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These Quick and Easy Green Beans are a simple side dish to add to your dinner rotation several nights a week!
We make them at least two to three times per week in our household, and they’re a consistent and tasty side that pairs with just about anything.
Easy green beans recipe – what goes in green beans?
When you’ve had a busy day, sometimes you just want to throw something quick together for dinner. Of course, that includes side dishes & not just the main entree.
Here are the only ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- French Style Green Beans
- Butter
- Bacon Bits or Crumbles
- Minced Onion
- Garlic Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
With only six ingredients, this is an easy throw together side that you can always have on hand!
Are Green Beans Keto?
Yes, green beans are keto-friendly! They only have about 2 net carbs per half cup serving, which makes them a great option for a keto-friendly low carb side dish.
Quick and Easy Green Beans
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 can French Style Green Beans drained
- 1-2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Bacon Bits or Crumbled Bacon
- ¾ tsp Minced Onion
- ¼ tsp Garlic Salt
- ⅛ tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place your pan over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Once the butter is melted & lightly bubbling, add in your green beans.
- Top your green beans with garlic salt, pepper, minced onion, & the bacon bits or crumbles. Stir to mix well.Optional: If you'd like your beans a little more buttery, add in ½ – 1 tbsp of butter on top of the beans. I typically use 1½ – 2 tbsp, but you can use less if you don't want to use too much butter.
- Cover the pan with a lid & let the beans cook about 3-5 minutes. Then remove the lid, stir, and continue to cook another 12-15 minutes, stirring semi-frequently.
- Total cook time should be 15 – 20 minutes. When done, remove from heat, let cool several minutes before serving, & enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Making Quick and Easy Green Beans
These are my quick tips for making these super flavorful green beans:
Serving Size: 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: You’ll want to cook these for at least 15 minutes – enough to cook them down and really have them soak in the butter and flavor. I shoot for 20 minutes to really seal in the flavor, but you can get by with just 15.
About the Ingredients
Green Beans: You CAN use regular canned green beans for this recipe, however – for me, they never turn out as flavorful. There’s something about the French style green beans that really makes the flavors pop in this recipe.
Bacon: I almost always use pre-cooked bacon bits for this recipe, and I rarely measure them out. I just pour in to my heart’s content. When I have more time, I do sometimes slice up & cook a couple slices of bacon, then drain most of the grease & THEN begin this recipe.
Minced Onion: I use the dried minced onion from the store most often for this, and I don’t typically measure it. But like the bacon, if I have more time, I’ll dice a quarter or half an onion and toss it in with the bacon when it’s close to done cooking. Cook for several minutes, and then drain most of the bacon grease & start the recipe.
Garlic Salt: I lightly sprinkle this on, & don’t measure it precisely. (Are you noticing a pattern with this recipe? I’ve made it so many times that I had to force myself to measure it so I could post this!)
Butter: PLEASE USE REAL BUTTER. Not margarine, and other fake butter. I use Irish butter, like Kerrygold or the Aldi Irish Butter.
Ground Black Pepper: Again, the measurement is just a guideline. Sometimes I use a little more or less. And I don’t use anything fancy – just Aldi pepper.
What to make with green beans
Green beans go with so many different dishes – the possibilities are nearly endless. But here are some of my favorite entrees to pair with green beans:
- Meatloaf
- Pork Chops
- Pork Steak
- Grilled Steaks
- Steak Tips
- BBQ Pork
- Beef & Noodles
- Roasts
- Beef or Pork Ribs
- Grilled Chicken
- Fried Chicken
- Chicken Tenders
- Salisbury Steak
- Country Fried Steak
Here are some other side dishes that pair well with green beans:
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed cauliflower
- Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Garlic Pasta
- Pasta Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
- Baked Potato
- Sweet Potato
- Air Fried Potatoes
- Air Fried Broccoli
- Zucchini & Onions
- Cheesy Zucchini Bites
- Sweet Corn
How did they turn out?
Rate the recipe, & drop a comment below with your thoughts!
If you’re looking for more recipes, check out my main Recipe Page for other comfort food recipes, and keto / low carb recipes. Sharing is caring – Pin this to your favorite recipe board, & share with your friends. They’re going to want to make this!
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