Get ready to meet your new favorite side dish. These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Perfected are an irresistible combination of tender-crisp green beans enveloped in savory bacon, all coated in a sweet and tangy glaze. They are simple enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for any special occasion, bringing a delightful burst of flavor and texture to your plate.
These little bundles of joy are destined to become a beloved addition to your meal rotation, offering a perfect harmony of salty, sweet, and savory notes.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Savory, sweet, with hints of umami and a touch of peppery warmth.
- Texture: Tender-crisp green beans contrasted with crispy bacon and a sticky glaze.
- Total Active Time: Approximately 30 minutes.
- Total Time: Approximately 45 minutes (including baking).
- Difficulty: Easy.
What You’ll Need
To create these delightful bacon wrapped green beans, you’ll need fresh green beans as your vibrant base, complemented by flavorful bacon that crisps up beautifully. A simple yet rich glaze, made from melted butter, brown sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce, and black pepper, brings everything together with a touch of sweetness and depth.
Ingredient Notes
- Green Beans – Opt for fresh, firm green beans for the best texture. Trimming the ends is a simple prep step that ensures they cook evenly.
- Bacon – We’re using beef bacon or turkey bacon here, halved crosswise, which cooks up wonderfully crisp and provides a fantastic savory contrast to the green beans.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted butter acts as the luscious base for our glaze, helping all the other flavors meld together.
- Dark Brown Sugar – This key ingredient in the glaze provides a lovely sweetness and helps create that irresistible sticky coating as it bakes.
- Garlic Powder – A hint of garlic powder adds a subtle savory note without overpowering the other flavors.
- Soy Sauce – For that essential umami depth and a touch of saltiness, soy sauce is a wonderful addition to the glaze.
- Black Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper adds a gentle warmth that balances the sweetness of the brown sugar.
Add-ins and Substitutions
While this recipe is perfection as is, you can always add your own creative touch. A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the finished bundles would add a delightful nutty crunch. For a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes could be whisked into the glaze. If you prefer a different type of bacon, just ensure it’s a good quality, leaner cut that will crisp up well.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Perfected
Preparing these bacon wrapped green beans is a straightforward process that yields impressive results. First, get your oven preheating and line a baking sheet for easy cleanup. Next, we’ll give the green beans a quick dip in boiling water, followed by a refreshing plunge into an ice bath. This blanching step helps to achieve that perfect tender-crisp texture and sets their vibrant green color. Once blanched, it’s crucial to pat them completely dry to ensure the bacon can crisp up properly.
Now, it’s time to assemble. Gather small bundles of the dried green beans and wrap each with half a strip of bacon. A toothpick is your best friend here, securing the bacon in place. Arrange these beautiful bundles on your prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, packed dark brown sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce, and black pepper until smooth. This fragrant mixture will become our delectable glaze. Generously brush this luscious glaze all over each and every bacon wrapped bundle. The glaze not only adds incredible flavor but also helps create a beautiful sheen.
Finally, pop them into the preheated oven and bake until the bacon is wonderfully crispy and the green beans are tender. The aroma that fills your kitchen will be absolutely divine!
- Pro Tip: Patting the blanched green beans completely dry is a crucial step. Any excess moisture will steam the bacon instead of allowing it to crisp, and we want that delightful crunch!
Recipe Tips
- Blanching is Key: Don’t skip the blanching and ice bath. It’s essential for achieving the ideal texture for your green beans.
- Dry Them Well: As mentioned, thoroughly drying the green beans after the ice bath is vital for crispy bacon.
- Toothpick Security: Make sure to secure the bacon well with a toothpick. This prevents the bacon from unraveling during baking and keeps your bundles neat.
- Even Glazing: Be sure to brush the glaze evenly over all sides of the bundles for consistent flavor and a beautiful finish.
- Watch Closely: Oven temperatures can vary, so keep an eye on your bacon wrapped green beans during the final stages of baking to ensure the bacon is perfectly crispy without burning.
FAQs
- Can I use regular pork bacon? While this recipe is perfected with beef or turkey bacon, you can certainly experiment with regular pork bacon if you prefer. Just be mindful that pork bacon can sometimes render more fat.
- How do I know when the green beans are tender? You’ll want them to be tender but still have a slight bite, not mushy. A gentle poke with a fork will tell you if they’ve reached your desired tenderness.
- What if my bacon isn’t crispy enough? If your bacon isn’t as crispy as you’d like after the initial bake, you can carefully remove the toothpicks and place the bundles back in the oven for a few extra minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Serving Suggestions
These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Perfected are incredibly versatile. They make a stunning addition to any holiday feast, alongside roasted meats like chicken or beef. They’re also a fantastic side for grilled steaks, pork chops, or even a simple pan-seared salmon. For a casual meal, serve them with burgers or alongside a hearty pasta dish.
Make This Recipe in Advance
You can prep most components of this dish ahead of time to make assembly a breeze. The green beans can be blanched, cooled, and patted dry a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The glaze ingredients can also be mixed together and stored separately. Assemble the bundles just before you plan to bake them for the best results, as the glaze is best applied fresh.
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Perfected
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 4-6 servings
Description
Tender-crisp green beans wrapped in savory bacon and coated in a sweet and tangy glaze. These Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Perfected are an irresistible side dish perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
• 10-12 strips beef bacon or turkey bacon, halved crosswise
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven and preparing a baking sheet.
Briefly blanch the green beans in boiling water, then cool them in an ice bath and pat them completely dry.
Next, form small bundles of green beans and wrap each with half a strip of bacon, securing with a toothpick and placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce, and black pepper.
Generously brush this luscious glaze over each bacon wrapped bundle.
Bake until the bacon is wonderfully crispy and the green beans are tender.
Notes
Don’t skip the blanching and ice bath. It’s essential for achieving the ideal texture for your green beans.
As mentioned, thoroughly drying the green beans after the ice bath is vital for crispy bacon.
Make sure to secure the bacon well with a toothpick. This prevents the bacon from unraveling during baking and keeps your bundles neat.
Be sure to brush the glaze evenly over all sides of the bundles for consistent flavor and a beautiful finish.
Oven temperatures can vary, so keep an eye on your bacon wrapped green beans during the final stages of baking to ensure the bacon is perfectly crispy without burning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: N/A
- Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: N/A
- Protein: N/A
