Southern Green Beans With Bacon

5 from 6 votes

These Southern green beans with bacon are tender, flavorful, and slow-cooked with garlic and onions for the ultimate easy Southern side dish.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: southern green beans with bacon

Servings: servings

Calories: 226kcal

Chop the bacon into pieces, about 1 inch in size (roughly).
Add the chopped bacon to a large saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. The bacon should be golden brown and crispy.
Add the onions to the pan with the bacon and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and put the bacon, onion, garlic mix in a bowl and set aside. Return the pan to the stovetop- do not wash it! You want all that tasty bacon flavor in the pan.
Add the green beans to the pan along with the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
Let the green beans simmer for one hour.
Strain the chicken broth from the green beans, keeping the beans in the pan and discarding the broth.
Add the onions and bacon back to the pan along with the butter.
Stir to melt the butter and mix the green beans with the onions and bacon.
Serve warm.

Cook bacon until crispy: This adds the best texture to the dish.

Use fresh green beans: They hold up better during long cooking.

Simmer low and slow: This is key for that authentic Southern texture and flavor.

Don’t skip the broth: It adds depth you won’t get from water alone.