Bacon Green Beans Recipe Is the South In Your Mouth (5 Ingredients, 20 Minutes) by Donna John

Beautiful, thick-cut, black pepper slab bacon immediately caught my attention at a local meat market, and I had to take some home. With a bag of beautiful green beans from the farmers market in a fridge, it was a no-brainer on what kind of recipe I was going to make. This black pepper bacon green beans recipe has all the flavors I love! This is one southern side dish recipe you need to try.

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

To make this quick and easy green bean recipe you will need just a few simple ingredients. Here is your short shopping list: fresh green beans (read about the health benefits of green beans), black pepper bacon, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper (check out the health benefits of black pepper). If you like things spicy, grab a bottle of your favorite hot sauce. The recipe cooks up in a skillet in about 25 minutes, depending on how tender you like your green beans.

Cooking Tip: Don't add too much water at the beginning of cooking. You want almost all the water to evaporate by the time the green beans are to your desired doneness. You can add more, but it's hard to take it out.

These rich, flavorful green beans make the perfect side dish for almost any dinner. Serve the green beans with pork, chicken, beef, seafood or lamb. Down south, we like green beans with meatloaf, steak, roasted chicken, fried chicken, pork chops and barbecued meats.

Cuisine: American / Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 slices thick slab bacon, chopped (I used black pepper bacon)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• garlic powder, to taste
• onion powder, to taste

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it's crisp and fat has rendered. (If you can't find black pepper bacon, you can use your favorite bacon.)
   
2. Add the green beans and about 1/2 cup water to the pan (you can add more as they cook, if needed). Season generously with garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt (to taste). Cook over medium heat until green beans reach your desired tenderness. (Be generous with the black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. These green beans can handle it.)
   
3. Once the green beans are to your desired doneness and just a little of the seasoned water remains in the skillet, add the butter. Cook until butter melts. Taste and add more seasonings, if needed. (When I'm feeling spicy, I like to add some Tabasco sauce at the end of cooking.)
   
4. Serve hot. Store any leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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