Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
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Bacon Wrapped Green Beans make a great side dish for almost any occasion. They look fancy enough for a holiday meal or even a birthday dinner but they are easy enough to go as a side for a simple weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Like most of our recipes, the ingredients for this recipe are simple and recognizable. Here is what you’ll need:
- Fresh green beans – Similar to our Skillet Green Beans, fresh is the only option. Canned or frozen won’t work. The peak season for fresh green beans is May through September. But you can get them year-round. Here are more tips about fresh green beans.
- Bacon – Uncured bacon is the healthiest option. Be sure the bacon is NOT thick cut. Otherwise cooking time will take longer.
- Salted butter – Unsalted will work fine too. The salted butter brought a touch more flavor though.
- Brown sugar – Dark or light works.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Partially Cook the Bacon
In order to not end up with gummy bacon at the end, you want to give it a jumpstart by partially cooking it – just until the edges start to brown and it starts to shrink up.
I tested cooking the bacon in the oven for about 10 minutes. However, I found it easier to cook the bacon on the stovetop. That way you can keep a closer eye on it and cook it perfectly.
Once it’s cool enough to touch, you’ll want to cut each slice in half.
Par Cook the Green Beans
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Toss the trimmed green beans into some salted boiling water.
Let them cook for 1-2 minutes in the water and using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the beans and put them straight into a bowl of ice water. This stops them from cooking.
Cooking Tip
You’ll want to dry off the beans before wrapping them in the bacon.
A little trick I use is gently rolling them up in a hand towel.
Wrap the Green Beans in Bacon
Create small bundles of beans (5 or 6) and wrap them in the bacon. Place the bundle with the seam side down on the pan so it doesn’t unravel.
Tip: If the half piece of bacon isn’t enough to wrap around the bundle, remove a bean from it or use a toothpick to secure the bacon.
Add the Topping
As if the bacon doesn’t add enough flavor, you’re going to take Bacon Wrapped Green Beans to the next level by drizzling a butter mixture and brown sugar over the top before baking.
Melt the butter and stir in garlic powder. Brush the butter mixture over the green bean bundles. Be generous!
Lastly, sprinkle the brown sugar over the bundles.
Bake the Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Add the prepped bundles to a preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. You will have glories of little green bean bundles that are a total crowd-pleaser.
Recipe FAQs
This can be done! Just assemble them right up until baking. They should be fine in the fridge for a day or two until you are ready to bake them. Once baked, they need to be served fresh though. They don’t play nice when being reheated.
While I wish you could simply wrap some bacon around green beans and throw them in the oven, we’ve found that doesn’t work out well. By the time the bacon is done cooking, the green beans are overcooked. Plus the bacon doesn’t look crisp and it can look unappealing.
I found it easier to cook the bacon on the stovetop. That way you can keep a closer eye on it and cook it perfectly.
More Vegetable Side Dish Ideas
Here are some ideas that bacon wrapped green beans would go great with!
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Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Do you have a green bean hater in your house? Try this simple, no-fail bacon and green bean recipe. You’ll convert everyone who tries them!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 5–6 slices of bacon (Not thick cut)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Par cook the bacon. If using the stove, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon in it for just a few minutes. Right until the edges start to get brown. Remove bacon from the heat and dab to remove grease. You can also par cook bacon in the oven. It will likely be done in 5-10 minutes. Don’t over cook! Set aside. Once cooled, cut each piece in half.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil green beans for about 2 minutes, until still crisp and only partially cooked through. Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. You could also put them in a bowl of ice water.
- Wrap 5-6 green beans with 1/2 piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
- Melt the butter and stir in garlic powder. Brush the butter mixture over the green bean bundles. Be generous!
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the tops of the bundles.
- Cook 15-20 minutes until the bacon is done to your preference.
Notes/Tips
- If the half piece of bacon isn’t enough to wrap around the bundle, remove a bean from it or use a toothpick to secure the bacon.
- I tested cooking the bacon in the oven for about 10 minutes. However, I found it easier to cook the bacon on the stovetop. That way you can keep a closer eye on it and cook it perfectly.
- This recipe can be prepped in advance. Just assemble the bundles but don’t bake them until you are ready to eat.
These were delicious! Even my son, who hates fresh green beans, happily ate these. Bacon (especially with brown sugar on top) makes everything better! 🙂
So glad to hear that, Erika. I totally agree with your bacon assertion. So true!