Cajun Smothered Green Beans with Bacon

These Cajun-style smothered green beans with bacon have it ALL. Tender green beans are flavored with smoky bacon, savory spices, and a little kick to tie it all together. One taste, and they’re bound to be your new favorite side dish!

With the holiday season approaching, I’ve been on a major side dish kick, and these green beans with bacon are definitely at the top of the list. They’re so good, I eat the leftovers for breakfast. While I LOVE simply seasoned green beans or a good green bean casserole, there’s just SO much to love about these smothered green beans:

• They’re EASY To Make. If you can stir, you can make these easy green beans. No fancy skills required!
• They’re FLAVORFUL. These beans are anything but boring. We’re talking LAYERS of flavor from crispy bacon, sauteed onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. F-L-A-V-O-R!
• They’re PERFECT For The Holidays. While they’re easy enough for a weeknight dinner, they also make a great veggie side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

But maybe best of all, this flavorful side dish starts with simple ingredients…

Simple Ingredients To Start

How do we add flavor to this delicious side dish? Let’s take a look:

• Fresh Raw Green Beans. To start, we’ll use trimmed, cut green beans. For best results, we recommend fresh green beans for flavor and texture, but check out the FAQ below for tips about using frozen green beans instead!
• Bacon. Next up is smoky, salty bacon! Bacon adds richness and flavor. We recommend regular bacon for these Cajun green beans over turkey bacon, since we use the bacon fat to help flavor and thicken the sauce.
• Onion. Simple! Sauteed onion adds a delightful, savory layer of flavor.
• Flour. We’re gluten-free, so we’ll be using a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend, but if you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Garlic. Fresh garlic is a must!
• Cajun Seasoning. The secret ingredient that takes these beans to the next level! A little Cajun seasoning adds warmth, depth, and a delicious herby flavor. Use a brand like McCormick for more mild flavor, make homemade Cajun seasoning, or pick up spicy Cajun seasoning if you want more kick!
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper. These simple seasonings round the flavor out. Easy-peasy!
• Broth. Vegetable broth (or chicken broth) adds another layer of flavor and helps make the “sauce” we’ll use to smother the beans.
• Fresh Herbs. Some fresh cilantro or fresh parsley adds the finishing touch to these delicious green beans.

How To Make Smothered Green Beans, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. First, Prep The Beans. If you haven’t already, wash and trim the green beans, cutting off the stringy ends of the beans and cutting the beans into roughy 2-inch sections.
2. Cook Bacon & Onion. In a large skillet with deep sides or a Dutch oven/large pot, cook the bacon and onions over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender and translucent. Do NOT drain the pan here, since the bacon grease adds to the flavor of this recipe. Trust me!
3. Add Flour. Sprinkle the flour over the bacon and onion and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the flour.
4. Build Flavor. Next, add garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and broth. Stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, the sauce will be very thin!)
5. Cook The Beans. Add the green beans to the pan and stir to coat them well in the sauce. Tuck the beans into the liquid and COVER the pan, cooking 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. (I recommend stirring 2-3 times during the cook time to avoid burning the sauce.)
6. Finish. If the sauce isn’t thick enough for your liking, you can cook UNCOVERED over medium-low heat another 2-3 minute to reduce the sauce more. When the beans are cooked through, garnish with fresh herbs and add additional seasonings, to taste.
7. Serve & Store. Enjoy beans warm and store leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Green Beans With Bacon

Can I Use Frozen Green Beans Instead? You bet! Frozen green beans are another great choice, since they’re picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen to lock in their color, flavor, and nutrients. No need to thaw them before adding! Just toss them in and cook as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the cook time, if needed.

Can I Use Canned Green Beans? I don’t recommend them for this green beans recipe, since they’re already cooked and can have a tendency to turn waxy when simmered in this sauce.

Are These Beans Spicy? Spice is a relative term, but–as written–this recipe should taste flavorful and seasoned but not spicy.

Pick The Right Pan. A large (12-inch) deep skillet with tall sides and a lid works well for this recipe. If you don’t have one, a Dutch oven or soup pot will work! 

More Yummy Side Dishes To Try

Easy Glazed Carrots

Cheesy Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes

Paleo or Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe Card

Cajun Smothered Green Beans With Bacon

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: About 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

You’ve never had green beans like this! This easy side dish packs MAJOR flavor, thanks to smoky bacon, savory seasonings, and a few little flavor tricks. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces bacon, finely diced
• 1 small onion diced (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1 Tablespoon gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour*
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (regular, not spicy)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more, to taste)
• 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. First, Prep The Beans. If you haven’t already, wash and trim the green beans, cutting off the stringy ends of the beans and cutting the beans into roughy 2-inch sections.
2. Cook Bacon & Onion. In a (12-inch) large skillet with deep sides or a Dutch oven/large pot, cook the bacon and onions over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender and translucent. Do NOT drain the pan here, since the bacon grease adds to the flavor of this recipe. Trust me!
3. Add Flour. Sprinkle the flour over the bacon and onion and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the flour. (This removes any floury taste.)
4. Build Flavor. Next, add garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and broth. Stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, the sauce will be very thin!)
5. Cook The Beans. Add the green beans to the pan and stir to coat them well in the sauce. Tuck the beans into the liquid and COVER the pan, cooking 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. (I recommend stirring 2-3 times during the cook time to avoid burning the sauce.)
6. Finish. If the sauce isn’t thick enough for your liking, you can cook UNCOVERED over medium-low heat another 2-3 minute to reduce the sauce more. When the beans are cooked through, garnish with fresh herbs and add additional seasonings, to taste.
7. Serve & Store. Enjoy beans warm and store leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.

Notes

• Pick The Right Pan. A large (12-inch) deep skillet with tall sides and a lid works well for this recipe. If you don’t have one, a Dutch oven or soup pot will work!
• Can I Use Frozen Green Beans Instead? You bet! Frozen green beans are another great choice, since they’re picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen to lock in their color, flavor, and nutrients. No need to thaw them before adding! Just toss them in and cook as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the cook time, if needed.
• Flour. We’re gluten-free, so we use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If you’re not gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour/white flour works!
• Add Ham or Sausage. Another way to add flavor is to swap half of the bacon for 4 ounces of finely diced smoked ham or andouille sausage.
• Add Heat. These beans shouldn’t be spicy when they’re made as written. But if you want to turn up the heat, you can add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or a splash of Tabasco hot sauce. (Or, you can use spicy Cajun seasoning!)

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2/3 cup green beans
• Calories: 240
• Sugar: 7.3 g
• Sodium: 772.4 mg
• Fat: 13.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 14.9 g
• Fiber: 3.7 g
• Protein: 15.9 g
• Cholesterol: 33.2 mg