Caramelized Bacon & Green Beans is the Easiest Holiday Side Dish… And SO Good.
Need a yummy no-stress holiday side dish recipe?
One of my favorite must-have dishes that I always make during the holidays is actually the EASIEST one to prepare – caramelized bacon & green beans! In fact, this is my favorite way to jazz up a couple of cans of green beans. You can also prepare this side dish with other meals like meatloaf, chicken, or pork chops, too!
The result is a mouth-watering casserole-type side dish with tender pieces of caramelized green beans and bacon in a simple Worcestershire sauce, for a perfect addition to a yummy turkey dinner.
Bacon and green beans are a family favorite!
It’s one of those food traditions that’s been in my extended family for generations, and for me, it doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving unless it’s there. We’ve also added traditional green bean casserole since my husband’s family always made that, so yep – we make both green bean dishes for holidays! Ha!
Eating Keto? Make sure to check out my low-carb bacon green bean bundles on Hip2Keto.com that taste similar to this dish!
Tips for making the best green beans & bacon:
- I prefer the tender texture of canned cut green beans for this idea. I have made it with frozen green beans and fresh as well. You’d need to cook/steam them first if using frozen or fresh.
- I use a simple ketchup & Worcestershire sauce mixture. If that doesn’t sound good, I’m sure you can create something similar using tomato paste and brown sugar. This idea would be easy to adapt to taste.
- Bacon makes everything better, including green beans! You’ll want to cook the bacon about halfway done on the stove for a couple of minutes, and then add it to the top of the green beans. Adding a tiny bit of that bacon grease is also a yummy addition! Afterward, everything caramelizes and is delicious.
Bacon Green Beans
yield: 8 SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINUTES
cook time: 25 MINUTES
total time: 30 MINUTES
A delicious side dish featuring mouthwatering caramelized bacon and green beans!
Ingredients
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2
Par-cook bacon about half way through. Reserve a little drizzle of bacon grease.
3
Toss the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce with the green beans in a square casserole dish. Top with the bacon and a little bit of the grease.
4
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until bacon is browned and the dish is caramelized.
Just 4 easy ingredients result in amazing green beans!
You’ll feel like you’re sitting at grandma’s kitchen table with this one, and it’s so easy to make. I love the tender bites of green beans with the salty bacon, it’s a perfect combo. If you have a larger family or want leftovers, consider doubling the recipe and it will be just as awesome. Enjoy!
Here’s what my teammate Jenna had to say after making bacon green beans:
“This is a dish I will make again for Thanksgiving…I LOVE how easy it is and that flavor is out of this world! The best part, I had all of the ingredients on hand! Also canned green beans makes this idea that much easier as you just drain and add, I love it!
The sauce is made of such simple ingredients, but it makes for such a great flavor. I love that the beans and sauce are mixed right there in the casserole dish, no fuss, no extra dishes. This is truly a perfect side dish! Yum!”
This bacon jalapeño cheeseball is a great holiday appetizer!
Lina! This looks PERFECT, thank you! Exactly what I needed. I’ve never been a fan of green bean casserole, but have always felt it “should” be on the table so I usually let someone else volunteer to bring it. This year will be pretty different and I’ll be doing 100% of the cooking, so I’ll be adding this to my list!! So happy, than you! 😊
*that should say “thank you” not “than you”
Aw yay! I think you’ll love it! Enjoy 😊
This looks great! But, Broccoli Cheese Casserole has become an expectation in this house for all holidays.
Can you share your recipe? That sounds good also
Oh sounds yummy!
Try this recipe before the holidays and you may change your mind or just add a new dish for the group.
I do this but with onions and without the ketchup. Same thing but while cooking the bacon I add the onions to cook with the bacon grease. Then add beans and Worcestershire into the bacon and onions and cook it until tender. It’s so good! I might try it with ketchup
Oh onions would be tasty too!
Why can’t I print this recipe on iPhone 12 ? There’s no print button showing It would also be nice to have print button show for tips as well
Hi Henry! There is a print option at the top and bottom of the post. If still having issues, maybe switch to desktop view. Hoping you can print it soon!
Sounds great! I just dump canned green beans (mostly drained) into a slow cooker with cut-up raw bacon and let it cook 😉 It’s a family favorite, but this spin looks interesting. Thank you! 🙂
Oh cool! That’s a convenient idea to keep warm 🙂
Love bacon but hate ketchup n hate Worcestershire sauce. Any substitutes? Or should I just pass altogether?
Hi, what can I replace for Worcestershire?
You can leave out or maybe a little soy sauce, or coconut aminos, It’s added flavor. Or you can saute some thinly sliced onion and add it instead!
I am guessing this would not be the same if I used precooked bacon?
I think it will still be good!
This could easily be keto, too!
Yep and here is my keto version! https://hip2keto.com/recipes/keto-bacon-green-beans/