Sauteed Brown Sugar Bacon Garlic Green Beans make for an insanely delicious side dish - sweet, garlicky with bits of candied bacon in every bite. EVERYONE will ask for seconds!
I can't believe I've never added bacon while cooking green beans! It is the ONLY way I'm ever going to eat beans. There is no other way to tell you how good these sauteed brown sugar bacon garlic green beans except to just tell you!
I know that's a looooong name but you need to know everything that goes into this 15 minute recipe - bacon, brown sugar, garlic, chilli flakes and green beans. And it all comes together to make the best green beans ever!
So if you are fussy and stick up your nose at beans, I am going to change your mind today. Because this is the BEST EVER, most amazing way to eat them and once you try them - you will agree.
And if you don't eat bacon, umm too bad. You can skip it out but this recipe will just not taste the same. So only bacon lovers allowed today.
I saw this recipe in one of those cookbooks that my mum passed on to me. Or rather I stole them from my mum. And it sounded all too simple. Isn't it all too simple? Not complaining here. So I made it with some Korean Chicken the other day and BAM. We were blown away!
This recipe is really simple. All we need to do is blanch/steam the green beans or french beans, cook the bacon, add the remaining ingredients and toss away till everything becomes saucy.
For the food geeks here, let's answer some questions first.
How to blanch green beans?
To blanch green beans, boil some water in a large pot. There should be enough water to completely drown the vegetables you are using. Drop the green beans in the pot and bring it to a quick boil. While the water is boiling, keep a bowl with ice water ready. Once the water starts boiling, switch off the flame. Drain the green beans and put them in ice water. This helps stop the cooking process, and keeps the beans nice and crunchy. The whole process of blanching green beans takes about 5 minutes for about 2 cups of beans.
How to steam green beans?
Steaming green beans is super simple too. Keep a steamer with boiling water ready. Place green beans into a steamer basket and place the basket in the steamer. While the beans are steaming keep some ice water ready, and after 3-4 minutes remove the beans from the steamer and dunk them in ice water.
Can I substitute frozen green beans for fresh beans?
Absolutely! Frozen beans are already cooked and then flash frozen so you can easily substitute them for fresh beans in this recipe. With frozen beans, add then straight to the pan. There is no need to defrost them.
For this recipe, you can either blanch or steam the beans and keep them ready. That's my two cents on everything green beans. We also call them french beans here so either name works!
Before you run away just think about these sauteed brown sugar bacon garlic green beans for a minute. The bacon actually becomes candied for this recipe and the beans stay crunchy. Everything gets tossed in that sweet chilli sauce and it is just plain brilliant. If you are doing a holiday dinner or just want to do a weeknight dinner - this recipe is perfect for everything!
Sauteed Brown Sugar Bacon Garlic Green Beans
Ingredients
- 600 grams Green Beans 1 pound
- 3 Bacon Strips chopped
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 4 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- To blanch the green beans, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the beans and bring it to a boil again. While the water is boiling, keep some ice water ready. As soon as the water starts boiling, remove the beans, drain and rinse them with cold water. Set aside.
- In a skillet, cook bacon till its golden brown. Add garlic to the pan and saute for a minute. Add the brown sugar and chilli flakes and mix well. The brown sugar will start melting and the sauce will start bubbling.
- Add the beans and toss to coat well. Cook for another minute or so, season with salt and pepper and switch off the flame. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can easily substitute frozen beans for fresh beans. In that case you can skip step 1 and start directly from step 2. Once you add the beans, you'll need to let them cook for an extra 2-3 minutes to let them defrost in the pan.
Nutrition
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Melanie Aycock says
Oh so good!
Richa says
Thanks so much Melanie!