Skillet Green Beans
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Elevate your side dish game with this mouthwatering Skillet Green Beans recipe. These crisp-tender green beans are sautéed and then steamed to perfection with the vibrant flavors of red bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Top it off with some crumbly bacon and you’ll be coming back for seconds!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only has 5 main ingredients. Simple side dishes like our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon are always a hit because of their simplicity.
- The flavor is unmatched. Other skillet green bean recipes lack flavor and texture. Not ours! You will also love our Bacon Wrapped Green Beans and our Garlicky Green Beans.
- It’s a healthy side dish. We love to make vegetables delicious.
- It’s cooked in one pan. We know you don’t need extra dishes! Similar to our Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies, this recipe only requires one dish.
Ingredients
Green beans are the main event in this recipe.
But without the help of a few other players, they wouldn’t taste nearly as good. Here is what you need to take Skillet Green Beans to the next level.
Ingredient Notes:
- Bacon – Cook it until it’s crisp. The crispiness adds texture to this dish when it’s sprinkled on top.
- Bell Pepper – An orange bell pepper could be a substitution. A colorful bell pepper makes this dish more appealing to the senses.
How to Make Skillet Green Beans
Cook the Bacon
Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 4 pieces of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon but leave the grease.
Sauté the onions and garlic
Add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir the whole time so the garlic doesn’t burn. This gives these aromatics a jumpstart on releasing their flavors.
Add in the Remaining Ingredients
Add in the green beans and give them a toss, so they get coated by the bacon grease, onion, and garlic.
Then toss in the bell pepper, chicken stock, and give it all a stir. Season with the salt and pepper at this point.
Cook the Green Beans
Once the vegetable mixture starts to simmer, cover them with a lid but leave a small crack so steam can escape.
Cook until vegetables are fork tender. Usually takes about 15-20 minutes (but sometimes longer depending on your green beans). Check regularly.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon on top and enjoy!
Recipes That Go Well With Skillet Green Beans
FAQs
Yes, if you are using a large skillet, doubling the recipe should be no problem. Increase the cooking time as needed.
This recipe is best fresh. The green beans don’t hold their shape as well when cooled and reheated.
No, you can omit the bacon. Use oil or butter to sauté the vegetables instead. You’ll also need to add a little more salt.
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Skillet Green Beans
Have a picky eater in your house? Try these crowd-pleasing green beans. A touch of bacon grease and a combo of fresh veggies makes a delicious side dish!
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it’s crispy. Remove bacon but leave the grease behind.
- To the hot bacon grease, add the garlic and onions and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time.
- Add in the green beans and toss until they are combined with the onion mixture.
- To the skillet, add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring it to a simmer.
- Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape.
- Cook until the beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. They should be fork tender. Usually takes about 15-20 minutes (but sometimes longer depending on your green beans). Check regularly.
- Sprinkle the cooked and crumbled bacon over the top before serving. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as desired.
Notes/Tips
- Fresh green beans are the only type that will work for this recipe.
- If chicken stock evaporates before beans are done, just add more.
- If not using bacon, you can sauté the veggies in oil or butter. Just add a little more salt at the end.
These are absolutely delicious!
How would you adjust this for frozen green beans?
I haven’t tested it with frozen green beans, so I’m not sure. Sorry!
These are my favorite green beans ever.