These Southern-Style Green Beans are made with fresh green beans and they’re cooked until they’re soft and tender. Added bacon gives them a delicious smoky flavor. This Southern comfort food side can’t be beat!
Have you guys ever tried Southern-Style Green Beans? If not, you’ve totally been missing out!
This is one of our favorite sides to serve when we smoke a pork shoulder on the Traeger, but they’re equally as delicious as a side for chicken, beef or fish.
Southern-style green beans differ from northern-style because they’re not meant to be crisp. They’re slow-cooked until they’re silky and super tender.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
I don’t know about you guys, but anything with bacon and I’m totally in. For this recipe, you’ll cook the bacon first and then cook your onions in the bacon fat before adding your broth and beans, so that smoky, savory flavor really shines through.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- thick-cut bacon
- yellow onion
- garlic
- crushed red pepper flakes
- fresh green beans
- low-sodium chicken broth
- coarse kosher salt
- fresh thyme sprigs
- bay leaf
- salted butter
Step-By-Step Instructions
The first step is to cook your diced bacon in a large Dutch oven until it’s nice and crispy. You’ll remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
The second step is to add your onions to the same pot with the bacon drippings and cook the onions until they’re translucent, about 4-5 minutes, followed by your garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and continue to cook another minute until fragrant.
The third step is to add your beans, chicken broth, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. You’ll want to bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the beans are very tender, about 40 minutes.
The last step is to add in your bacon and butter and cook, stirring often until the butter is melted, about 1 minute. Then you’ll remove the pot from the heat and remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf and serve with a slotted spoon.
These beans are delicious with pork, beef, chicken…you name it. You’re gonna love ’em!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Southern-Style Green Beans
You need to use fresh green beans for this recipe. No canned beans.
I cook mine on low for 40 minutes and the beans are the consistency that I really love. Everyone’s stove is a bit different, so just cook your beans intil they’re nice and soft.
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes to Enjoy
Southern-Style Green Beans
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 4 thick cut bacon slices, about one cup
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/4 ts. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp. coarse kosher salt
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp. salted butter
Instructions
- Add bacon to a large Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 9 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep rippings in Dutch oven.
- Add onion to drippings in Dutch oven, and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add onion to the Dutch oven, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook stirring constantly about 1 minute.
- Add green beans, chicken broth, salt, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover and simmer until green beans are very tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Mine were done at 40 minutes.
- Stir in the butter and cooked bacon and cook until heated through and the butter is melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my favorite, Southern Living
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