Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
My bacon-wrapped green beans are crispy, tender, and smoky, tossed in a garlic tomato sauce with Cajun flavors. A simple side dish that’s fancy enough for special occasions. And an ideal addition to your easy meal prep ideas, too.
When I have to cook for picky eaters, bacon is a lifesaver. There’s something about it that makes almost everything better, especially vegetables. Get a flavor glow up with this smoky, crispy ingredient.
What Bacon Does for Vegetables
Bacon delivers umami, smokiness, and crispiness. It adds depth of flavor that enhances vegetables, particularly the bitter ones, like Brussels sprouts, green beans, cabbage, greens, etc. Then the saltiness and fat deliver a flavor bomb. An added bonus is the bacon drippings, perfect for sauteing onions and garlic.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
- Blanch the green beans, then plunge them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove and drain on paper towels. (Photos 1-2)
- Bake the bacon in a 400°F (205℃) oven for 8-10 minutes or until it starts to brown on the edges while remaining soft. Remove from the oven, drain on paper towels, and let it cool. (Photos 3-4)
- Sauté the oil and onions for about a minute, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of water or stock, the Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper if desired. (Photos 5-6)
- Adjust seasonings to taste, and toss some of the sauce with the green beans. Reserve the rest of the sauce for later. (Photos 7-8)
- Cut each slice of bacon in half and place 6-8 green beans in a pile on top of each half slice of bacon. (Photos 9-10)
- Wrap them, tucking the ends or securing with a toothpick. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest. (Photo 11)
- Bake for 12-18 minutes until the bacon is crisp. (Photo 12)
- Serve: Remove the bundles from the oven, drizzle the reserved sauce over them while warm, and enjoy.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Feel free to use turkey or vegan bacon if that’s the way you roll.
- Sprinkle the green bean bundles with grated Parmesan as they come out of the oven.
- Blanching green beans keeps the vibrant green color for an attractive side dish. Canned green beans are too soft, but frozen ones work in a pinch if you can’t get fresh.
- Be careful not to cook the bacon crispy because you want to be able to roll it around the beans.
- To use the air fryer, set the temperature to 350℉ (180℃) and cook for 8-15 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked and crispy.
Making Ahead and Leftovers
Cook the bacon, make the sauce, season the beans, then wrap them in the bacon. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge with extra sauce. Bake when ready to enjoy. They’ll last 3-4 days in the fridge or the freezer for 2-3 months. Crisp them back up in the oven or air fryer.
What Pairs With Green Beans and Bacon
This side dish is perfect for regular weeknight dinners and special occasions. Roasted chicken and pot roast are good mains, while mashed or scalloped potatoes are a good accompaniment. I’ve served them with sweet potato souffle and biscuits for a light dinner.
More Easy Sides to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was first published in August 2014 and has been updated with an additional write-up, new photos, and a video.
Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) green beans, trimmed
- 6-8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
- ¼ cup (40g) chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- 1 medium tomato, diced (or a tablespoon of tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon (2g) Cajun seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by blanching the green beans in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, then plunge them in ice-cold water to cool off. Remove and drain.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205℃). Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, then arrange the bacon on it, and bake for 8-10 minutes. The bacon should just start to brown on the edges while remaining slightly undercooked and soft.
- Remove bacon from the oven, place it on a plate lined with paper towels, and let it cool. Cut each bacon slice in half.
- While the bacon is cooking, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions, and stir for a minute. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Then add about ½ cup of water or stock, Cajun seasonings, salt, and pepper as desired.
- Add a tablespoon or two of the sauce to the green beans and toss to coat.
- Wrap a half slice of bacon around 6-8 green beans, tucking the ends underneath or holding it together with a toothpick.
- Lay the green bean bundle on a baking sheet, seam-side down. Repeat until all the bacon and green beans have been wrapped.
- Bake for 12-18 minutes until bacon is crisp.
- Remove from the oven, and pour the remaining sauce over them. Enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Switch out sauce flavors: add more garlic, sriracha for more spice, a drizzle of honey for sweetness, or a grating of fresh Parmesan.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used in the recipe.
I made this for dinner last night along with your fondant potatoes & grilled steaks. My husband & son were QUIET the entire meal! Giving me looks of approval all the while. I make more of your recipes than I comment on & I’m going to change that as I LOVE how you cook. Not brave enough to add the hotter spices you use but I DO use enough to taste but not enough to burn (LOL). THANK YOU for making cooking enjoyable!
You are more than welcome. Yeah, you can adjust spices as you like and if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Could I substitute Asparagus and follow recipe with liquid smoke as we eat a Biblical diet (includes no shellfish or pork). ^_^
Hi Metisse, yes you can try it 🙂 Let us know how it turns out.
These look amazing. I am wondering if you are missing a step in your instructions…? Are you supposed to wrap the beans with the semi-cooked bacon, and then roast the bundles in the oven to finish cooking?
Silly me! Thanks William, appreciate you pointing that out! Recipe updated.Please let me know how you like it.
i sweat bacon makes anything taste better.. love the idea of bundling the beans. definitely something i will be trying!
I’m confused. Before bundling,you toss the beans in a little of the sauce? Then bundle in the bacon. Do they go back in the oven with the remainder of the sauce? I’m sick and am in a fog so perhaps a little too dense at the moment!
Yes, you toss with a little bit of sauce. Then bundle the bacon . Add some sauce, not all, to the baking pan and roast. After roasting , you serve with the remaining sauce.
Thanks!! Going to try these tonight on my hub and 12 year old daughter. They despise all veggies!
Tracee, please let me know how it works with your family.
Rachel, am with you on this one!
Yes, everything definitely tastes better with bacon – oh, I love this recipe beans, bacon & tomatoes – roll on bean season – winter down here!