Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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These garlic parmesan green beans are perfectly crispy, cooked in a skillet alongside some delicious bacon and make the best side dish that you can pair with any meal!

This side dish goes perfectly with my Garlic Herb Prime Rib, Spinach Bacon Stuffed Pork, or even this Honey Glazed Ham!

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon - The Recipe Critic (1)

Crispy Green Beans Recipe

Green beans make such a great side to any meal. But when you add garlic, parmesan, and bacon, I could eat this by myself. These green beans were crisp and tender, and the flavor was incredible.

Bacon makes life better in general, so it was a total win in this green bean dish. My family devoured these green beans, and they ended up being the star of the dinner table. Use them as a side, along with some rolls and mashed potatoes and your holiday meal will be a hit!

Ingredients in Parmesan Green Beans

The not-so-secret ingredient in these green beans is the bacon. It takes them to the next level, and even the people in your life who aren’t a fan of green beans will love this recipe! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact ingredient measurements.

  • Green Beans: The main ingredient of the dish! Wash the beans and cut off all of your ends before cooking them.
  • Bacon: There is 1/2 pound of bacon in this recipe so you will get that delicious flavor in every bite.
  • Butter: I used unsalted butter with these beans.
  • Garlic Cloves: If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use minced garlic. 1/2 teaspoon equals about one clove.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan in this recipe.
  • Salt and Pepper: These enhance all of the flavors in this casserole!

How to Make Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

This recipes is so easy and will take you less than 20 minutes to make! No baking necessary!

  1. Start by trimming the ends of your green beans and slice them into 2-inch pieces.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes, and drain and put the green beans in an ice bath.
  3. In a medium-sized skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the fat.
  4. Add the butter to the skillet and garlic and saute until tender.
  5. Add bacon, green beans, and parmesan cheese to the skillet and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon - The Recipe Critic (2)

Different Ways to Cook Fresh Green Beans

There are many ways to prepare fresh green beans. Some people like to cut the ends off of green beans, and others are just fine without doing so. It’s a matter of personal preference.

  • Boil:I cut off the ends of my green beans and slice into 2-inch pieces. I then put the Green Beans into a large pot and boil until they are tender (which is typically between 5-8 minutes).
  • Saute: Start by trimming the green beans to your preference. With the green beans, add a Splash of Oil to a skillet on medium heat with desired spices and stir for about 5 minutes or until tender.
  • Steam: With a Steaming basket place it into a large saucepan with water filled level with the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring to a Boil. Add your trimmed green beans to the steamer basket with the lid on, and steam for about 5 minutes or until tender.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon - The Recipe Critic (3)

Do I Have to Cook the Bacon First?

You want to make sure that you start the process of cooking the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is about halfway cooked through, and then add the green beans. The grease doesn’t have to be drained. It will help cook the green beans. I like my bacon more on the crispy side, so I cook the bacon pretty crispy and remove it while I am cooking the green beans. I add the bacon back in when the dish is finished.

How to Store Leftover Parmesan Green Beans

Once your green beans have cooled then you can store them in an airtight container in your fridge. They will last about 3-4 days. When you are ready to eat them you can either reheat them on the stove or in the microwave.

More Holiday Side Dishes

Rolls

1-Hour Rolls

1 hr 3 mins

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Cranberry Cheesecake Fluff

4 hrs 10 mins

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Dad’s Famous Mashed Potatoes

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Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon

5 from 8 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon is such a delicious and classic side dish. Tender green beans cooked in garlic and parmesan with added bacon will be a winner at the dinner table!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Start by trimming the ends of your green beans and slice them into 2-inch pieces.

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes, and drain and put the green beans in an ice bath.

  • In a medium-sized skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the fat.

  • Add the butter to the skillet and garlic and saute until tender.

  • Add bacon, green beans, and parmesan cheese to the skillet and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

Originally Posted on November 17, 2018

Updated on November 3, 2023

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 158mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 568IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What makes green beans taste better? ›

I added some sliced onion sautéed along with the green beans, added some garlic paste from the tube (Gourmet Garden®), some freshly-ground black pepper, and a healthy sprinkle of lemon pepper. Wow, so simple and yet soooo delicious.

What is the best tasting green bean? ›

Maxibel ~ If you only get one bush bean variety, make it Maxibel. This is a full-size (7-inch pods) French filet bean that has straight, dark green pods. A very gourmet-type bean, Maxibel has a flavor that can't be beat.

How do you cook Jamie Oliver green beans? ›

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, trim the the beans. Once the water is boiling, steam or boil the beans until tender. Drain well, then tip the cooked beans into the bowl with your dressing and toss everything together, making sure all the beans get coated.

Why do French cut green beans taste better? ›

The main different is the texture. Because French cut green beans are sliced so thinly they cook up silky and tender. The slicing also turns the veggie from a tube to a strip, which helps the beans absorb the flavors they're cooked with (more on that below).

What is the difference between Italian green beans and regular green beans? ›

Libby's Cut Italian Green Beans start as fresh plump, firm pods – that are flatter and wider than traditional green beans – and then are cut into bite-sized lengths for a classic look and deliciously mild, subtly nutty-sweet flavor and crisp-tender texture.

Why do restaurant beans taste better? ›

While lard has been replaced with vegetable oil or shortening in many households, the distinct richness and velvety texture it imparts to a skillet of refried beans is hard to beat. The closest substitute for lard is bacon grease, which is another form of rendered pork fat that's arguably even more flavorful.

How to fancy up green beans? ›

Then, I toss the blanched beans with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt to pep up their flavor. Serve them just like that, or dress them up more with toasted almonds or pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme.

What do you call fancy green beans? ›

French green beans (also called Haricots Verts) are slightly longer and skinnier than regular green beans and may be a little bit more expensive. They are harvested earlier then regular green beans, so they are thought to be more tender and more flavorful.

What bean tastes most like meat? ›

Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)

They're also extremely versatile and are often used as a substitute for meat. Recently many companies began using chickpeas to replace white flour in pasta and pizza crusts.

What is the most beautiful bean in the world? ›

Without question, however, the rightful heir to our regal Hyacinth Bean is the Snail Flower (Vigna caracalla). Despite its common name, Jefferson justly called it "The most beautiful bean in the world." Its seeds ripen slowly and, for the past two years, we have not succeeded in beating the first killing frosts.

How to infuse flavor into green beans? ›

Soy sauce is one of the easiest answers to how to flavor green beans. You can throw in some of this soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, and garlic and pan fry until glassy and green and you may never want to eat green beans any other way again.

Should you rinse canned green beans before cooking? ›

Draining and rinsing canned beans can reduce their sodium content by more than 40%. But taking just a few extra minutes is key to getting the most benefit. First, drain beans in a colander for two minutes. Then rinse the beans under cool running water for 10 seconds.

Is it better to steam or boil green beans? ›

Why Steam Instead of Boil Green Beans? Because it's faster. One inch of water takes a fraction of the time to come up to a boil compared to a full pot of water. Also, less nutrients are leached out of the green beans when they steam compared to when they're fully submerged in boiling water.

How are commercial green beans processed? ›

The beans are usually washed in large tanks filled with water and then drained. The next step is blanching. Blanching is a process in which the beans are briefly boiled in hot water and then plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps to preserve the beans' color, texture, and flavor.

What's the difference between green beans and French green beans? ›

French green beans (also called Haricots Verts) are slightly longer and skinnier than regular green beans and may be a little bit more expensive. They are harvested earlier then regular green beans, so they are thought to be more tender and more flavorful.

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