Smothered Green Beans

41 Days(s) Ago 👁 199

Smothered Green Beans Recipe.Officially the next best thing since green bean casserole, this Southern side features tender green beans and smoky bacon. Then smother that in a savory sauce with a touch of sweetness for mindblowing flavor! 🤯

Green beans and bacon are already an amazing combo but smother them in a spectacular sauce, and youve got something heavenly. The smothering sauce is a flavorful combo of soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth that will knock your socks off.

This Southern side dish tastes spectacular and is easy to make, too! It comes together quickly, and its easy to double or triple the recipe, perfect for feeding a crowd.

Smothered Green Beans - Canned or Fresh?

Fresh, frozen, and canned green beans work for this recipe. However, I prefer the extra crunch fresh green beans bring to the table. But when theyre out of season, I do use the canned or frozen variety. Either way, they taste fantastic.

Ingredient List

Green Beans- Get enough green beans to serve your crowd, and then well jazz them up with the other ingredients.

Baconadds salty, savory, smoky flavors that are unbeatable. Besides, bacon bits make an excellent garnish for Instagram-worthy photos.

Butter- No Southern meal is complete without butter, and this dish is no exception.

Aromatics- Onion and garlic add flavor and aroma to an already fantastic side.

Smothering Sauce- Brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth make a savory, slightly tangy, slightly sweet smothering sauce that will make your mouth water. 🤤

How to Make Smothered Green Beans

FryBacon- Add chopped bacon to a large, deep skillet and cook until crispy. Take the bacon out of the skillet and set aside. Drain the bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
SauteAromatics- Add the butter and let it melt. Then add onions and garlic, stir, and saute until fragrant.
Assemble- Next, add the green beans, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, and half the cooked bacon. (Reserve the rest for garnishing).
Simmer- Bring to a boil, cover, and let it simmer on medium-low for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Season- 10 minutes before its done cooking, season with salt and pepper. Add more stock for a saucier dish.
Serve- Adjust the sauce thickness and seasoning to taste and serve hot with your favorite chicken, fish, or meat dish.

Recipe Variations

Vegan. Simply leave out the bacon and use olive oil instead of butter.

Gluten-free. Swap the soy sauce with a gluten-free alternative like tamari.

One-pot meal.Add potatoes and sausage for a tasty Southern smothered green beans with potatoes.

Cajun smothered green beans. Add a teaspoon of Cajun spices with the rest of your seasonings.

Tips and Tricks

Trim the woody ends of the beans. Theyll look more uniform and be easier to eat, too.

Take care not to overcook the beans. They should be just fork tender. 😅

Dont add salt until the end, when you can give it a taste test. Bacon and soy sauce are pretty salty, so you might not need any extra salt.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Save time by smothering the green beans the day before and storing them in the fridge. Theyll last 3-5 days and taste just as fresh when reheating them on the stovetop. The same goes for the leftovers. Freezing cooked green beans changes the texture, so be aware they may be slightly mushy.

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