Canned Green Beans with Bacon Recipe
Make the best canned green beans recipe! The flavor of bacon combined with these tender veggies makes for a delicious, easy side dish!
If you need a quick, easy way to make the best canned green beans recipe, this is it!
Adding bacon makes it feel like an impressive gourmet side dish for any meal.
Canned vegetables are a quick, budget-friendly way to serve vegetables. But sometimes, the flavor can be a little lackluster.
Enter this canned green bean recipe. It’s the perfect side for a quick dinner that’s on the table in under 30 minutes.
And I (Rebecca of Good Things Baking) love being able to serve my family a vegetable that I know they’ll enjoy.
The same goes for my canned corn recipe; it’s a budget-friendly staple that can be made deliciously by following a few easy steps.
Canned Green Bean Ingredients
Green beans
Sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Slices of bacon — Optional: Cut into 1” pieces.
Olive oil
Different Kinds of Canned Green Beans
When you’re at the grocery store, the different kinds of green beans can be confusing.
Any kind of green beans will work for this recipe but look for a variety with only green beans, water, and salt listed as ingredients.
The simpler the ingredients, the better the green beans taste after being cooked. Some of the different varieties are:
Cut Green Beans — They’re the most common kind you’ll find. Cut green beans have been cut into bite-sized pieces.
Whole Green Beans — These green beans have had the ends trimmed off but are otherwise whole.
French Cut — These green beans a thinly cut or julienned. They’ll take less time to cook than whole green beans.
How to Cook Canned Green Beans With Bacon
Preparing the Bacon
Step 1 — Cut 3 slices of regular bacon or 2 slices of thick-cut bacon into pieces.
Step 2 — Place them in the bottom of a skillet and cook them over medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes to ensure that each piece is cooked.
Step 3 — When all of the bacon is cooked and crispy (this should take about 5 minutes), turn off the heat and remove the bacon bits from the pan to a separate dish.
Step 4 — Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
Cooking the Canned Green Beans
Step 5 — Open the can of green beans and drain them, leaving 1/3 to a 1/2 of the liquid in the can.
Step 6 — In a small bowl, stir a bit of salt together with the pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
Don’t add a lot of salt since you will be tasting the beans and can add more after cooking. This is important for avoiding over-salted green beans.
Step 7 — Add the can of green beans with the liquid that wasn’t drained into the pan with the bacon grease.
Step 8 — Sprinkle the seasonings over them and cook the beans over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon bits over the green beans and serve them immediately.
We have a great meatloaf recipe you can serve with this.
Making Canned Green Beans Southern Style
Southern-style green beans are unique in that they’re cooked until very soft and tender.
There’s no crunch or snap left, which means that they’re a perfect way to use canned green beans!
To make Southern-style green beans, don’t drain off the liquid. Add them to a pot with all of the canning liquid and season with salt and pepper.
Instead of garlic and onion powder, add 1/4 cup of diced onions and 1 clove of crushed fresh garlic.
Over high heat, bring to a boil.
Once they’ve boiled, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook them until the liquid has evaporated.
Cooking times will vary depending on how many cans of beans you make. But it should take 15-20 minutes.
Once all of the liquid has cooked off, remove the green beans from the heat.
Stir in the bacon pieces.
Serve the southern-style green beans immediately.
Variations for Canned Green Beans with Bacon
— Add a new dimension of flavor with red pepper flakes. Just a sprinkle will do.
— Add minced garlic for an extra boost of flavor. Make sure to mince the garlic so that it is well distributed and doesn’t overpower the other flavors in your dish.
— Green beans (steamed) from frozen
— Balsamic vinegar can be added to create a unique flavor.
— Instead of using bacon strips, you can use bacon bits. They’ll add a delicious savory flavor without the hassle of cutting up bacon strips.
Are Canned Green Beans Good for You?
Canned green beans are a great source of nutrients like fiber and vitamins A and C.
They can be a healthy addition to your diet, but be sure to check the labels carefully.
Some brands add salt or other unhealthy ingredients.
Green beans are also a good source of protein, making them a perfect food for vegetarians and vegans.
Canned green beans can be a healthy and delicious addition to your diet.
Recipe Notes and Tips
— These canned green beans are gluten, dairy, and nut-free.
— If you want to make this recipe vegan, opt for olive oil and skip the bacon and bacon grease.
— Depending on the brand you buy, canned green beans can be on the salty side.
— If you want to keep them low sodium, you can opt for cans of low or no-salt green beans.
— Also, skipping the bacon and bacon grease is another great way to reduce saltiness.
Dishes That Pair Well
Green beans are the perfect side dish that goes with almost anything. Check out a few of our favorite entrees below to serve with canned green beans —
Best Canned Green Bean Recipe
Equipment
- Can opener
- Small pot
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 14.5 oz green beans 1 can
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2-3 slice bacon optional, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Nutrition
Notes
- 3 servings per can of green beans
- These canned green beans are gluten, dairy, and nut-free.
- If you want to make this recipe vegan, opt for olive oil and skip the bacon and bacon grease.
- Depending on the brand you buy, canned green beans can be on the salty side. If you want to keep them low sodium, you can opt for cans of low or no-salt green beans. Also, skipping the bacon and bacon grease is another great way to reduce saltiness.
Instructions
How to prepare the bacon:
- Cut 3 slices of regular bacon or 2 slices of thick-cut bacon into 1" pieces.
- Place the cut bacon at the bottom of a skillet and cook them over medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure that each piece is cooked.
- When all of the bacon is cooked and crispy (this should take about 5 minutes), turn off the heat and remove the bacon bits from the pan to a separate dish.
- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
How to cook the canned green beans:
- Open the can of green beans and drain them, leaving 1/3 to a 1/2 of the liquid in the can.
- In a small bowl, stir a bit of salt together with the pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Don’t add a lot of salt, since you will be tasting the beans and can add more after cooking. This is important for avoiding over-salted green beans.
- Add the can of green beans with the liquid that wasn’t drained into the pan with the bacon grease.
- Sprinkle the seasonings over them and cook the beans over medium-high heat until the liquid hascompletely evaporated.
- Sprinkle the cooked bacon bits over the green beans, and serve them right away
Don’t forget to share your canned green beans with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? Find them all right here, with a few dinner ideas to go along with them!
Dinner Ideas
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