Sautéed Green Beans with Bacon
Sautéed Green Beans with Bacon is an easy side dish that's perfect for any weeknight meal or holiday menu. Using only 4-ingredients- butter, fresh green beans, sautéed onions, and crisp salty bacon.
Ingredients
- 5 slices of thin lean bacon, cut in small pieces
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced small
- 1 tbsp reserved bacon fat
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 lb fresh French green beans or string beans, ends trimmed see notes if using canned beans
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan with fitted lid over medium heat. Cook bacon just under the crispy stage. Add red onions and sauté with the bacon until the bacon becomes crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan and add butter. When butter is melted add green beans. Toss to coat and season with a little salt and pepper. Place the lid on and cook green beans 12-15 minutes tossing occasionally. You may need to adjust the heat so it doesn’t get too hot.
- Once green beans are tender to your liking add the bacon and onions back to the pan and toss everything together. Taste for seasonings and serve warm.
Notes
Tips:
Using canned green beans- For this recipe drain 3 cans of green beans. Cook bacon and onions per the instructions and remove from the pan. Add butter to the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and add green beans. Turn the heat down to low and gently toss the beans and heat through, about 2-3 minutes. Follow the rest of the instructions and serve warm.
Choosing the best fresh green beans- Depending on the time of the year you may be able to find Haricot verts. This French green bean is ideal for sautéing because it’s thin and comes out perfectly tender. Otherwise a standard fresh String bean from your local grocery store will work just fine. You’ll want to choose thinner size beans as they tend to be less tough after they’re cooked. Also look for darker colored beans. These will stay more vibrant after they are cooked than ones chosen with a lighter skin.
The best bacon for this recipe- Choose a good quality bacon that has a lot of meat. If you have a hard time finding ones with more meat and less fat, you can always cut away some of the fat. I also look for a thinner cut of bacon so it’s more crispy.
Using leftover green beans- If you have leftovers dice in small pieces and add to soups, stews, or casseroles for great flavor.
Note: This recipe could easily serve up to 6 people with other side options.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 5 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 154 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 10.4g | 13% |
| Saturated Fat 4.1g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 27mg | 9% |
| Sodium 461mg | 20% |
| Total Carbohydrate 7.3g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 3.2g | 11% |
| Total Sugars 1.5g | |
| Protein 8.8g | |
| Vitamin D 2mcg | 8% |
| Calcium 38mg | 3% |
| Iron 1mg | 7% |
| Potassium 306mg | 7% |