This simple One Pan Green Beans & Bacon is the perfect side dish for any meal (including Thanksgiving!). The beans are cooked in a chunky onion and garlic sauce and then tossed with crunchy pine nuts and crispy bacon. This dish is Paleo, Whole30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal. 

Green Beans & Bacon

Boiled green beans with bacon and pine nuts has been a go to side dish of mine for Thanksgiving as well as most winter meals, for years. While I love the flavour combination of those three ingredients, I always found boiling the green beans to be a rather boring way to prepare them. This method is far superior and officially the only way I will ever make green beans again. Cooking the beans in chicken stock gives them so much flavour, and the stock reduces into a thick garlic and onion sauce that coats the beans without overpowering them. They are simple but so tasty! 

 

Green Beans & Bacon

Why you are going to love this One Pan Green Bean Dish:

  • All you need is a handful of ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen!
  • It seems so simple but the sauce gives the beans a really great flavour that makes this so much more than just green beans and bacon. You will never boil your beans again after trying them this way. 
  • This is my go to side dish when I’m looking for something easy, that doesn’t have a bold flavour that overwhelms the rest of the things on the plate. 
  • It’s Whole30, Keto and Paleo, but no one would ever know!

Whole30 Green Beans & Bacon

What you need to make this recipe: 

  1. Green Beans: To cut down on prep time you can tip and tail and wash the beans up to 4 days in advance. 
  2. Bacon: Frying the bacon and then only adding it back to the dish at the very ends help to ensure that it stays crispy. You could also used diced pancetta as a substitute for bacon. 
  3. Onion: finely diced onion makes up the base of the sauce. Two shallots would also work.
  4. Garlic
  5. Chicken Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock works. The amount listed below is an approximate, I would recommend starting with 2 cups and then potentially adding more if the beans are not yet tender once all of the liquid has reduced. 
  6. Pine Nuts: the pine nuts add a really nice crunch to this dish. They would definitely be my top pick but if you are unable to find pine nuts, chopped hazelnuts or slivered almonds could also work. 

Paleo Green Beans and Bacon

Tips for making this One Pan Green Beans & Bacon Dish:

  1. Use a large skillet: I recommend using a very large skillet/non stick frying pan to make this. A large pan allows the green beans to spread out so they will cook evenly and the sauce will also reduce quicker. 
  2. Leave to cook uncovered: Don’t cover the pan with a lid, leaving it uncovered ensures that the sauce reduces and thickens. Placing a lid on the pan would cause the beans to steam and become mushy while the sauce would remain liquidy. 
  3. Keep reducing: The sauce will seem extremely liquid, but just keep reducing it on high heat until there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan. 
  4. Add more stock: If the liquid has completely evaporated but the beans are not yet tender, add a splash more chicken stock and continue to cook. 

Can you make it vegan/vegetarian?

Definitely! Use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and skip the bacon. Alternatively you could saute thinly sliced mushrooms and use them in place of bacon.

 

 

The Best One Pan Green Beans & Bacon

Here are a few more winter side dish recipes that you might enjoy…


 

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

 

The Best One Pan Green Beans with Bacon

Every Last Bite
This simple One Pan Green Beans & Bacon is the perfect side dish for any meal (including Thanksgiving!). The beans are cooked in a chunky onion and garlic sauce and then tossed with crunchy pine nuts and crispy bacon.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Diets Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal, Whole30
Servings 6
Calories 47 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 strips bacon
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound green beans
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet cook the bacon on medium heat until crisp. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and chop it into small pieces. Set aside.
  • Depending on how much grease is left in the skillet, drain all but approx 1/2 tablespoon. Add the diced onion, salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes until it begins to soften.
  • Add in the minced garlic and leave to cook for a minute before pouring in the chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits from the bottom of the skillet before adding the green beans to the skillet.
  • Turn the heat up to medium high, and leave the stock to simmer and reduce in the skillet which should be left uncovered. Pat down the green beans with a spoon to ensure none are sticking out and everything is submerged in the stock.
  • After approximately 15 minutes of cooking the beans should be tender (but not mushy) and the stock will have evaporated into a thick onion based sauce. If the beans are still not tender add in a splash more stock and continue to cook until the beans can be pierced with a fork. If you push the beans to the side, there should be no liquid at the bottom of the pan, just a thick onion sauce. If it is still liquidy, continue to leave the beans to cook until the stock has evaporated.
  • Once the beans are tender and coated in the sauce, reduce the heat to low and stir in the pine nuts and chopped bacon. Leave to cook for a minute or two to warm the bacon before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSodium: 146mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!