Southern Green Beans with Bacon
Fresh green beans slowly braised in a savory bacon-onion broth until silky, tender, and deeply flavored, the way they're served at Southern Sunday suppers. A splash of cider vinegar at the end brightens the richness.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (6 side servings)
Steps
Before you start
- This recipe is made entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed.
- Southern-style beans are cooked past crisp-tender on purpose: expect soft, silky beans, not bright green and snappy.
- Snap or trim the stem ends and cut or snap the beans into 2-inch pieces before you start heating the pot.
- Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid; the braise depends on trapped steam.
- Taste the broth before adding salt: bacon and store-bought broth are both salty.
Render the bacon
- Place the bacon pieces in a cold 5- to 6-quart pot and set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned and crisp at the edges.
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Ready when: Bacon is browned, crisp at the edges, and the bottom of the pot is coated in fat.
Tip: Starting in a cold pot renders more fat and prevents scorching.
Reserve the bacon
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- You should have about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat; pour off any excess.
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Ready when: Pot holds roughly 2–3 tablespoons of fat.
Soften the aromatics
- Return the pot to medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent with lightly golden edges.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft; garlic smells fragrant but is not browned.
Tip: Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom as the onion releases moisture; that's flavor.
Add beans and broth
- Add the green beans and stir to coat in the fat for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth, then add the sugar, black pepper, and half of the reserved bacon (save the rest for serving).
- Stir well and bring to a simmer; the broth will come about halfway up the beans.
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Ready when: Liquid reaches a steady simmer with small bubbles around the edges.
Tip: Hold off on salt until the end; the liquid reduces and concentrates.
Braise until silky
- Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes.
- The beans are done when they are olive-green, completely tender, and collapse easily when pressed with a spoon.
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Ready when: Beans are olive-green and tender enough to cut with the side of a spoon; broth is lightly syrupy.
Tip: If the pot looks dry before the beans are tender, add ¼ cup (60 ml) water.
Reduce the liquid
- Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid in the pot is reduced to a few spoonfuls of glossy sauce.
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Ready when: About ¼ cup of glossy liquid remains in the bottom of the pot.
Season and serve
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the cider vinegar, then taste and add kosher salt as needed (start with ¼ teaspoon).
- Transfer to a serving bowl with some of the pot liquor and top with the remaining crisp bacon.
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Ready when: Beans taste savory, slightly sweet, and balanced, with a bright finish.
Tip: Add the reserved bacon at the end so it stays crisp.
Good to know
Tips
- Don't rush the braise: low heat and a tight lid are what make the beans silky instead of stringy.
- Choose beans of similar thickness so they cook evenly; trim any thick, tough ones in half lengthwise.
- The finishing vinegar is what keeps the dish from tasting heavy; don't skip it.
- Use thick-cut bacon so the pieces stay meaty and don't disappear during cooking.
Make ahead
The beans can be braised through step 6 up to 2 days ahead. Cool, refrigerate with the reserved bacon stored separately, then reheat gently and finish with the vinegar, salt, and bacon just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (beans will be softer). Reheat in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of broth or water for 5 to 8 minutes, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts.
Substitutions
- thick-cut bacon → smoked turkey wings or diced ham hock meat. Add with the broth and simmer with the beans; use 2 tbsp oil or butter to sauté the onion and discard bones before serving.
- low-sodium chicken broth → vegetable broth or water. If using water, increase salt slightly at the end.
- apple cider vinegar → fresh lemon juice. Use 2 tsp for a similar brightness.
- fresh green beans → frozen cut green beans. Use 2 lb (907 g) unthawed and reduce the braising time to 25–30 minutes.
