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Fresh greens beans cooked low and slow with just a bit of smokey bacon bring back great memories of family suppers. These “southern style” green beans are a tradition in many homes and are always at covered dish suppers and church picnics.
I am a huge veggie lover, but this recipe right here might be my all time favorite! Anytime I’m feeling nostalgic or I need some good comfort food, this is my go-to vegetable side dish. Whether you’re hosting friends or making a weeknight meal, these Southern Style Green Beans are guaranteed to disappear quickly!
This recipe starts out just like any other tasty southern recipe… with a whole lot of bacon! The bold, smokey bacon acts as a flavorful foundation for your green beans. Add in a little vegetable stock and a sprinkle of seasoning, and you’ve got a match made in heaven!
Southern Style Greens Beans are cooked low and slow to create mouthwateringly delicious, full-bodied flavors. This recipe is simple to prepare and super versatile, you can serve it with poultry, red meat or seafood. With just 6 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of preparation, you’ll be enjoying this irresistible side dish in no time!
Ingredients Needed To Make Southern Style Green Beans
- Bacon – cut into ½″ pieces
- Fresh Green beans – washed, trimmed and snapped into about 2″ lengths
- Vegetable or Chicken stock
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
How To Make Southern Style Green Beans
- Place a heavy bottom pan or cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Add the sliced bacon to the skillet and cook until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
- Add green beans to pan and cook over a medium high heat. Toss beans in bacon drippings to coat. Continue to cook until beans turn bright green.
- Carefully pour in stock and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add bacon pieces back to pot with beans.
- Turn burner to low, cover beans with a lid, and cook for about 1 hour until beans are tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately
People Often Ask…
There are all kinds of herbs and seasoning you can add to really amp up the flavor of your green beans, here are a couple of my favorites…
– Red Chili Flakes
– Lemon Zest or Juice
– Fresh Garlic
– Onions or Shallots
– Paprika
This is a very commonly asked question, the answer is yes and no! You can absolutely use frozen green beans if that is easier for you. However, frozen green beans have already been blanched so they are more likely to get soft and lose their shape when cooked low and slow. For this recipe, you will get the best results when you use fresh green beans.
More Green Bean Recipes To Try…
More Side Dishes You’ll Love…
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Southern Fried Corn Recipe
- Easy Everyday Green Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Bacon
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon – cut into ½″ pieces
- 1 ½ pounds green beans – washed, trimmed and snapped into about 2″ lengths
- 1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook bacon pieces in a heavy bottom pan until done. Remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
- Add green beans to pan and cook on medium high heat. Toss beans in bacon drippings to coat. Continue to cook until beans turn bright green.
- Carefully pour in stock and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add bacon pieces back to pot with beans.
- Turn burner to low, cover beans with lid – slightly off center and cook for about 1 hour until beans are tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.
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[…] say that my boys will eat with every meal, it’s green beans. We love them fixed a number of different ways and when I cook them, I most often start with blanching. This quick, gentle cooking method brings […]
I have made my green beans just like this for years. Its got to be a southern comfort food! Especially at Thanksgiving!
Hey there Rubye!
I couldn’t agree with you more, these green beans are a classic southern comfort food and they’re ideal to serve around the holidays! I am so glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe, thank you so much for your kind words and your terrific rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
My family loves the green beans – it is a favorite!
Hey there Elaine!
I am so thrilled to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe! These green beans are a southern staple and a favorite in my house as well, so I am overjoyed that it’s become a favorite in your home. Thank you so much for your fantastic rating and your kind words, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
Will this dish reheat okay/still taste fresh the next day? I would love to make it the night before.
Hey there Leah!
Thanks for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to like it! You can absolutely reheat this dish, personally I think these green beans taste better the next day. I really hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
These were the very best green beans I have ever had. My husband just raved and raved on these. I have cooked green beans many times but these were the best. You have got to try this recipe. The only change I made was I added some minced garlic right before I put the broth in. Delicious!!
Hey there Terry!
Thank you so very much for your rating! Let me just tell you, I am thrilled you and your family liked this recipe, it is always a hit in my house too! The addition of minced garlic sounds delicious, thank you so much for your kind comment and your support!
~Donya
We love green beans fixed this way…..I add some onion to the bacon grease…..and we like to sprinkle a little vinegar on them at the table.
I like the three way green beans, and adding onions is a must, I love onions also together withe the bacon/beans.
Pole beans are what you need for this recipe, with a longer cooking time, but pole beans are awfully hard to find. Grandma Ollis would die if you put garlic in green beans. I don’t think she ever heard of garlic, let alone used it in anything. I love to add a chopped up potato or two. Cook ’em down, put them in the fridge overnight (the potatoes absorb much of the bacon grease) and re-heat for a feast fit for a queen!.
These are the green beans my family expects at Thanksgiving! It’s another of those recipes that brings out the “These are so good why don’t we have them more often?” comments.
You are so right Daryl! My boys love these beans. They will be on my Thanksgiving table too.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
~Donya
This is how I cook my beans most of the time….but if I don’t have bacon, I just cut up a whole onion and cook with the beans, add garlic, salt near the end of cooking, and maybe just a teaspoon of what ever oil I have….. they are better for you than with the bacon grease,,,,but I agree not as good tho….but still good….this is what I call country cooking….. I don’t buy green beans in the winter….I only like certain kind of fresh green beans….have never cooked any that I liked in the winter….we use to can beans or dry them…but I don’t do that anymore…..
I did dry a few strings of green beans couple of years ago….Do you know what those are ? they are yummy cooked…..
I use to love to help my mom snap “the mess” of green beans after we picked them out of the garden. I’ll definitely try this recipe. I’ve never been able to make anything as well as she did even though she never used recipes.. She would sometimes add new potatoes to her green beans. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner link party!
Thanks for hosting a great party!
XO,
~Donya
I do them this way sometimes and they are great! My family likes them best with some finely diced onion cooked in the bacon grease before you put the “bean beans” in, as my grandbaby calls them. She loves her Nana’s bean beans!
Sounds so good, Mama Jane. Thank you for stopping by. I love to hear from my readers and enjoy the stories of great food memories.
XO,
~Donya
Nom nom this reminds me of childhood!
I know, Paula. Brings back great memories for me too.
Thanks for stopping by!
XO,
~Donya