Green Beans With Bacon Are The Best!
I love a classic creamy green bean casserole—it’s the ultimate comfort food! But these green beans bring a fresh, fun twist to the table. They’re a vibrant, flavorful update on a favorite—and simple to whip up!
With browned butter lemon almonds, garlicky shallots, and crispy bacon on top? Total perfection!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Green Beans with Bacon:
- Butter: Browns while cooking the almonds, adding a rich, nutty flavor.
- Almonds: These are toasted in butter for extra flavor.
- Lemon: Both zest and juice give a fresh, bright flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Adds flavor and just enough liquid to cook the beans.
- Bacon: Crispy and savory; the drippings flavor the shallots nicely.
- Shallots: Milder than onions with a hint of sweetness.
- Garlic: Adds a deep, savory flavor that blends well with the other ingredients.
- Green Beans: Fresh, firm beans give the best flavor and crunch.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple seasoning to bring out each ingredient’s flavor.
Quick Tip
Fresh green beans should snap when bent and be bright green with firm skin. Avoid beans that feel tough, rubbery, slimy, or have an off smell.
How To Make Green Beans With Bacon
- Prep Lemon: Zest and juice; set aside with stock.
- Toast Almonds: Melt butter, add almonds, cook until golden; add lemon juice, zest, and stock, cook briefly. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook Bacon: In the same pan, cook bacon until crispy; remove, leaving drippings.
- Sauté Shallots & Garlic: Add shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper to drippings; cook until fragrant.
- Cook Beans: Add beans, toss, pour in stock, cover, and cook until tender.
- Finish & Serve: Uncover, cook off liquid, add almonds and bacon, stir, season, and serve.
Tips For Success
- Toast Almonds Slowly: Take your time browning the butter with almonds; too high of heat can burn them.
- Use Good Stock: Quality stock, like Swanson’s®, gives better flavor to the beans.
- Dry Beans Well: Make sure beans are completely dry before cooking for best results.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste before serving and add seasoning as needed.
Storage
These green beans with bacon are best right off the stovetop! If you have leftovers, let them cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days. Reheat on low heat on the stovetop, stirring until warmed through.
What To Serve With Green Beans
- Instant Pot Beef Stew with peas and carrots
- Crockpot Turkey Breast with an easy gravy
- Grilled Chicken with a lemon marinade
- Shepherd’s Pie with a mashed potato topping
- Lasagna Recipe with a cheesy filling
Green Beans
Nothing tops green beans with bacon! Cooked to perfection with browned butter, a hint of lemon, and crunchy almonds.
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
- Wax paper
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter diced to small pieces
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon chicken stock divided
- 3 slices bacon diced
- 1/3 cup shallot very thinly sliced, 3 small shallots
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pound green beans see note 1
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Zest and juice lemon to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoon juice. Set out lemon zest, juice, and chicken stock before starting. Line a plate with wax paper and another plate with paper towels. Set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons diced butter in large nonstick pan. Once melted, add sliced almonds and cook evenly until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly with a (heatproof) spatula for about 5–8 minutes. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon chicken stock. Continue stirring until liquid thickens, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture onto wax-paper-lined plate and set aside.
- Return empty pan to stovetop and add diced bacon. Cook over medium heat, until bacon fat is rendered and bacon is browned. Leave bacon grease behind and remove bacon with a slotted spoon to paper-towel-lined plate. Leave all bacon grease in pan and reduce heat to low. Add thinly sliced shallots and garlic plus a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add in green beans and stir to coat with tongs. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock. Stir again. Cover pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are mostly tender, about 7–10 minutes (if liquid has evaporated and beans aren’t tender, reduce heat and add a splash more chicken stock). Remove lid and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid has evaporated, another 2–4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and, using the spatula, scrape everything from the wax-paper-lined plate onto the beans (including any butter that has hardened). Add the bacon and gently stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Wash and trim if necessary. Alternatively, buy pre-washed green beans for convenience. Make sure beans are fully dry before starting.
Storage: These green beans are best right off the stovetop! If you have leftovers, let them cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on low heat on the stovetop, stirring until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 648IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this be made ahead and
reheated?
I Made this for thanksgiving, big hit..I added xtra lemon zest and it was so good.
A keeper ! Thank you
Delish! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Lil! 🙂
One of my younger sisters asked me recently if I ever make green beans. I said no, because I never really liked them when I was growing up. I was scrolling through Pinterest when I came across a green bean recipe,and I asked my husband if he liked green beans. He said he loved them, so I decided if he loved them, I would give them a try. I pinned a few different recipes–this being one of them. This was the recipe my husband wanted to try first. It was AMAZING! These were so flavorful and delicious! This is the kind of green bean recipe that people need to make for Thanksgiving dinner! This is a keeper! Thanks for making me a believer!
This is the best comment! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much! 🙂