Garlic and bacon green beans is one of my favorite recipes to add to any holiday menu, but it’s quick enough to whip up for weeknight dinners too!
I began adding this new recipe to my holiday table for Christmas dinner last year. It’s been added to every holiday meal since! Nary an Easter, Thanksgiving day, or even 4th of July goes by without this classic side dish.
Since this easy recipe is high on the list of family favorites, bacon garlic green beans are in heavy rotation in my weekly low carb meal plan. It’s the perfect side dish for those who follow keto, but also a great way to help your family eat more real food.
Before we chat about how to make this green bean dish, I wanted to let you know this blog contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you click through. I also link to the same resources that helped me lose 100 pounds with a low carb lifestyle. Click through those so the info can help you too!
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How to Make Bacon & Garlic Green Beans
Meal Prep
If you don’t already meal prep ahead of time, you can prepare the bacon and onions before getting started. I prefer to have cooked bacon on hand at all times since I add bacon bits to so many meals throughout the week.
Don’t let the word bacon bits trip you up. When using bacon in low carb recipes, always use the real thing. This means cook bacon, and then chop up the bacon strips into crumbles. Crispy bacon crumbles are a great way to add a little crunch to meals and sides.
Don’t take a shortcut by grabbing a jar of Bacos sold in grocery stores. This is a prime example of a highly processed food that’s keeping you stuck when it comes to better health. The Bacos label lists 10 different ingredients. Oddly enough, not a single one of them is bacon π€
It’s also easy to chop up veggies I know I’ll use throughout the week. Since this green bean bacon recipe uses red onion, that’s a great one to chop during weekly meal prep and store in a green container in the fridge.
If meal prep isn’t part of your weekly to-do list, don’t fret. You can prepare these ingredients while the green beans are boiling.
Prepare the Green Beans
This easy green bean recipe involves a two step cooking process.
Assuming you’re using fresh green beans, start by boiling a large pot of water. Use enough water to cover the green beans once you add them to the pot. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and then bring it to a rapid boil. Once the water is boiling, add the green beans. Reduce the heat and cook over medium heat for five minutes.
Frozen green beans work with this cooking method too. I don’t recommend canned over fresh beans since you’ll have a loss of flavor, as well as a loss of vitamins. Also, too many brands still use BPA, or other harmful chemicals, on their cans.
While the green beans are cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once it melts, stir in the minced garlic, bacon and red onions. Saute on medium-low heat, while continuously stirring so the butter and garlic don’t burn.
Once the green beans are ready, drain the remaining liquid. Add the tender green beans to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until everything is well combined. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Serve immediately with a slotted spoon. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Take this Sauteed Green Beans Recipe to the Next Level
Even though I keep this side dish recipe simple, there are some additional steps you can take to add even more flavor.
Of course, add any spices you like to make this recipe all your own. Some great spices to mix this recipe up include black pepper and red pepper flakes. Adding either of these will give this recipe a little kick.
If you like the idea of garlic parmesan green beans, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top of the nearly finished recipe.
Adding a splash of olive oil, or even leftover bacon drippings, can give this already flavorful side dish even more flavor! Lemon juice or balsamic vinegar each have their own distinct flavorings. Both can help change up the flavor of this tasty side. (Although I’m not quite sure how a combo of all of these flavorings together would be).
The Garlic Bacon Green Beans Wrap Up
This simple green beans recipe is a great swap for a traditional green bean casserole when it comes to getting a quick meal on the dinner table. With a little preparation, you can have a tasty addition to any low carb meal ready in a short amount of time.
If you love this easy side dish, check out other simple low carb sides. Coconut cauliflower fried rice is on a weekly rotation in our home. We also love coconut fried zucchini to mix things up. Missing mac and cheese on your keto diet? You’ll definitely want to try this keto mac and cheese recipe.
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your easy low carb sides Pinterest board. And sharing is caring. Please share the healthy fat love on your favorite social media platform.
Keep scrolling for the recipe card and nutrition information.
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Garlic Bacon Green Beans
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Try this Side with these Low Carb Meals from Eating Fat is the New Skinny:
Balsamic Beef
Keto Chicken Nuggets
Mediterranean Chicken Breasts
PrintBacon Garlic Green Beans
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Keto
- Diet: Diabetic
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans (fresh or frozen)
- Β½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ΒΌ red onion, chopped
- 6–8 strips of thick-cut bacon
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water (enough to cover green beans once you add them). Add salt while water is boiling.
- Add green beans to boiling water. Reduce heat; cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- While cooking green beans, heat butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once melted, stir in minced garlic, chopped bacon, and red onions.Β
- Saute on low – medium heat while cooking green beans. (do not burn the garlic or butter)
- Drain green beans and add to the skillet. Continue to stir over medium heat for about 1 minute.Β
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 172.4
- Fat: 13.1
- Carbohydrates: 7.5
- Fiber: 2.6
- Protein: 7.7
Keywords: Keto Side Dish, Keto Sides, Low Carb Side Dish, Low Carb Side Dish
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