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If you’re looking for an easy holiday side dish that looks impressive with very little effort, these bacon-wrapped green beans are exactly what you need. They’re one of my favorite vegetable side dishes to serve for Christmas, but honestly, they’re just as delicious with a Sunday roast or a summer barbecue.
The combination is wonderfully simple: crisp-tender green beans, smoky bacon, fresh thyme and garlic. Four everyday ingredients that come together to make a side dish everyone will want seconds of.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Apart from the fact that these are slightly old-fashioned but still so very tasty they are also:
- Perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner
- Easy to prepare ahead of time
- A great way to make green beans a little more exciting
- Crispy bacon and delicious green beans are a winning combination!
Recipe Ingredients
- Haricots verts (French green beans) – I like using haricots verts because they’re thinner and longer than regular green beans, making them easier to wrap. Regular green beans work perfectly well too.
- Bacon – Choose thin, long slices rather than thick-cut bacon. Thin bacon crisps up much faster and wraps around the beans more easily.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds lots of flavor to the butter. Garlic powder can also be used if that’s what you have, but add it later to prevent it from burning.
- Fresh thyme – Adds a subtle earthy flavor that pairs very well with both the bacon and the green beans. Rosemary also works well if you prefer.
- Butter and olive oil – The butter gives extra flavour while the olive oil helps prevent it from burning.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Step 1: Cook the beans
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the green beans for about 4-5 minutes. You want them to be tender but still slightly crisp, as they’ll continue cooking in the skillet later.
Drain well and let them cool until they’re easy to handle.
Step 2: Make the bundles
Divide the beans into small bundles of about five or six beans each. Wrap one slice of bacon around each bundle. If needed, secure the bacon with kitchen twine or a toothpick while cooking.
Step 3: Cook the bundles
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for about a minute until fragrant.
Add the green bean bundles and cook, turning regularly, until the bacon is golden brown and crispy on all sides. Serve immediately.
An Even Easier Version
Don’t feel like wrapping individual bundles? No problem.
Simply cut the bacon into small pieces and fry it until crispy. Remove most of the excess fat if necessary, then add the garlic and thyme. Toss in the cooked green beans and stir everything together. You get exactly the same delicious flavors in a fraction of the time. It looks a bit like the garlic green beans.
Tips for the Best Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
- Don’t overcook the beans during the first cooking step. They should still have a little bite.
- Thin bacon works much better than thick-cut bacon, as it crisps before the beans become too soft.
- Small bundles are easier to wrap and cook more evenly.
- These can be assembled several hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them.
Storage
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or air fryer until the bacon crisps up again.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the beans lose much of their texture after thawing.
FAQ Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Yes! Wrap the beans in the bacon up to a day ahead and store them covered in the refrigerator. I like to use plastic wrap in this case so the bacon doesn’t dry out. Cook them just before serving.
Absolutely. Bake them at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the bacon is crisp.
Fresh green beans work best because they stay firmer. Frozen beans tend to release more moisture and become softer.
They’re delicious with roast turkey, glazed ham, roast chicken, pork chops or a juicy steak. Add some roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and you’ve got an easy holiday dinner.
Like wrapping things in bacon? Make sure to check the bacon-wrapped meatloaf as well!
Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Ingredients
- 500 grams French green beans (haricot vert)
- 100 grams bacon in thin and long slices
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves rustled
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Cook the green beans until tender about 10-15 minutes.
- Drain and let cool slightly. Now grab about 5 beans each and wrap a slice of bacon around them. If necessary, use kitchen twine to secure it or a toothpick. (Rope sticks best)
- Now heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté briefly. Turn down the heat slightly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the haricots verts rolls and fry until the bacon is golden brown. Serve immediately
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
