Arkansas Green Beans and Bacon

Arkansas green beans are a sweet and savory green bean recipe. This green beans with bacon recipe is a fantastic weeknight side dish, or holiday side dish recipe! We used frozen green beans to make this recipe simple.

This sweet green bean recipe will become an instant favorite.

We had this green beans and bacon recipe years ago, and it is always one we look forward to eating. Green beans are one of our favorite veggies. A simple green bean side dish! Also another bacon favorite is our fried cabbage with bacon.

A southern-style green bean that is great next to chicken, pork, steak, etc. You will find this side dish pairs great with almost anything.

If you love green beans, try our Instant Pot green beans and potatoes recipe as well. Serve as a simple holiday recipe if you want.

You Will Love This Green Beans Recipe Because

Frozen Green Beans – we used frozen green beans for this recipe. Now you can use fresh, or canned if you like. It is versatile and you can adapt to fit your preference.

E asy Prep – So easy to throw together and get cooking in the oven!

Holiday Side or Weeknight Recipe – This recipe is versatile! Use as a holiday side dish as an alternative to a classic green bean casserole. Or a weeknight side to go next to your baked chicken.

Affordable – A budget friendly recipe that feeds a crew. We used frozen green beans for an affordable cost, and they are always just as tasty as fresh but for a fraction of the price.

Ingredients You Will Need

Green Beans – Fresh, drained from the can, or frozen work.

Bacon – we baked our bacon in the oven and then diced it up, and used for the recipe. Real bacon will add a lot more flavor than a microwave style bacon.

Brown Sugar – This is the sweet component to the dish. We used 1/4 cup of brown sugar, if you want the beans to be sweeter taste once you pull from the oven. Then add a bit more sugar and stir well to mix it together.

Onion – Yellow or white onion will work best for this recipe.

Soy Sauce – The soy sauce adds some depth, saltiness, and flavor to the green beans. It helps balance all the flavors.

Garlic Powder – A nice savory component to the beans.

Variations To Recipe

• Use fresh green beans or drain off liquid and use canned beans.
• Swap bacon for diced ham or pancetta in replace of bacon.
• Use honey to sweeten the beans instead of brown sugar. Just watch the swap or it can burn in oven.
• Add in a splash or Worcestershire sauce as well for a nice twist.
• Add in 1/4 cup chicken broth for a richer flavor to the beans.

How to Make

Full directions on how to make Arkansas green beans is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step One: Start by adding your green beans into the casserole dish. Then drizzle over the melted butter.

Step Two: Next add in the garlic powder, diced onion, soy sauce, and bacon and mix well. Make sure to coat it all evenly.

Step Three: Place in a preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes.

Step Four: Remove and let cool just a bit, then taste and season as you would like.

We hope you all enjoy this frozen green beans with bacon recipe as much as we do!

Tips For Success

• Don’t overcook the bacon to start, as it will bake for 30 minutes in the oven. It will become more crispy as it cooks.
• Sweetness level is up to you. We start light and then after it is done cooking add more sweet if you want by a sprinkle of brown sugar. Then stir well.
• Salt at the end before serving helps to bring out all the flavors of the sweet and savory components.
• Make as much or as little as you want, just alter the cook time as needed. If you are making a large batch stir every 5-10 minutes to help get an even cook.

Practical notes

A few common questions about this baked green beans with bacon recipe.

What are Arkansas green beans?

The name we are not sure where it comes from, but it is a southern green bean with a nice salty bacon component. Green beans with bacon and brown sugar is sweet, tangy, salty, and scrumptious.

How to store leftovers?

You will store your leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for around 3 days. You will find as the green beans cool down the sweet flavor elevates a bit. Then just warm up in the microwave or oven if you would like.

What can we use instead of soy sauce in this recipe?

Reach for a coconut aminos in replace of the soy sauce for this green bean recipes with bacon dish. Or use Worcestershire Sauce in replace of soy if you don’t have the coconut aminos on hand.

Can you freeze bacon green beans?

If you do not eat all your green beans, go right ahead and freeze what you don’t eat. You will find it will make the green beans a bit softer, but they can be frozen if you want.

Ingredients

Makes 8 -10 servings

• 26-32 ounces frozen green beans
• 4 slices cooked bacon, diced up
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, or can add more for sweetness
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Equipment

• Vegetable Chopper
• 9×13 Casserole Dish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then grab a 9×13 casserole dish and spray with cooking spray.
2. Pour in the frozen green beans and toss in the melted butter and onions.
3. Then sprinkle on the garlic powder, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Toss on the diced bacon.
4. Mix well and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Remove the Arkansas green beans from the oven taste, and season with salt and pepper, or add a bit more brown sugar if you want sweeter.
6. Serve and enjoy this simple green beans with bacon side dish.

Kitchen notes

Sweetness –

So we used 1/4 cup of brown sugar. We prefer less sweet. If you want sweeter add in 1/3 cup brown sugar. Green Beans – You can swap the frozen with fresh or drained canned green beans if you want. Bacon – We don’t overcook the bacon before tossing in the dish as it will cook more in the oven. If you toss in crispy bacon it can easily overcook. Double Recipe – Feel free to double or even triple the recipe. Just stir every 5-10 minutes to ensure it all gets coated well and cooks evenly. Storing – Store the leftover sweet green beans and bacon in the fridge for 3-4 days.