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An extreme close-up overhead shot of tender green beans coated in a brown sugar glaze with crispy bacon.

Bacon Brown Sugar Green Beans: The Ultimate Sweet & Savory Side

An irresistible side dish featuring crisp-tender green beans and salty bacon tossed in a sweet and savory garlic brown sugar glaze. Perfect for holidays or weeknight dinners.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lbs fresh green beans trimmed
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Large Skillet
  • 1 Slotted Spoon

Method
 

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
  2. Add the trimmed green beans to the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are bright green and begin to get tender.
  3. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the packed brown sugar, soy sauce, and black pepper until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Continue cooking the green beans in the glaze for another 3-5 minutes, until they are well-coated and crisp-tender. Return the crispy bacon to the skillet and toss to combine.
  5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

For Extra Crispy Bacon: Ensure you render the bacon properly until it's nice and crispy before removing it from the pan. Adding it back at the very end keeps it from getting soggy.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can blanch the green beans and cook the bacon ahead of time. When ready to serve, simply proceed with the glazing steps, which will only take a few minutes.