One-Pan Green Beans with Bacon
This simple One-Pan Green Bean and Bacon recipe is a delicious side dish for any meal (including Thanksgiving!). This easy green bean recipe has so much flavor. It is cooked in a chunky onion and garlic sauce and then tossed with crunchy pine nuts and crispy bacon. 
So often, searching for a new recipe as a go-to Thanksgiving side, or really for any everyday or holiday meal, is hard because you want to find something the whole family will love and put together holiday menus with delicious recipes. So if you’re looking for a green bean side dish recipe to add to your holiday feast or weeknight dinner list, look no further. This is officially one of my favorite green bean recipes and will have you going back for seconds. The simple cooking process with these delicious ingredients will make this one of your new favorite things to put on the dinner table.
Boiled green beans with bacon and pine nuts was a go-to side dish of mine for Thanksgiving, as well as most winter meals, for years. While I love the flavor combination of those three ingredients, I always found boiling the green beans to be a rather boring way to prepare them. This method is far superior and officially the only way I will ever make green beans again, and is a step up from the traditional green beans with a cream sauce. You’ll fill your home with the delicious smell of crispy bacon, sauteed garlic, and caramelized onions and then cook the fresh green beans in chicken stock, as it reduces into a thick garlic and onion sauce that coats the beans without overpowering them, making this a perfect side filled with fresh flavors that the entire family will love. This simple, healthy side dish is so tasty!
Why You Will Love This One Pan Green Bean and Bacon Recipe
- Quick and Easy to make; start to finish this green bean and bacon recipe can be ready in 30 minutes.
- All you need are a handful of ingredients with tons of flavor, that you likely already have in your kitchen or can find at any grocery store!
- It seems so simple, but the sauce gives the beans a really great flavor that makes this so much more than just green beans and bacon. You will never boil your beans again after trying them this way.
- Eating fresh green beans is an easy way to get some vitamin C into an already healthy side dish. And with added bacon, this is a surefire way to make kid-friendly vegetables.
- This is one of my favorite ways to make something easy that doesn’t have a bold flavor that overwhelms the rest of the things on your plate.
- This Green Bean and Bacon recipe is Paleo, Whole30, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Keto and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal but no one would ever know!
What To Serve With This Bacon And Green Beans Dish
This is the perfect side dish for a holiday meal. It will go beautifully with a Thanksgiving meal or as a flavorful side dish for a Christmas dinner. It is also a simple side dish to serve with pork tenderloin, pork chops, or a roasted chicken on a summer night when you want to use some fresh beans from your garden.
Ingredients You Need For This One Pan Green Bean And Bacon Recipe
- Green Beans: To cut down on prep time, you can tip and tail and wash the beans up to 4 days in advance, or you can buy trimmed and washed fresh green beans in a bag ready to go.
- Bacon: A thick-cut bacon is a great choice for the cut you want. You could also use diced pancetta as a substitute for bacon. To keep down the mess on the stovetop, you can bake the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or use an air fryer at 400 degrees F and cook for 8-10 minutes. No need to flip. Super simple!
- Onion: Finely diced yellow onion makes up the base of the sauce. Two shallots would also work.
- Garlic: You can use minced garlic if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
- Chicken Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock works. The amount listed below is approximate; I recommend starting with 2 cups and then potentially adding more if the beans are not yet tender once all of the liquid has reduced. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth, too, if you don’t have stock on hand.
- Pine Nuts: The pine nuts add a really nice crunch to this dish. They would definitely be my top pick, but if you cannot find pine nuts, chopped hazelnuts or slivered almonds could also work.
- Salt and Black Pepper: You can use sea salt or kosher salt, and you could use white pepper instead of black pepper. Add to your taste preferences.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below
How To Make This One Pan Green Beans With Bacon
- Use a large skillet: I recommend making this in a very large skillet or nonstick frying pan. A large pan allows the green beans to spread out in a single layer so they cook evenly, and the sauce reduces quickly.
- Leave to cook uncovered: Don’t cover the pan with a lid, leaving it uncovered ensures that the sauce reduces and thickens. Placing a lid on the pan would cause the beans to steam and become mushy while the sauce would remain liquidy. You want the crispness of the fresh green beans to stay there.
- Keep reducing: The sauce will seem extremely liquid, but just keep reducing it on high heat until there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan.
- Add more stock: If the liquid has completely evaporated but you don’t have tender green beans yet, add a splash more chicken stock and continue to cook.
Can You Make This Green Beans With Bacon Vegan/Vegetarian?
Definitely! Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and skip the bacon. Alternatively, you could saute thinly sliced mushrooms instead of bacon and then use olive oil instead of bacon grease to saute the mushrooms.
What Types Of Green Beans Can I Use
- Green Beans (or String Beans) are one of the most common types of beans. They are bright green and have a wonderful snap to them.
- French Green Beans (or Haricots Verts) are smaller and more tender than the standard green bean, and they have a vibrant green color. They are a great option for sautéed green beans. They will cook faster because they are thinner.
- Yellow Wax Beans may be alarming by their name and color, but they are just as delicious as bright green beans.
Can You Use Frozen Green Beans Or A Can of Green Beans?
Yes, you can use frozen regular or French green beans. Because they’re frozen, you may not need as much stock or broth. Just be careful so they don’t become too mushy. I would not recommend canned green beans. The consistency and texture will not be crisp and bright like fresh or frozen, and they will not give you the best results.
Can I Make These Delicious Green Beans With Bacon In An Instant Pot?
Yes! Although not my preferred cooking technique, this is an easy recipe for the instant pot and a great recipe for a last-minute side dish. I would not recommend using French green beans for this process, though, because they will likely get too mushy. Using the saute option, add small pieces of chopped bacon, onions, and garlic and saute. Drain all but a tablespoon of bacon grease, add broth and green beans, and pressure cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add pine nuts and stir before serving.
Can I Make This Skillet Green Beans Recipe In Advance?
Yes, you can make this easy side dish up to a day in advance. To ensure the beans don’t overcook, shorten the initial cooking time. Then, using a large skillet on medium heat, warm the green beans recipe the next day with 1/4 cup of chicken stock or water until heated through.
What About Leftovers
After bringing your leftover green beans to room temperature, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a splash of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat or warm in a microwave.
Here are a few more easy recipes you might enjoy for Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Dinner:
- Brussels Sprout, Bacon & Kale Gratin
- The Best Cauliflower Mash
- Caramelized Leek, Fennel & Onion Gratin
- Hasselback Butternut Squash
- Sheet Pan Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout & Bacon
If you make this Green Bean and Bacon recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
The Best One Pan Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook the bacon on medium heat until crisp. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and chop it into small pieces. Set aside.
- Depending on how much grease is left in the skillet, drain all but approx 1/2 tablespoon. Add the diced onion, salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Add in the minced garlic and leave to cook for a minute before pouring in the chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits from the bottom of the skillet before adding the green beans to the skillet.
- Turn the heat up to medium high, and leave the stock to simmer and reduce in the skillet which should be left uncovered. Pat down the green beans with a spoon to ensure none are sticking out and everything is submerged in the stock.
- After approximately 15 minutes of cooking the beans should be tender (but not mushy) and the stock will have evaporated into a thick onion based sauce. If the beans are still not tender add in a splash more stock and continue to cook until the beans can be pierced with a fork. If you push the beans to the side, there should be no liquid at the bottom of the pan, just a thick onion sauce. If it is still liquidy, continue to leave the beans to cook until the stock has evaporated.
- Once the beans are tender and coated in the sauce, reduce the heat to low and stir in the pine nuts and chopped bacon. Leave to cook for a minute or two to warm the bacon before serving.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 9, 2020 and updated with new copy on August 5, 2024.
Amazing! These were so delicious! My favorite way to cook green beans.
So delicious! Easy and quick to make!
Was in a pinch and need to add a veggie to dinner and found this recipe. IT WAS SO SO GOOD! Quick to make, had all of the ingredients on hand and will be a new staple side in our home!
Im so happy to hear that it was a hit! Thanks for the comment Sabrina!