• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Munchkin Time
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with Bacon and Shallots

    Dec 29, 2021 by Munchkin Time · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    708 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with Bacon and Shallots is a quick and easy side dish made with tender-crisp beans coated in a sweet, buttery, balsamic sauce and served topped with crunchy onions, crispy bacon, and shallots. They're a classic side dish for all kinds of occasions, especially around the holidays!

    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with BaconI mean, to be honest, my kids and I could eat a plateful all on its own but it's also great when paired with other simple sides. Honey garlic shrimp or chicken Madeira are two easy weeknight ideas, but for something a little extra serve it on the side of a turkey, grilled meat, fish, pork, you name it!

    This recipe using fresh green beans with shallots and bacon has to be one of my favorites. It's so easy to pull together and it ends up being very impressive! There are just a few moving parts like cooking the bacon and onions and blanching the beans. Other than that, it's just a matter of making a simple glaze and that's it!

    It is so good, has the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, savory, and tartness, and all the crispy, tender and crunchy textures you need in one bite!

    green bean recipe ingredients

    Ingredients Needed for Fresh Green Bean Recipe

    • Fresh green beans - Look for beans that are nice and green with little to no brown spots. You want to make sure they are firm, not limp, and have no soft spots.
    • Shallots - Sliced into thin rings. These are much less pungent than yellow or white onions and have a lovely mellow flavor.
    • Olive oil - Use for frying shallots.
    • Balsamic vinegar& packed brown sugar - Together these made a wonderful glaze and when cooked down it becomes thick, sticky, and so good!
    • Butter - When added to the glaze it helps add a smooth velvety texture and just a bit more buttery sheen.
    • Salt and pepper - To taste
    • Bacon - You can bake about 8 strips of bacon (more if you’re using some for other things) ahead of time or just before using, it’s up to you. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes or until crispy texture, cut into pieces
    • Fried onion pieces - I love adding crispy fried onions as a garnish for a bit of added crunch! I get mine at Trader Joe's, but they’re usually available at most grocery stores. It’s an optional garnish so no worries if you can’t find any.
    How to Cook Green Beans on the Stove

    How to Cook Green Beans on the Stove

    First thing’s first, we need to make sure our beans are perfectly cooked! Not overdone and mushy, and just tender enough to still remain crisp.

    beans are perfectly cooked

    Step 1: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Adding salt to the water not only helps water boil faster but will also help the beans not stick together.

    Step 2: Place the beans in the pot of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. At this point, your beans will go from dull green to bright green! This is known as blanching.

    Step 3: Drain the water and immediately submerge them into the bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process to ensure they do not become overcooked.

    Step 4: Drain the beans and set them aside.

    How to Make this Fresh Green Bean Recipe

    How to Make this Fresh Green Bean Recipe

    Step 1: Slice shallots into thin rings then add olive oil into a skillet up to about 1” depth.

    golden shallots

    Step 2: Heat oil over medium heat and add shallots to cook for about 2-3 minutes. They should look golden in color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.

    sugar and balsamic vinegar

    Step 3: Wipe the skillet clean or grab another one and add sugar and balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the mixture has reduced by half. Stir occasionally until nice and thick.

    Step 4: To the sauce, add in the butter and stir until melted.

    Add back in the beans and sauté

    Step 5: Add back in the beans and sauté until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    fresh green beans with bacon

    Step 6: Remove beans to a serving tray or big bowl and garnish with bacon, shallots, and onions.

    Enjoy while warm!

    Tips & Variations

    • For a cleaner more uniform look on your beans, you can trim the tips on both ends if you’d like.
    • Don’t skip the ice water, otherwise, your beans will keep cooking and may become mushy.
    • The ice water helps to preserve the bright green color as well.
    • Add in some minced or finely chopped garlic into your reduction if you enjoy that garlicky flavor on your beans.
    • You can replace the bacon with diced ham if you’d rather. 
    • For a vegetarian version, completely omit the bacon or replace it with slivered almonds.
    • If you’re not feeling the glaze idea, that’s ok! You can simply sauté some garlic and onion in some butter, toss the beans in that and serve with bacon, onions, or even parmesan cheese.
    What to Serve with Green Beans

    What to Serve with Green Beans

    When I am serving a crowd or wanting to complete the meal, I always have instant pot mashed potatoes as a second side. I don’t know why, but I always associate mashed potatoes with green beans! Either that or easy cheesy scalloped potatoes.

    I love to have them as the veggie portion to a big plate of lobster mac and cheese and if I have bacon leftover I’ll use some strips for these bacon-wrapped asparagus to go along with it.

    For special occasions or the holidays, I’ll make them as a side when preparing creamy chicken pasta, a NY strip steak, chicken piccata, or a whole turkey.

    How long to boil green beans?

    Boiling green beans isn’t complicated at all but you want to make sure to follow the directions as listed, as timing is key. Boil in salted water for about 3-4 minutes.

    Drain and submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Blanching the green beans (boiling in salted water) gives it the opportunity to soften just enough, so 3-4 minutes is perfect.

    Do YOU like this Fresh Green Bean Recipe?

    Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

    Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!

    When YOU make this Bacon Green Beans Recipe tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!

    📖 Recipe

    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with Bacon

    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with Bacon and Shallots

    Love Keil
    Fresh Green Bean Recipe with Bacon and Shallots is a quick and easy side dish made with tender-crisp beans coated in a sweet, buttery, balsamic sauce and served topped with crunchy onions, crispy bacon, and shallots. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 230 kcal

    Equipment

    • Skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ lb green beans fresh, washed
    • 5 shallots sliced into rings
    • olive oil for frying
    • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • 8 slices bacon baked at 400F for 10 minutes, cooled & cut into pieces
    • fried onion 100% optional for garnish, got it from Trader Joe's

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a pot with salted water to a boil, add beans and bring it to a boil, cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water and add beans into a ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
    • Slice shallots into thin rings. Into the skillet add olive oil about 1 inch in depth. Add shallot rings and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until shallots are golden color. Transfer onto a plate lined with paper towel using slotted spoon. 
    • Using a large skillet, add sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook over medium/high heat for 5 minutes or until reduce in half, stirring slowly. Add butter, Stir.
    • Add green beans, and saute until heated thru about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • Serve on a tray or a big bowl. Garnish with bacon, shallots and onion pieces. Enjoy while warm.

    Notes

    When YOU make this Bacon Green Beans Recipe tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
     
    Hi! All content & images are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this Easy Green Beans Recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 371mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 969IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Quote of the Day

    Follow your dream quote

    Happy Cooking!

    More Side Dishes

    • Delicious potato salad no mayo.
      The Best Russian Potato Salad No Mayo (Russian Vinaigrette Salad)
    • freshly cooked corn with butter and herbs.
      Corn on the Cob Instant Pot (Frozen or Fresh)
    • Spinach Strawberry Salad with Pecans
      Spinach Strawberry Salad with Pecans
    • A bowl of Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad garnished with bacon pieces and chives.
      Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Malissa

      January 04, 2022 at 1:57 am

      5 stars
      A bit different ingredient but I also made the taste good. Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
      • Munchkin Time

        January 04, 2022 at 11:36 am

        Thank you, Malissa!

        Reply
        • MARY ANN

          February 08, 2023 at 5:07 pm

          5 stars
          This recipe is amazing-the beans are so flavorful!! Everyone in my family loves these!!

        • Munchkin Time

          February 09, 2023 at 8:42 am

          Thank you, Mary Ann! I am so happy you and your family like this recipe! 😀

    2. Elizabeth

      January 03, 2022 at 6:59 am

      Looks good but after reading twice I don't see how much balsamic to use, it's not actually listed in the recipe ingredients.

      Reply
      • Munchkin Time

        January 03, 2022 at 5:18 pm

        Oh no, updating it right now, thank you for letting me know, it's 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Love Keil from munchkintime.com

    Love Keil is a food photographer, blogger and a recipe developer. She is passionate about creating delicious homemade meals for her family.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Chicken Recipes
      Honey Soy Chicken Thighs Recipe (Video)
    • Easy Chicken Madeira Recipe with Secret Sauce
      Easy Chicken Madeira Recipe with Secret Sauce
    • Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe
      Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe with Pasta
    • 2 Smoked Salmon Avocado Toasts with Cherry Tomatoes
      Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast with Cherry Tomatoes
    • Easy Shepherd's Pie
      Easy Shepherd's Pie
    • Cooked chicken thighs
      Best Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Recipe (VIDEO)

    Favorites

    • Easy Ground Beef Casserole
      Easy Ground Beef Casserole (Video)
    • Best Swedish Meatballs and Gravy
      Best Swedish Meatballs and Gravy
    • smash chicken burger
      Smash Chicken Burger (Video)
    • Perfectly Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs Skewers on a blue plate.
      Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs Skewers
    • best way to cook ribeye steak
      How to Cook Ribeye Steak in the Oven (Video)
    • Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup with bacon grilled cheese sandwich. 
      Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe 
    • salad and dressing
      Cucumber Tomato Salad
    • carne asada steak sliced on a cutting board and ready to be served.
      Best Carne Asada Marinade
    • Best Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
      Best Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito
      Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito

    Footer

    Privacy Policy About Contact

    Copyright © 2024 MunchkinTime

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

    This worked exactly as written, thanks!
    My family love this recipe!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!
    Quick question...

    Or write in your own words:

    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.