Tender, flavorful, and steeped in tradition, Southern Style Green Beans are a down-home side dish that’s easy to make! Fresh green beans cooked with bacon and just the right amount of seasoning is the perfect side dish recipe for any meal.
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What Are Southern-Style Green Beans?
Southern-style green beans have always been one of those dishes that remind me of home. They’re rich, savory, and cooked low and slow until they’re tender enough to practically fall apart. Unlike quick-cooked green beans, these soak up all the flavor from smoky bacon and a simple blend of seasonings—it’s the kind of side dish that quietly steals the show.
A standout element in my recipe is bacon, which infuses the beans with an irresistible smoky note. This traditional approach results in something more than a side dish — it’s a celebration of Southern hospitality and home-cooked comfort.
Can I use canned or frozen green beans instead of fresh?
Yes, you can! Canned green beans are already soft, so they need less cooking time—just be sure to drain and rinse them first. Frozen green beans are a closer match to fresh and can go straight into the pot, but they may add extra moisture, so watch your liquid levels. Fresh is best for that true Southern texture, but either option works in a pinch!
Serve these Southern Style Green Beans with Crock Pot Beef Roast and Twice Baked Potatoes Casserole for a classic family dinner perfect for Sunday supper or entertaining.
Ingredients Needed To Make The Best Green Beans
- Bacon: The heart of Southern comfort cooking, bacon brings an irresistible rich, smoky flavor.
- Fresh Green Beans: They bring a fresh, earthy flavor that balances beautifully with the richness of bacon.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: This flavor enhancer adds a light vegetable sweetness or a hearty chicken depth to the beans.
- Garlic Powder: A convenient and quick way to add a warm, slightly spicy undertone.
- Salt: Salt brings out the natural flavors of your ingredients. It is the essential seasoning that sharpens and defines all the other tastes in your dish.
- Black Pepper: Adds a slight kick and complexity, and pepper introduces a subtle warmth that perfectly complements the savory notes of bacon and the freshness of the green beans.
How To Cook Fresh Green Beans, Southern Style
- In a heavy-bottom pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Add green beans to the bacon drippings and sauté over medium-high heat until bright green. Pour in broth, then season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in the cooked bacon.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve warm.
What Kind Of Green Beans Are Best To Use?
Choosing beans that can withstand the long cooking process without turning mushy is important.
- Blue Lake Bush – is known for its crispiness and sweet flavor.
- Kentucky Wonder – easy to grow and great for canning or cooking fresh.
- Half Runners – a cross between a bush and green beans that are great to make “snap beans” cooked fresh or canned.
How Long Should I Cook Green Beans On The Stove?
Southern-style green Beans get their distinct, melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavor from being slow-cooked on the stove. Generally, you’ll want to simmer the beans on a low heat setting for about an hour for the most flavor-infused results. This cooking duration allows the ingredients, to be thoroughly cooked into the dish, resulting in terrific flavor and great to serve with any main dish.
Commonly Asked Questions
A slow cooker is a great tool for making Southern Style Green Beans. You can follow the same recipe, setting your slow cooker on low for about 4-6 hours, or until the beans are tender and flavorful.
If you don’t have bacon grease, season the beans with other fats like butter, olive oil, or even rendered sausage fat for a unique flavor. You can also use smoked turkey necks or ham hocks.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. They can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Of My Favorite Green Bean Recipes
What To Serve With Southern Green Beans
There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal with these green beans, baby red potatoes, and Crock Pot Chicken Thighs. They’re also perfect for a Sunday supper buffet with Slow-Cooker Beef Roast, Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Southern-Fried Corn, and Garlic Rolls.
More Classic Southern Recipes
If you tried this Southern Style Green Bean Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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 the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
- Add green beans to the 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 the stock and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add bacon pieces back to the 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.
Video
Notes
- Store any leftover seasoned green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- A slow cooker is a great tool for making Southern Style Green Beans. You can follow the same recipe, setting your slow cooker on low for about 4-6 hours or until the green beans are tender and flavorful.
- If you don’t have bacon grease, you can season the beans with other fats like butter, olive oil, or even rendered sausage fat for a unique flavor. You can also use smoked turkey necks or ham hocks.
Nutrition
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My family and I love these. I cooked exactly per the recipe, except I let them cook for about an hour and a half. They were still a bit too crunchy for us at one hour. Still, a great recipe. Very tasty and a great side for any meat.
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for leaving a kind review! ~Donya
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving this year (instead of roasted Brussels sprouts) and it was a BIG hit! It’s now going to be part of my regular rotation. I think next Thanksgiving I’ll need to double the recipe, though It was gobbled up way too quickly this year.
Thank you so much, Don! I’m thrilled this recipe was a hit and so happy you are cooking with me.
Merry Christmas,
~Donya
Love it!! After years in NYC, LA, Europe & now The OC, This recipe really was a wonderful southern Reminder of home cooking with my grandma in the downhome kitchen, after picking fresh green beans in the garden & getting fresh bacon from a friend’s Hog farm in Arkansas! We always put Louisiana Gold Pepper sauce on the beans at the table to kick up the flavor just a touch! Thanks for your attention to so many details & giving options for lots of other ways to do this great side dish!
WOW!
Malita, this is the best comment. Thank you so much for taking time to share with me.
Best wishes,
~Donya
We have made beas very similar to this for ever. I’m 70 and it came from my mom’s family. We cook the bacon , remove it, and then cook diced onions in the fat drippings. We then add beans, raw or canned or frozen, and the broth, and cook until tender. In the last 10-15 minutes we add a 2-4 tablespoons of vinegar and then add the bacon just before serving.