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Raise your hand if you habitually make stovetop green beans out of a can instead of making them fresh *raises hand.*

Okay, you caught me – guilty. I eat canned green beans like it’s going out of style because they’re quick & easy to make. But sometimes you just need some hearty & fresh green beans like Grandma’s Stovetop Green Beans!

Green Beans the way Grandma used to make them

I have many fond memories of sitting in my Grandma’s kitchen at her slightly obnoxious yellow kitchen table, savoring the scent of her fresh green beans & potatoes on the stovetop.

I always knew those green beans were going to be super flavorful. They were always fresh – though I couldn’t say the same about some of the questionable food items I found in her fridge over the years.

I’m pretty sure that woman could’ve stocked the market with penicillin, the way she held onto food. It was always a running joke in our family, & remains one to this day.

My paternal Grandma made some of the best tasting simple foods. Sitting in her kitchen while she cooked, talked, and sipped on her coffee at all hours of the day and night are some of my fondest childhood memories. She was a simple & sweet soul, and I’m grateful for all she did for me, & everything she taught me.

These green beans are definitely a solid Grandma B recipe. I’ve made a few adjustments over the years, but at its core, it’s very much hers.

I know, guys. I usually don’t write so much before a recipe. And I definitely rarely get sappy on you. But this one is near and dear to my heart.

This one’s for you, Grandma B <3

What do you need to make stovetop green beans?

Here’s a quick reference list for what you’re going to need:

Let’s get cooking!

Recipe Tips for Making These Green Beans

These are my quick tips for making these super flavorful green beans:

Serving Size: Notice that the serving size is small on the main recipe – it’s just for two. I’m often cooking for two, so it makes sense for me to make the serving size small. It’s super easy to make more though! Just click the 2x button on the recipe card to double the ingredients, or 3x to make even more!

Cooking Time: As mentioned on the recipe card, I like to cook mine down to where they’re pretty soft. So I cook mine for 45 minutes to 1 hour, but if you’d like the texture less soft, cook for a little less time.

Green Beans: Use fresh green beans, & be sure to wash them well & trim the ends. I got mine from a local farmers market stand, and they were amazing!

Bacon: We buy pork from a local farmer every year, so I use the bacon from our pig. It’s thick cut, & perfect for this recipe. I recommend using thick cut bacon, but any bacon is fine. If your bacon is pretty thin, you may want to use twice the amount on the recipe card

Draining the Bacon Grease: This is an optional step, and one that I either partially do, or don’t do at all. It is completely up to you if you want to drain some or all of the bacon grease prior to adding the green beans to cook. If you do drain it, just make sure you set aside your bacon, onion, & garlic so you don’t lose that flavor down the drain! I’d recommend keeping at least a little grease for flavor. But – again, it’s up to you!

Onion: I used a small sweet onion, chopped in medium sized chunks. You can also use a white onion, or a yellow onion for this recipe.

Garlic: For this recipe, I used fresh garlic cloves that I peeled & minced. You can use the jarred minced garlic from the store if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand – it works well too.

Butter: I always use Irish butter, and often use the Aldi brand. I like this best because it has really simple ingredients, and the flavor is great. I recommend using this type of butter, whether you get Aldi brand or go for the Kerrygold. You’ll get a richer flavor with it as opposed to using something like Country Crock. Also, the 1 – 1.5 tbsp is just a guideline. Use a little more or less if you want!

Chicken Broth: I almost always use Aldi brand chicken broth for my recipes. It works great, and it’s inexpensive. For measuring it out, the measurement on the card is also a guideline. You only want to pour in enough that it just covers the green beans.

If you made these, please rate the recipe & leave a comment below – I’d love to hear what you think!

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