Baked Green Beans with Bacon are the perfect side dish with any mealโan easy green bean recipe with brown sugar, garlic, bacon, and tender green beans.
๐ฅIngredients
Green beansโwhole, frozen, or fresh
Bacon
Soy sauce
Pantry ingredientsโbutter, brown sugar, garlic powder
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Featured Comment from Anne:
"5 starsโThis was delicious and so easy to prepare."
It is our best green bean recipe with bacon and a sweet and savory sauce of brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic that uses frozen or fresh green beans.
We all need reliable side dishes, and this one has never failed us. It's perfect for almost any meal, even holiday or company meals.
It is an easy recipe with step-by-step photo instructions and is simple to adjust to your needs.
๐จโ๐ณHow to Make Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Preheat oven to 375ยฐ convection or 400ยฐ conventional.
Cut 3-4 pieces of bacon into pieces and fry. Stop just before it is crispy and drain on a paper towel.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder.
Add 1 pound of fresh or frozen green beans to an 8 by 8 or a 6 by 9 baking dish. Spread the bacon over the beans. Drizzle the liquid over the dish. Note: fresh green beans should be blanched first.
Bake until beans are tender and any thinner beans are browning. It takes about 20-25 minutes for fresh beans or 35-40 minutes for frozen whole beans.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
Green Beans Tips
- Using frozen whole beans has produced consistent results. They are already blanched but not cooked. Do not use cut or French-cut frozen green beans.
- Picking the Best Fresh Green Beans
- Pick fresh green beans with vibrant green color and smooth skin without seed swells.
- Avoid large, thick, or skinny beans.
- They should have good firmness, no bad spots, and not be wrinkled.
- Fresh off the vine or from the farmer's market is the best is the best is the best. Use the store produce department if you must.
- If using fresh green beans, I suggest blanching them in boiling salt water for 2 minutes, then putting them in an ice water bath to cool. And watch closely for browning.
When to use these green beans
This recipe is a great side dish for Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breasts, Pan Seared Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin, and Baked Breaded Pork Chops. But it will be excellent in both casual and formal dining.
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Other easy vegetable recipes
Check out other great vegetable recipes like Green Beans with Toasted Almonds, Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, and Green Bean Casserole.
This recipe is featured in Mother's Day Recipes and Christmas Recipes roundup.
FAQsโStorage and reheating leftovers
Let leftovers cool completely, and store in the refrigerator sealed airtight for 3 days.
To freeze, spread out cold leftovers on parchment paper in a single layer and freeze. Store in an airtight container, freezer zip-lock suggested, with minimal air for 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
To reheat, spread over a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake in a 400ยฐ oven until hotโ10-15 minutes. You can also reheat it in an air fryer or a skillet on the stovetop. Avoid the microwave.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
๐The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole green beans - frozen or fresh
- 3-4 strips bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - low sodium preferred
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐ convection or 400ยฐ conventional.
- Cut 3-4 pieces of bacon into pieces and fry. Stop just before crispy and drain on a paper towel.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter in a microwave. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Add 1 pound of fresh or frozen green beans to an 8 by 8 or a 6 by 9 baking dish. Spread the bacon over the beans. Drizzle the liquid over the dish. Note: fresh green beans should be blanched first.
- Bake until beans are tender and any thinner beans are browning. About 20-25 minutes for fresh beans or 35-40 minutes for frozen whole beans.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Doubles easily in a 9 by 13 dish. Cooking time will be about the same.
- This works fine with frozen whole green beans. Do not use cut or French green beans. I keep frozen beans in the freezer for this recipe.
- Fresh green beans also work well for this but pick firm beans with good color, smooth skin, and no seed swells. Also, mostly the same size works best. Blanching first is highly recommended.
- Tips on buying the best green beans are in the post.
- If using fresh green beans, blanch in boiling salt water for 2 minutes, then an ice water bath to cool.
- Easy to prep ahead for dinner. Cook the bacon, make the sauce and then assemble and bake.
- We use this for company meals and usually make it with frozen whole beans. It is reliably done for use at 35-40 minutes in the oven. Great for planning.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
My wife came up with this inspiration piece, Smothered Green Beans at Plain Chicken. I'm sure Stephanie at Plain Chicken would not even recognize it coming from her inspiration.
Editor's Note: Originally Published February 22, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
kris c says
Thank you so very much. I'm always searching new ideas for sides. This recipe was a winner. Minimal ingredients(all of which I had on hand), easy to prepare, and absolutely delish. My family was truly delighted. Thanks again for sharing.
Kim says
Love this recipe and make it often! In the winter months I use the frozen beans, which turn out beautifully. The summer months we use freshโฆour favorite bean to use is the Dragonโs Tongue variety, stringless and meaty, perfect for the oven! This is probably one of my favorite bean recipeโฆthank you for sharing!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kim,
This is our go to hot veggie for special meals.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Anne Davis says
This was delicious and so easy to prepare. I always have some cooked bacon in the fridge for various dishes--so didn't have to worry about that cooking step. I made this using fresh beans but will make it even easier using frozen beans next time. Thanks for another keeper! Anne
Connie says
I made this recipe last night with fresh from our garden new young beans. After 30+ minutes the beans were still not done. The sauce and bacon were good but not the beans. We don't like mushy beans but also don't like under dine ones.
I use many of your recipes and love them
Disappointed in this one....will go back to cooking beans on stove top.
Stephanie says
I just recently stumbled across your blog and am so happy I did. My husband is the cook in our home. On my "cooking nights" we went out to eat. ;) But during this pandemic, I have been trying to be fair to my husband and take on some of the cooking. So far I've tried the Tuna Noodle Casserole and the Apple Crisp. I know there are a ton of recipes to try, but I'm trying to start small with things I can do. I am admittedly, a terrible cook. I made these green beans last week and my husband loved them. I plan on making them again very soon. Thank you for sharing. I much prefer baking as I am very analytical and precise. I am a decent baker and will be checking out all of your yummy baking recipes at some point. Thank you again!
Terri says
Really, really good.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Terri,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the rating.
Dan
KIm F. says
Super good... what a great flavor combo! I did end up baking for about 50 minutes... I tend to over cook our vegetables, we like them on the soft side. Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
DrDan says
Hi Kim,
Welcome to the blog.
This is one of our favorites. I think it is the bacon for my wife.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
S says
This was delicious. I made it for a family gathering and almost all of it was eaten! I doubled the green beans/bacon and over-doubled the sauce recipe, with a little more soy sauce, as I felt the original sugar to salt ratio was somewhat overpowering. I used my toaster oven to bake it, at regular 375 (vs. convection) for about 50 minutes. I would make this again. :) Thanks for sharing!
DrDan says
Hi S,
Welcome to the blog.
This has become our go to veggie recipe for company steak meals. So I have done it probably 30 plus times.
What I find surprising is that frozen whole green beans work better than fresh... Unexpected.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Pat says
Looks delicious!