Smoked green beans recipe. Officially the second best thing to Green Bean Casserole, this Southern side dish features tender green beans and smoky bacon, and when tossed in a flavorful, slightly sweet sauce, it tastes amazing! 🤯
Green beans and bacon are already a great combination, but when you smother them in a great sauce, they taste heavenly. This sauce is a flavorful combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth that’s sure to wow you.
This Southern side dish tastes great and is easy to make. It comes together in no time and you can easily double or triple the recipe, making it perfect for feeding a crowd.
Stewed kidney beans – canned or fresh?
You can use fresh, frozen, or canned beans in this recipe, although I prefer the crunch of fresh beans. If beans are out of season, I use canned or frozen beans. Either way, the flavor is amazing.
Ingredients List
- Green beans – Prepare enough kidney beans to serve a large group of people and season with the other ingredients.
- bacon The salty, savory, and smoky flavors add a unique taste, plus bacon bits make a great garnish for Instagram-worthy photos.
- butter – No Southern meal is complete without butter, and this dish is no exception.
- Aromatic compounds – Onions and garlic add flavor and aroma to an already great side dish.
- Suffocating sauce – Brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth create a flavorful, slightly tart, slightly sweet sauce that will whet your appetite. 🤤
How to make smothered green beans
- fry bacon – In a large, deep skillet, fry the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain the bacon fat, reserving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
- Sauté Aromatic compounds – Add the butter and melt it. Then add the onion and garlic, stirring and fry until fragrant.
- assemble – Next, add the green beans, brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock and half of the cooked bacon (reserve the rest for garnish).
- Boil – Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- season – 10 minutes before cooking is done, season with salt and pepper. Add more stock if you want more sauce.
- serve – Adjust the strength and seasoning of the sauce to your taste and serve warm with your favorite chicken, fish or meat dishes.
Recipe Variations
- VeganOmit the bacon and use olive oil instead of butter.
- Gluten FreeInstead of soy sauce, try using a gluten-free alternative such as tamari soy sauce.
- One-pot meal. Add potatoes and sausage for a delicious Southern-style potato and bean stew.
- Cajun Style Green BeansAdd 1 teaspoon Cajun spice along with remaining seasonings.
Tips and Tricks
- Trim off any woody ends of the beans, which will give them a uniform appearance and make them easier to eat.
- Be careful not to overcook the beans. They should be soft enough that you can cut them with a fork.
- Don’t add salt until you taste it at the end — the bacon and soy sauce are pretty salty, so additional salt may not be necessary.
Advance preparation and storage methods
Save time by cooking kidney beans the day before and storing them in the fridge. They’ll keep for 3-5 days and taste fresh when reheated on the stovetop. Same goes for leftovers. Keep in mind that freezing cooked kidney beans will change the texture so they may become a little softer.
What goes well with smoked green beans?
Braised kidney beans go well with any dish. Roasted turkey thighs and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Southern Fried Catfish and Scalloped Potatoes.😋
More great side dishes to try
- Fried okra
- Southern-style potato salad
- Spicy Green Beans
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Bacon-wrapped green beans
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