Smothered Green Beans Recipe. Officially the next best thing since green bean casserole, this Southern side features tender green beans and smoky bacon. Then smother that in a savory sauce with a touch of sweetness for mindblowing flavor! 🤯
Green beans and bacon are already an amazing combo but smother them in a spectacular sauce, and you’ve got something heavenly. The smothering sauce is a flavorful combo of soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth that will knock your socks off.
This Southern side dish tastes spectacular and is easy to make, too! It comes together quickly, and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Content…Canned vs. Fresh |
Smothered Green Beans – Canned or Fresh?
Fresh, frozen, and canned green beans work for this recipe. However, I prefer the extra crunch fresh green beans bring to the table. But when they’re out of season, I do use the canned or frozen variety. Either way, they taste fantastic.
Ingredient List
- Green Beans – Get enough green beans to serve your crowd, and then we’ll jazz them up with the other ingredients.
- Bacon adds salty, savory, smoky flavors that are unbeatable. Besides, bacon bits make an excellent garnish for Instagram-worthy photos.
- Butter – No Southern meal is complete without butter, and this dish is no exception.
- Aromatics – Onion and garlic add flavor and aroma to an already fantastic side.
- Smothering Sauce – Brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth make a savory, slightly tangy, slightly sweet smothering sauce that will make your mouth water. 🤤
How to Make Smothered Green Beans
- Fry Bacon – Add chopped bacon to a large, deep skillet and cook until crispy. Take the bacon out of the skillet and set aside. Drain the bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
- Saute Aromatics – Add the butter and let it melt. Then add onions and garlic, stir, and saute until fragrant.
- Assemble – Next, add the green beans, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, and half the cooked bacon. (Reserve the rest for garnishing).
- Simmer – Bring to a boil, cover, and let it simmer on medium-low for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Season – 10 minutes before it’s done cooking, season with salt and pepper. Add more stock for a saucier dish.
- Serve – Adjust the sauce thickness and seasoning to taste and serve hot with your favorite chicken, fish, or meat dish.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan. Simply leave out the bacon and use olive oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free. Swap the soy sauce with a gluten-free alternative like tamari.
- One-pot meal. Add potatoes and sausage for a tasty Southern smothered green beans with potatoes.
- Cajun smothered green beans. Add a teaspoon of Cajun spices with the rest of your seasonings.
Tips and Tricks
- Trim the woody ends of the beans. They’ll look more uniform and be easier to eat, too.
- Take care not to overcook the beans. They should be just fork tender. 😅
- Don’t add salt until the end, when you can give it a taste test. Bacon and soy sauce are pretty salty, so you might not need any extra salt.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Save time by smothering the green beans the day before and storing them in the fridge. They’ll last 3-5 days and taste just as fresh when reheating them on the stovetop. The same goes for the leftovers. Freezing cooked green beans changes the texture, so be aware they may be slightly mushy.
What Goes With Smothered Green Beans
Smothered green beans go great with just about anything. Try them with baked turkey thighs and roast garlic mashed potatoes or Southern fried catfish and scalloped potatoes. 😋
More Sensational Side Dishes to Try
Smothered Green Beans
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep cast iron skillet, add the chopped bacon, and cook until crispy. Take the bacon out of the skillet and set aside. Drain the bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
- Add the butter and let it melt. Then add onions and garlic, stir, and saute until fragrant.
- Next, add the green beans, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, and half the cooked bacon. (Reserve the rest for garnishing).
- Bring to a boil, cover, and let it simmer on medium-low for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- 10 minutes before it's done cooking, season with salt and pepper. Add more stock if you want a saucier dish.
- Adjust the sauce thickness and seasoning to taste and serve hot with your favorite chicken, fish, or meat dish.
Tips & Notes:
- Trim the woody ends of the beans. They’ll look more uniform and be easier to eat, too.
- Take care not to overcook the beans. They should be just fork tender.
- Don’t add salt until the end, when you can give it a taste test. Bacon and soy sauce are pretty salty, so you might not need any extra salt.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
droversointeru says
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I will try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your web site?
Imma says
Welcome back! I post every week.