These Southern Green Beans with Bacon are tender and perfectly seasoned, making them the ultimate side dish recipe!
Serve up this Southern Green Beans recipe with some other holiday meals like Thanksgiving Stuffing, Dry Brine Roasted Turkey, and Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole!
Once you try this easy green bean recipe, you’ll never go back to boring green beans again!
Southern Style Green Beans with Bacon
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this classic Southern side dish. First up, we have the thick-cut bacon. Thick-cut bacon is meatier, giving a smokier, fattier flavor to the dish. Next up, we have fresh green beans. We’re using fresh green beans for this recipe, but you can use canned green beans if that’s all you have. Then, for the ultimate flavor combo – butter and almonds. We’re browning the butter and almonds, which adds so much flavor to these tender green beans!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to whip up Green Beans with Bacon. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Thick-cut bacon
- Green beans – Fresh green beans.
- Chicken broth
- Garlic powder
- Butter
- Almonds – Sliced almonds.
How To Make Bacon Green Beans
With simple ingredients and easy steps, this easy recipe will become one of your new favorite side dishes!
COOK BACON
Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or large pot until crisp, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Cut into pieces.
SIMMER
Reserve the bacon grease and add the beans, water, broth, garlic powder, seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the beans are tender. Drain the beans into a strainer and return the pot to the stovetop.
ADD BUTTER AND ALMONDS
Add the butter and almonds to the pot and cook over medium heat, swirling the pot, until the butter becomes golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma.
STIR AND SERVE
Stir the beans and crispy bacon into the butter and heat through, making sure to coat everything with the butter. Serve warm alongside your main dish. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Feel free to swap out different types of nuts for the almonds, like walnuts or pecans!
- Want more spice? Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the green beans!
- Sauté some onion with the butter for even more flavorful green beans!
Make Ahead and Storage
To make the cooking process easier, you can make these Green Beans with Bacon ahead of time. Cook the recipe like normal and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to serve, heat everything up in a large pot on the stove until warm.
Another way you could make this recipe ahead is to cut the green beans and sauté the bacon a day before. Then, when you’re ready to serve, cook the rest of the recipe and serve hot.
If you have any leftover green beans, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Common Questions
You can use any type of fresh beans you like! Some great options are string beans and pole beans! Alternatively, you can use a can of green beans, but I HIGHLY recommend using fresh as it adds to the flavor of the dish.
Absolutely! Feel free to use thick-cut ham and dice it into pieces. Then, sauté it like you would bacon for that depth of flavor.
I recommend making this recipe as instructed. However, I do have a Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole if you want to use a crock pot instead!
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More Green Bean Recipes
If you love this simple side dish, you’ll love these other side dish recipes…
- Classic Green Bean Casserole
- Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
- Green Bean Bacon Bundles
- Sweet and Spicy Green Beans
This perfect side dish is perfect for everything from special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner to a simple Sunday dinner! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below!
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Southern Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 strips, thick cut bacon
- 2 lbs. green beans, fresh (trimmed)
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 1/3 cup almonds, sliced
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven or pot until crisp then drain on a paper towel lined plate. Cut into pieces.
- Reserve the grease and add the beans, water, broth, garlic powder, seasoning salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain the beans into a strainer and return the pot to the stove top.
- Add the butter and almonds to the pot and cook over medium heat, swirling the pot, until the butter becomes golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma.
- Stir the beans and bacon into the butter and heat through, making sure to coat everything with the butter. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Is it possible to use canned beans?
I’m bring these to a Christmas Eve dinner. How do you recommend these be reheated?
Do you boil the beans with the reserved bacon grease and other ingredients?
Yes!
Can this be made a day ahead and then reheated?
Hi Victoria, yes, I think that would be fine!
Delicious!
I think bacon is the best ingredient in the world and I love almonds, so I must try it:-)
Thanks for the inspiration!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy this! 🙂
yuummy what a great idea looks fabulous
Thank you Anna! 🙂
Such a great idea! Bacon makes everything better!!
Right!? Thanks Gina! 🙂
I always had almonds to my green beans! But WHY HAVE I NEVER ADDED BACON?! This beans are blowing my mind!
This looks absolutely AMAZING. Bacon with everything, but especially green beans!! The perfect thanksgiving side dish.
Simmer beans with or without lid on?
I left the lid off, but I don’t really think it matters in this case. Either way is fine. 🙂