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Home » Blog » Recipes » Side Dish

Southern Style Green Beans

by Donya Mullins 22 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

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This post may contain affiliate links.

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.

southern style green beans with bacon
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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!

southern green beans fresh

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
southern style green beans bacon

People Often Ask…

What Can I Add To Green Beans For Flavor?


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

Can You Make Southern Style Green Beans With Frozen Green Beans?


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…

  • Skillet Green Beans
  • Simple Green Bean Salad
  • Crock Pot Maple Bacon Green Beans
southern greenbeans with bacon

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
southern style green beans with bacon
4.71 from 17 votes

Southern Style Green Beans

Author: Donya Mullins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Print Pin Rate
Green beans cooked low and slow in bacon are a Southern tradition.

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.
southern style green beans with bacon
Did you make my Southern Style Green Beans?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!
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southern style green beans
Donya with A Southern Soul

Meet A Southern Soul

Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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  1. Rubye

    November 11, 2022 at 2:52 pm

    I have made my green beans just like this for years. Its got to be a southern comfort food! Especially at Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Donya

      November 12, 2022 at 9:56 am

      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

      Reply
  2. Elaine

    April 16, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    My family loves the green beans – it is a favorite!

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 17, 2022 at 9:15 am

      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

      Reply
  3. Leah

    April 14, 2022 at 11:17 pm

    Will this dish reheat okay/still taste fresh the next day? I would love to make it the night before.

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 15, 2022 at 8:06 am

      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

      Reply
  4. Terry Nichols

    April 4, 2021 at 4:13 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 5, 2021 at 8:48 am

      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

      Reply
  5. Carol

    December 15, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    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.

    Reply
  6. Marie

    August 10, 2019 at 1:56 am

    I like the three way green beans, and adding onions is a must, I love onions also together withe the bacon/beans.

    Reply
  7. Catherine

    November 14, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    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!.

    Reply
  8. Daryl

    October 25, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Donya

      October 28, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      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

      Reply
  9. kentuckylady717

    September 6, 2017 at 3:34 am

    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…..

    Reply
  10. Tina

    August 17, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    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!

    Reply
  11. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

    July 20, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner link party!

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 20, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      Thanks for hosting a great party!
      XO,
      ~Donya

      Reply
  12. Mama Jane

    July 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 17, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      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

      Reply
  13. Paula Kiger

    July 16, 2017 at 3:24 am

    Nom nom this reminds me of childhood!

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 16, 2017 at 4:02 pm

      I know, Paula. Brings back great memories for me too.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      XO,
      ~Donya

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Green Beans 3 Ways ~ Blanched, Roasted & Grilled | A southern Soul says:
    July 31, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    […] 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 […]

    Reply

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Donya with A Southern Soul

Meet A Southern Soul

Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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