Best Green Beans with Bacon
Green beans with bacon and brown sugar are a twist on traditional green beans. The beans themselves are super tasty and flavorful because you sauté them in the bacon grease. But it doesn't stop there. After cooking these bacon green beans are topped with smoky, crumbled bacon, candied pecans, and a subtle brown sugar glaze to make sure everybody eat their veggies.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 419kcal
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans
- 1 pound bacon diced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup brown sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Add pecans, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water to your in a large skillet.
- Cook over medium heat until sugar is melted and nuts are toasted. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Cut your bacon into half inch pieces.
- In the same skillet cook bacon until crisp over medium high heat. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Leave bacon grease in pan and set aside.
- Snip the ends of your green beans.
- Blanch beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain.
- Add blanched green beans to pan and cook in bacon grease about 5 minutes until softened.
- Toss in remaining brown sugar, salt and pepper, and gently toss until sugar is dissolved and beans are coated.
- Add in nuts and bacon, warm thru and coat with glaze.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="QhgL4LQB" upload-date="2022-11-17T21:55:50.000Z" name="GREEN BEAN TUTORIAL.mov" description="Green Beans and Bacon are a twist on traditional green beans. The beans themselves are super tasty and flavorful because you sauté them in the bacon grease and season with salt and pepper. Top with smoky, crumbled bacon, sweet, candied pecans, and a subtle brown sugar glaze to make everybody eat their veggies." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
Be sure to check the full post above for more recipe tips, serving suggestions, how to store leftovers, and more!
- Freeze the bacon for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. This makes it easier to cut the bacon without it sliding around or stretching on your cutting board. Just be sure you don't forget about them and freeze it all the way.
- Quickly trim your green beans. Grab about 15 to 20 beans and place them on the cutting board, living them up. Make sure all the ends of the beans are touching the edge of your knife. Cut off the ends with a knife. Quickly flip the beans the other way, and then push them towards your knife blade and line them up again. Slice off the opposite ends. Repeat until all beans are trimmed.
- Cooking the green beans. You can easily adjust the length of time you cook the green beans in the bacon grease. Cook them less for a slightly crunchier green bean texture. I don't recommend cooking them too much longer as you don't want them overcooked and limp.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 812IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg