This crack green beans recipe is easy to make but hard to resist. Green beans, crispy bacon, melted butter, and brown sugar all combine to make the most amazing side dish.
The best thing is that this recipe is both versatile and delicious. You’ll always have an excuse to make it!
Not everybody likes green beans or is a green bean fan. I get it.
If you mix those same beans with a sweet and savory sauce, you might be surprised. Even the biggest green bean haters are intrigued. This crack green beans recipe with bacon is a game changer and definitely a mind changer for even your pickiest eater.
Say hello to your new favorite green bean recipe.
They really go great with so many different dishes at family dinner or even a potluck dinner. This green bean dish makes regular appearances on my dinner table.
Why You’ll Love These Crack Green Beans with Bacon
- They’re quick and easy to make with easy to find, simple ingredients. Most of these are even pantry staples. It’s easy to throw together when you have a few extra cans of green beans.
- These green beans go well with a wide variety of meals.
- Family friendly. This may even be the recipe to get your picky eater to eat green beans!
- The sweet and savory glaze is the best part. It’s the perfect blend of a salty sweet sauce.
- Equally great dish for a quick weeknight dinner, family gatherings, and even holiday meals.
Ingredients for Bacon Green Beans
- Canned, cut green beans – drained
- Thick cut bacon slices – chopped
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground black pepper
Substitutions and Alterations
- You can use liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or tamari to replace the soy sauce.
- If you don’t have brown sugar you can also use coconut sugar, turbinado or other “raw” sugar. If you’re in a pinch you can even use white sugar mixed with a little molasses, maple syrup, or agave.
- You can use fresh minced garlic in addition to or instead of the garlic powder. Note that this will change the flavor dynamic slightly, and not everyone likes fresh garlic.
- I recommend thick cut regular bacon, but you could also substitute turkey bacon or even slices of ham.
How to Make These Bacon Green Beans
This is a very easy recipe to bring together with just a few simple steps.
The printable recipe card with the full details, step by step instructions, and ingredient measurements can be found at the bottom of this page.
First, make the bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and cooked all the way through.
When the bacon is done, set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate. This will drain the excess grease from the bacon pieces.
Remove the remaining bacon grease from the skillet and add the butter. Do not clean your pan between these two steps for the best bacony flavor.
Once the butter has melted, add in the brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring this to a simmer and whisk gently until combined.
Add the drained green beans to the skillet and season evenly with the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Mix the beans and seasoning well to combine the flavors all together.
Add in the cooked pieces of bacon, mix, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for this easy side dish
- Be sure the green beans are thoroughly drained. If not, they will make the entire dish watery and bland. I usually let the drained beans sit in the colander for a minute or two.
- If you are using frozen green beans they need to be thawed first. If you are using fresh beans, they need to be trimmed and steamed first.
- Remove the bacon grease before adding the butter but do not wipe the pan clean for the most bacon flavored results.
- I like to pour my extra bacon grease into a separate small bowl lined with aluminum foil. Once it cools, you can just pull it out and throw it straight in the trash.
kitchen tools to make crack green beans
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Buy Now → How to Serve Crack Beans with Bacon
This delicious side dish makes a great addition to any meal. Here a few of my favorite options for a main dish:
- Serve them as the side with Pit Boss Ribs or Oven Baked Ribs and Au Gratin Potatoes. The bacon really hits with the cheesy potatoes, and the sweetness of the beans complements the smokiness of the ribs.
- If ribs aren’t your thing, try these beans with either this smoked chicken breast or smoked beer can chicken. Finish it off with some mac and cheese or easy Instant Pot rice.
- For simpler fare, serve these amazing beans with this equally amazing homemade Hamburger Helper cheeseburger casserole copycat.
How to Store Leftover Crack Beans with Bacon
Allow any leftovers to cool completely before storing. Place in a well-sealed, airtight container in the fridge. Stored properly, these crack beans will be best for up to 3 days in the fridge.
I’m not a huge fan of freezing cooked, canned green beans. The thawed and recooked result is usually very watery and extremely soft. They can also often break into small pieces.
Reheating green beans
You can reheat these beans in the microwave or in the skillet on the stove.
In the microwave – reheat at 75-80% power for 2-3 minutes until everything is warmed through completely.
On the stove – reheat in a pan over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through.
FAQs
The shredded cut style of beans are called French cut or French style green beans.
Yes, you can use frozen green beans in this recipe. If you decide to use frozen beans, they need to be thawed first.
It will add a bit of time to the overall cooking process and total time.
The name of the dish implies the sweetened bacony green beans are very addictive.
Yes, you can use fresh green beans in this recipe. But you need to trim and steam them first. You could steam them while you cook bacon.
Other Green Bean Recipes
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Cracked Green Beans
Ingredients
- 3 14.5 oz cut green beans drained
- 8 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and cooked through.
- Set the bacon aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
- Remove the grease from skillet and add butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add in the brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and whisk until combined.
- Add the green beans to the skillet and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Mix to combine all together.
- Add in the bacon, mix, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Be sure the green beans are thoroughly drained. If not, they will make the entire dish watery and bland.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
