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.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.)
- 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!)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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