These are southern style buttery green beans with crispy bacon and onions, a perfect easy holiday side dish ready in less than 30 minutes!
These are a quick stovetop side dish I like to make with brown sugar honey glazed carrots since they don't take up valuable oven or crockpot space.
This is a great dish to serve alongside crockpot cornbread pudding for the holidays! They're perfect companions since one is on the stove top and the other in the slow cooker.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Savory tender green beans with plenty of crispy bacon and buttery onions. It's a lovely combination!
- Ease: Cooking one thing after another in one pot. Pretty simple! No oven required.
- Time: 5-7 minutes for bacon, 5 minutes for onions, and 20-25 minutes for the green beans. 40 minutes max!
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Green Beans - fresh, frozen, canned, or french all work!
- Onions - use a sweet yellow variety or shallots for their mild flavors.
- Butter - I use salted butter because: 1. It tastes better than unsalted. 2. The salt helps to draw out some of the moisture in the onions as they cook, so that they're not as wet and keep the bacon nice and crispy.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Glaze with maple syrup for a sweet version.
- Finish with a lemon squeeze for a burst of flavor and acidity.
- Add minced garlic while the onions are cooking and parmesan at the end for even more flavor!
- Add sliced almonds for crunch and flavor.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Chop bacon into one inch slices, and cook in large cooking pot over high heat until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl. Discard the bacon grease (not down the drain!).
- Step 2. Place butter and raw chopped onion in pot (no need to wash, bacon tastes gooood on onion) and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Then empty into a serving bowl with the bacon.
- Step 3. Add water and spices to the pan with washed and prepped green beans. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until soft. Drain water out.
- Step 4. Add to serving bowl with bacon and onions, and serve while warm!
TIP: If you want crisp bacon, make sure to cook the bacon separately and add it only at the end.
📌 Troubleshooting
- Soggy beans: overcooking → fix: high heat in batches, drain & sear.
- Bacon lost crispness: cooked too early and kept warm in lid-on pot → fix: crisp bacon last-minute or crisp in oven before serving.
- Onion bitter or undercooked: too-hot pan → lower heat, cook slower for sweet caramelization.
- Too salty: use low-sodium bacon or add acid and unsalted butter to balance.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Make-ahead: make blanched beans and cook bacon, store separately up to 2 days ahead, then reheat quickly in skillet to refresh crispness.
Leftovers: refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat in skillet (not microwave) for best texture or rewarm in 375°F oven for 8-10 min.
Freeze: green beans lose texture once cooked and frozen, but if necessary blanch and freeze unseasoned, then re-cook and assemble with freshly cooked bacon.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes - cook time and technique differ though. No need to cook green beans, just cook the bacon and onions, then sauté the (drained) green beans a little to heat them before adding them to the serving dish with the bacon and onions.
Crisp bacon last-minute or crisp on sheet pan at 400°F before serving. Keep them stored separately and add to beans just before serving, or hold in low temp oven in oven safe pan.
Render bacon first (remove when desired crispness), sauté onions in bacon fat or butter until golden, then cook the beans separately.
Putting onions or bacon in water will make them lose flavor and become soggy.
Yes! You'll want to:
1. Fry the bacon and onions separately.
2. Cook the green beans in the slow cooker on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours to desired texture.
3. Drain the beans and then add in the bacon and onions and keep warm until ready to serve.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Main dishes: with pepperjack roasted chicken, pork chops, or mushroom swiss meatloaf.
- Side Dishes: red skinned mashed potatoes, boursin twice baked potatoes, or honey butter cornbread.
- Garnish ideas: toasted almonds, crispy shallots, fresh herbs, lemon zest.
🥣 More Delicious Easy Side Dishes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Green Beans with Bacon and Onion
Equipment
- 1 large cooking pot
Ingredients
- 12 oz thick cut bacon
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion (½ large onion)
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 lb green beans washed and stems chopped off
Instructions
- Chop 12 oz thick cut bacon into one inch slices, and cook in large cooking pot over high heat until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl, discard the bacon grease (not down the drain!).
- Place 4 Tablespoons butter and 1 cup chopped onion into the pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.Empty into serving bowl with the bacon.
- Add 3 cups water and 2 teaspoon chicken bouillon,1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper to the pan with washed and prepped 2 lb green beans. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until soft. Drain water.
- Add to serving bowl with bacon and onions, and serve while warm!
Notes
2. Cook the green beans with water and spices in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-5 hours to desired texture.
3. Drain the beans and then add in the bacon and onions and keep warm until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
This is a super easy side to make ahead and reheat. I love that it's made on the stove, it makes it pretty quick and easy!