Green Beans with Bacon are crisp, savory, and full of flavor, making an easy side dish that’s ready in under 15 minutes. Try making it today!
It’s super easy to make the perfect Vegetable Side Dish with green bean recipes, and in this kitchen, I love making Roasted Green Beans and Green Bean Casserole for the holidays!

Sabrina’s Green Beans with Bacon Recipe
Green Beans with Bacon is the perfect vegetable to serve as a holiday side dish. This recipe is savory, salty, and crispy all in one. I always start with really fresh green beans, because this dish is all about that crisp-tender crunch you get from the beans. It’s my go-to when I have to feed a large crowd in a short amount of time.
Recipe Card


Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 4 bacon strips , diced
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup water , for boiling
Instructions
- In a large skillet add ¼ cup water and the green beans on high heat and bring to a boil, cooking for 3 minutes.
- Remove green beans and water, wiping dry with paper towels and add in the bacon, cooking until crisp before adding in the green beans and tossing with bacon and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Sabrina’s Tip
I like trimming the ends of my green beans before cooking to remove the tough, fibrous texture. For extra flavor, I sometimes add garlic, onions, or a squeeze of lemon while cooking the bacon, and I can easily swap in pancetta or frozen green beans for a quick side dish!
Table of contents
About this Recipe
The bacon fat takes this side dish recipe to a whole new level. You can use a tablespoon of olive oil if you don’t want to use the bacon fat, but the flavor is going to change. I get asked time and time again for this side dish recipe, because of how good it is. As far as green bean recipes go, this is hands down my favorite one.
Pairing Suggestions
This vegetable recipe is perfect to serve with your favorite holiday dishes, like Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Turkey Breast, Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, and Perfect Garlic Prime Rib.
Frequent Questions
I don’t add extra salt or oil since the bacon provides plenty of flavorful drippings. For even more flavor, cook a little garlic, onion, or brown sugar with the bacon. Also, I don’t use precooked bacon so that the green beans can cook in bacon grease.
Blanche the fresh green beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking! Once drained, toss them in with the bacon until heated through for perfectly tender-crisp green beans every time.
You can tell if you have fresh green beans by holding the bean and feeling the texture. If your beans bend without snapping, or the bean feels too soft or turns color, they are old and not the best choice for this recipe.
Related Recipes
Delicious Vegetable Sides

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Sold w the bacon! Saving!
Yes!!
I was actually looking for a good Christmas side dish!
Your search is over!!
Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it? Yum!
That’s a definite YES!!
I love this! Such a tasty side dish!
Thanks, Toni!
Such a fantastic side dish!! Can’t wait to try it!!
Enjoy, Katerina!
My son would eat bacon with every meal if I’d let him. This is a great way to get him to eat green beans!
Yes, the addition of bacon is a wonderful motivator. 🙂
Always looking for some great side dishes, and this one is calling my name!
Enjoy!
Thanks Sabrina!
My kids loved it so much.
10/10 would make again