Green Beans with Bacon and Onions is an easy, delicious side dish—especially when you meal-prep the beans in advance!
Green beans are one vegetable that somehow even our picky eater doesn't strenuously object to.
But I'm talking either fresh or frozen-from-fresh green beans. Canned—the green beans I grew up on—are just...BLECH.
Meal-prepping green beans
I buy French green beans (a.k.a. haricot vert) in 3-lb bags at our local wholesale club.
When I get them home, I parboil the lot, shock, and dry well. Then I freeze any beans I'm not using within the next day in approximately 1-lb servings using ziptop bags.
The beans freeze well for 3 months.
To thaw, I just pull out a bag and put it in the refrigerator the night before. When I forget to do that, I run warm water over the bag for 10 minutes, or until I can easily separate the beans without tearing them.
Keep in mind that if the beans are still frozen, they'll take longer to warm through in the simmering step.
Making Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
Once you have the meal-prep done for the green beans, this green beans recipe is a simple matter of chopping the bacon and onions and cooking.
Add the bacon and onions to a pot or skillet (I don't use additional oil because the bacon will give off fat that will deliciously flavor the beans).
Sauté until the bacon has rendered its fat and the onions are translucent.
Then, add in the chicken broth. Mix in the beans, salt, and pepper. Simmer for three minutes. That's it!
This green beans side dish pairs beautifully with chicken, grilled meat, fish—pretty much anything.
I use the same meal-prep strategy for the green beans in my Zippy, Tangy 3-Bean Salad. Check it out!
I hope your family enjoys this side dish as much as we do!
—xoxo, Michelle
Recipe
Green Beans with Bacon and Onions
Green Beans with Bacon and Onions is an easy, delicious side dish your family will love. Do some meal-prep in advance and you can deliver this dish in under 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans, preferable French green beans (a.k.a. haricots verts)
- 2 slices thick, cured bacon, chopped
- 1 sweet onion, (medium), chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt, (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, (or to taste)
Instructions
MEAL-PREPPING THE GREEN BEANS
- Boil the beans for 6–7 minutes, or until crisp tender. Drain and place the colander into a prepared ice bath. Dry the beans well and chop into bite-size pieces (or leave them whole if you prefer). Set aside.
MAKING GREEN BEANS WITH BACON AND ONIONS
- Add the bacon to a pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions. Sauté until the bacon is crispy and has rendered its fat and the onions are translucent. Don't remove the bacon fat! Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and beans. Simmer for 3 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: ¾ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 517mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate: if you are tracking this information for medical purposes, please consult a trusted external source. Thanks!
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Donna says
I really like green beans, but husband doesn't so we never have them! I might try him with these!
Michelle says
Ha—sounds like my house! I love vegetables, including green beans, and the rest of my family are "meh" about veggies at best. My husband loves these green beans, so hopefully they'll work on yours as well! 😉
Hannah says
These look absolutely delicious - bacon and green beans are such a good combo, especially with onions! It would be a really great bbq side dish!
Michelle says
Thank you, Hannah! We just had them as a side dish for BBQ ribs and they were perfect!