par cooked green beans to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Make sure to toss them in the bacon drippings and get a good coating of fat on all of the beans.
- Serve them warm with your favorite main dishes.
FAQs
Green beans should be rinsed clean and free of dirt or debris. The ends should be trimmed to remove stems. Most modern varieties do not need to have the string removed from each bean. The strings are much more tender and edible.
If you picked up an heirloom variety of beans you will need to remove that fibrous string. It is really tough to chew and not very pleasant to eat.
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add green beans to the boiling water. Cook for four minutes. Strain away the excess water. Finish cooking the beans by adding them to the cooked bacon and onions.
Diana's Tips For Success
Start with medium/low heat when crisping your bacon. This will allow time for the fat to slowly render out and prevent uneven cooking and burnt bits. You can turn the heat up to medium once you add the beans and the pan is more full.
Use a wider bowl for the microwave. Spreading the beans out a little will help them cook evenly.
Substitutions
You can use frozen green beans for this recipe. Frozen beans are not blanched or precooked in any way. You will still need to boil or microwave them before adding them to the sauté pan. They will take an extra 2 minutes in the boiling water and 1-2 minutes in the microwave.
Related Recipes
- Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Sausage Green Beans and Potato Skillet
- Roasted Delicata Squash Beet and Feta Salad
- Sesame Grilled Baby Bok Choy
- Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
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📖 Recipe
Southern Style Green Beans with Bacon
Equipment
- Skillet or 10 Inch Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Fresh Green Beans cleaned, cut in half
- 2 Pieces Thick Cut Bacon diced
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion diced
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Paprika
- ½ Teaspon Dry Parsley
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cleaning the beans and cutting them in half.
- Next, par cook the green beans using either the boiling or microwave method listed below.
- Fry diced bacon pieces in a large pan on low heat slowly rendering out the fat.
- Once the bacon is crispy and brown, add diced yellow onions and cook until softened.
- Then, add paprika, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Finally, add the par cooked green beans to the pan and saute for 5 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Make sure to toss them in the bacon drippings and get a good coating of fat on all of the beans.
- Serve them warm with your favorite main dishes.
Notes
- Start with low heat when crisping your bacon. This will allow time for the fat to slowly render out and prevent uneven cooking and burnt bits.
- Use a wider bowl for the microwave. Spreading the beans out a little will help them cook evenly.
Nutrition
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Anjali says
This is such a simple and easy side dish! The bacon adds so much flavor to these beans!
Dana says
This recipe takes green beans to a whole new level! Love the bacon bits. This will be a great side dish for the holidays!
Tara says
Such a fantastic side! The flavors sound absolutely amazing, especially with the addition of the bacon.
Amy says
This is such a great idea for a side dish, I make it all the time!
Heather says
These green beans were simple and perfect - loved the addition of the bacon too! Really put them over the top!