Bacon Wrapped Green Beans are easy enough for a weeknight meal and pretty enough to prepare for guests!
Tender green beans are wrapped in smoky bacon with a hint of brown sugar and roasted (or air fried) until golden.
Green Beans Made Special
- Every dinner needs a veggie side, but bacon-wrapped green beans can also be served as an appetizer!
- As they roast, the beans and bacon caramelize adding lots of flavor.
- You can use frozen green beans in this recipe, they will need to be thawed first.
- We love these because they can be prepared ahead of time and roasted before serving.
Ingredients
We love to serve green beans with almost any meal from a Classic Green Bean Casserole to these bacon-wrapped green beans.
GREEN BEANS: Choose fresh or frozen long green beans as they’re easier to wrap. Frozen green beans should be thawed.
BACON: Choose regular cut bacon. Thick cut bacon needs longer to cook which will cause the beans to overcook. Pre-cooked bacon can be used.
VARIATIONS: Add some asparagus to the beans or a few slices of red pepper for a festive dish. Try different flavors of bacon like maple or smoked pepper!
How to Make Green Beans with Bacon
- Slightly cook bacon (we air fryer or pan fry for about 3-4 minutes) & reserve drippings.
- Boil green beans for a few minutes (per the recipe below) and then place in ice water.
- Wrap bacon around bundles of green beans & sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Roast in the oven or the air fryer. Garnish with sliced almonds, if desired.
Blanching the Beans
Blanching means boiling vegetables quickly and then putting them into ice water to stop the cooking.
Blanching green beans helps them keep their bright green color, preserves their ‘snap’ texture, and improves their flavor.
PRO TIP: A little trick I learned at our local culinary school is to add a little pinch of baking soda to the boiling water. This keeps them a bright green color and works for almost any green veggie.
Recipe Tips
- Pre-cook the bacon so that a lot of the fat is removed. This will help it crisp without overcooking the beans.
- These can be oven roasted or cooked in the air fryer.
- Pre-cooked bacon can be used in place.
- Blanch (boil and then ice bath) the green beans for the best texture. Be sure to dry them well before wrapping.
- Prep ahead and bake at the last minute.
More Veggies and Bacon
- Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts – sweet, salty, & savory
- Bacon Green Bean Casserole – from scratch
- Green Peas with Bacon – fresh, frozen, or canned peas
- Bacon Rosemary Mushrooms
- Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus – a make-ahead dish
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon – the perfect combination
Did you make these Green Bean Bundles? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 ½ pounds green beans 6-8 beans per bundle
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook bacon on the stovetop until slightly cooked (not crispy), about 3-4 minutes. Reserve any drippings.
- Trim and wash green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add baking soda. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove from boiling water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
- Dab beans dry and toss with reserved bacon drippings (about 2 teaspoons) or olive oil if you don't have drippings, garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Cut each slice of bacon in half and wrap around about 6-8 green beans, secure with a toothpick, and place on a parchment-lined pan.
- Combine brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and lightly brush over each bundle.
- Roast 20-22 minutes or until bacon is crisp and beans are lightly roasted.
Notes
- Pre-cook the bacon so that a lot of the fat is removed. This will help it crisp without overcooking the beans.
- These can be oven roasted or cooked in the air fryer at 380°F for about 11-13 minutes.
- Pre-cooked bacon can be used in place of raw bacon.
- Blanch (boil and then ice bath) the green beans for the best texture. Be sure to dry them well before wrapping.
- Prep ahead and bake at the last minute.
- Reheat in the oven at 375°F on a parchment-lined pan until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
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I made the bacon wrapped beans, very easy to prepare. I ran out of beans so I used asparagus, works great. My husband ate all of them and when I asked him why he just too good to leave lying around. Now he wants me to make them all the time.
That’s too funny Rita. But we agree, hate to leave something that tasty lying around!
If you want to make ahead,what adjustments do you need to make? If I put them in my fridge as bundles, how long should I bake?
To make ahead, prepare the bundles as directed. Once bundled, place them in an airtight container. The baking time should be about the same, maybe an extra 2-3 minutes if they’re cold when they go into the oven.
Can these be made ahead? If so, at what point?
I’d also like to see if I can do these on a charcoal grill.
I would prepare, cover and refrigerate the bundles until roasting.
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These were a HUGE hit at our house tonight. When the eyes light up when tasting it…then you know.
I actually got carried away and didn’t cook the green beans….but it was awesome regardless! They were crispy and the flavors were still there. The brown sugar was key.
Thanks for the dinner idea.
I am so glad that your family enjoyed this recipe Bobbie!
I have made green bean bundles and I like just a pinch of red pepper mixed with the garlic powder and the brown sugar.
That sounds fantastic! What a great combo of flavors for green beans!
I made this years ago using broccoli. Everyone loved it. Also did the green beans. Came out just as good
Broccoli sounds like a delicious idea!
I can’t have anything sweet because I am a super taster. Anything sweet makes me throw up. What else could I use besides the brown sugar? I make some green beans fries that are baked in the oven and instead of powdered ranch dressing I used Good Seasons Italian in a packet. Could I use that instead? These sound so yummy and, as they say, everything is better with bacon. I can’t wait to try this one!
You can leave the sugar off if you don’t want it sweet and just season with salt and pepper to taste.
I made these tonight, and even my non-green-bean-loving husband liked them. They are simple to make (cute, too), but are still impressive for dinner guests! Thank you; I always need help with cooking!
Question: could you do everything but roast them the day before?
Absolutely!
Looks wonderful. Your recipes are so cool. Love seeing them.
Could you do the bacon wrap with asparagus spears instead of beans?
Absolutely! What a delicious idea!
Could you use frozen green beans in this recipe?
Yes but it may change the texture and flavor.
Hey,
Thanks for posting this recipe! I have been looking for a fun veggie dish, and this one looks delicious. I will need to test it out soon. Bacon and green beans sounds like the perfect combination!
Best,
Dennis
Could you make the bundles ahead of time? And then roast later?
Yes you can. I would cover and refrigerate them until roasting.
Can you freeze them
You should be able to.
These look delicious! Just out of curiosity, why do you add baking soda to the boiling water?
It keeps the beans a nice bright green color. :)
These look really good! We make green bean bundles for Christmas Eve dinner every year (along with Filet Mignon and twice baked potatoes). They are so delicious!!
That sounds delicious, Mimi! I’m glad this recipe worked out for you!
I use to make these long ago. I actually used can green beans in a pinch with brown sugar and they are awesome. I also did not fry the bacon. I wrap it uncooked, sprinkle the brown sugar and bake till the bacon gets nice and brown and it comes out delicious. I think I shall make this for Thanksgiving!
I sprinkle these with low sodium soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Not exactly diet food but oh so, so good