This Green Beans and Bacon Recipe is filled with bacon, garlic, onions, brown sugar, and a splash of bourbon! Cooking green beans on the stovetop is a quick and easy way to make veggies for your meal, and they turn out perfectly in just 20 minutes. It’s the easiest green bean side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another holiday!
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What’s in this Bourbon Bacon Green Beans recipe?
This green beans recipe with bacon is my favorite for Thanksgiving! It’s so quick and easy to make in a skillet on the stovetop, and it’s just delicious.
- Green Beans: For the best flavor and a nice crisp bite, use fresh green beans for this recipe. Clean and trim the ends before cooking.
- Bacon: Chunky pieces of bacon add texture and delicious flavor.
- Onion: Use sweet yellow onion, diced.
- Garlic: Minced garlic adds savory, aromatic flavor. I used 1 clove, but you can add as much as you like.
- Bourbon: A few tablespoons of bourbon adds a splash of rich flavor, with a hint of sweet vanilla.
- Brown Sugar: This adds a deep, sweet flavor to the green beans. I recommend using dark brown sugar!
- Water: This helps to steam the green beans as they cook in the skillet.
- Spices: Use a little bit of salt and pepper to taste, and some red pepper flakes to add a little heat.
Pro Tip: Be sure to keep the bacon grease in the skillet after it finishes cooking because you’ll want to use it to cook the green beans, onion, and garlic!
Variations on Green Beans with Bacon
Cooking these bacon green beans in a skillet is so simple, and you can make a few quick swaps to make it work for you.
Add pre-cooked bacon crumbles at the end, instead of cooking your bacon at the start. You can use olive oil or butter instead of bacon grease. And chicken broth can be used instead of water to help steam the beans. You can also add caramelized onions for even more flavor–just sauté longer, or make them ahead of time.
If you’re looking for more add-in ideas, try adding feta crumbles or chopped and toasted nuts to serve.
Yes. Start by cooking the bacon, then set it aside. Cook the green beans in the same skillet, and add the bacon back in at the end.
This skillet green beans recipe will take 20 minutes start to finish. The beans should take a total of about 15 minutes to cook. Add a few extra minutes if you want softer green beans.
The bourbon adds a rich, deep sweetness with hints of vanilla and caramel that really complements the green beans and bacon. You can use whiskey instead, or skip it entirely, but I highly recommend using it.
When cooking fresh green beans, you’ll want to start by washing and trimming them. Use a paring knife or Chef’s knife to cut off the stems/tough ends. To make it quick, grab a bundle of beans, line up the stems, and chop.
You’ll only need to cover the skillet of green beans for about 2 minutes of cook time, right after adding the water–this will help them steam and soften a little bit. Other than that, cook them uncovered.
Yes! I love using fresh green beans, but you can start with frozen. Thaw them ahead of time if you want it to cook fast. If cooking from frozen, you’ll just need to cook them longer.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover green beans and bacon in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze skillet green beans in an airtight, freezer-safe container or resealable bag. They will taste best if eaten within 4 months. Thaw them overnight in the freezer before reheating, or reheat directly from frozen (though they will take longer to warm through).
Serving Suggestions (Green Beans for Thanksgiving!)
This green beans recipe is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holidays! The mix of brown sugar, bacon, and bourbon create a cozy flavor that complements main dishes like honey baked ham, Thanksgiving turkey, beef tenderloin, and stuffed pork loin.
5-Star Review
“I just found this recipe tonight and made these beans – a HUGE hit! They were marvelous and so simple to make. I plan to make them for Thanksgiving this year. I used bacon bits as was too lazy to fry up bacon and it worked just fine. The crushed red pepper cut down the sweetness nicely and was a great melding.” – Dinny
Green Beans Recipe with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon diced and cooked until crispy
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pound green beans cleaned and ends trimmed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Cut bacon into ½” pieces, then place in 12-inch skillet and cook until crisp, but not burned. Remove from bacon grease (save grease) and set aside bacon to use as garnish.4 strips bacon
- Add onion to bacon grease and sauté until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook just until garlic blooms (softens and releases it’s oil) approximately 15-30 seconds.1 medium sweet yellow onion, 1 clove garlic
- Add green beans, black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes then cook until the beans begin to show brown spots, 6-8 minutes over medium heat.1 pound green beans, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- Add water, cover, and cook 2 minutes. Beans should still be bright green and crisp.¼ cup water
- Add bourbon and brown sugar and cook 4-5 minutes, uncovered, until beans are barely crisp. Stir often.3 tablespoons bourbon, 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- Taste the beans and add salt, if needed.
- Sprinkle beans with crisped bacon and serve.
- ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
I made these for a wine dinner group I’m a part of. They were delicious! None left in the bowl, none left on a plate, and the extra sauce in the bottom of the bowl was an added touch to the barbecued turkey. Will make this many times over.
Would love to make this as a thanksgiving side. Do you think I can make the night before, then just warm it up in the skillet the next day? I’m just worried about soggy beans.
Yes, this dish can be made a day ahead!
I have made this several times for my family and neighbors, ever since I stumbled on this site!!! My hubby picked up fresh French green beans today, and I’m trying that now!
We’re so happy to hear you love this recipe, Chris!
Absolutely delicious! They were an instant hit. This is a keeper.
So glad to hear you loved this recipe, Barb!
Beans are boring but my Dad wanted a bean dish for Christmas dinner. Made this and wow! ALL the kids and adults ate every last delicious bite. Am definitely keeping this recipe in my “VEGGIES CAN ROCK” file!
Love to hear it, Lara!!
Made this tonight. Was looking for a new green bean recipe. This hit the spot. I may add a salty cheese like Feta next time I make it, but it really doesn’t need any tweaks. Thanknyou!
Feta sounds amazing!
What brand of bourbon do you use for this
Anything I have on hand, honestly not too picky!