Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans Recipe

There are many people in the world who believe that bacon makes everything better — and if you're one of them, we sure have a great recipe for you! These bacon-wrapped green beans, courtesy of recipe developer Jaime Shelbert of Wholly Nourished, combine the earthy freshness of green beans with the rich, meaty flavor of bacon. Not only does this dish taste good, but the appearance is also pretty spectacular. "I like the presentation of this dish," Shelbert says. "It manages to make a vegetable a showstopper. It can level up any meal and is perfect for entertaining."

Indeed, these bacon-wrapped green beans are perfect to enhance any meal you are serving. Did you make a roast chicken? These green beans are a wonderful side dish. What about fish or beef? These green beans work with those, too! "This dish is the perfect combination of sweet and savory," Shelbert explains. "The brown sugar caramelizes the bacon a bit and gives it a lovely crunch." Some of the tastiest foods out there combine flavor profiles like sweet, savory, and salty, so it's easy to see why these bacon-wrapped green beans are such a success. Best of all, they're easy to make — so let's dive right in!

There are plenty of wonderful aspects to this recipe, and one of them is that the ingredients are simple. To make these bacon-wrapped green beans, you'll need some fresh green beans that are cleaned and trimmed, as well as some bacon. You'll also need olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Finally, to add both sweetness and the caramelized crunch that Shelbert describes, you'll need brown sugar. That's it! With just six ingredients, many of which are already in your kitchen, you can whip up an impressive side dish with ease.

Before you do anything else, preheat your oven to 400 F. Also, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Next, place each slice of bacon on the baking sheet, ensuring that they aren't overlapping. Once the oven has finished preheating, pop the bacon in and allow it to cook for seven minutes. After the time is up, remove the bacon from the sheet and set each slice aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep in mind that the bacon will cook more later on, so don't worry if it isn't thoroughly cooked just yet. 

Now that the bacon is taken care of, turn your attention to the green beans. Be sure that they're both cleaned and trimmed, then bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pop the green beans into the boiling water, but only allow them to cook for two minutes. Then, drain the green beans and plunge them into an ice-water bath which will help them cool down quickly. Again, the green beans are going to cook further in the oven, so don't worry that they aren't nice and tender just yet. After your green beans have cooled off, place them into a bowl with the olive oil and salt, and give them a good toss. 

Once you've finished tossing the green beans, go ahead and line another baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then, clear a workspace and grab a piece of the bacon, laying it down horizontally. Place 8 to 10 green beans on one end of the bacon, then roll the rest of the strip up, ensuring that it wraps around the entirety of the green beans. Stick a toothpick in the bacon to secure the bundle, then repeat this process with the rest of the bacon and green beans. After you make all of the bundles, you can lay them out on your prepared baking sheet. 

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and garlic powder. Then, sprinkle the mixture across the entirety of each green bean bundle, focusing in particular on the bacon. Just like that, these bacon-wrapped green beans are ready to bake!

Pop the green bean bundles into the oven and bake them for 15 to 17 minutes. You'll know that they're done baking when the green beans are tender and the bacon is nice and crisp. At that point, take the bundles out of the oven and serve them up. "These would pair well with any protein like a roast or chicken and a starch such as potatoes or wild rice," Shelbert says. And, if you're wondering exactly how to eat these bundles, Shelbert also has some advice: "I find it best to experience all of the flavors and textures in one bite!" So, be sure to get a little bit of the sweet, crispy bacon in with every bite of green beans, and you'll revel in this simple yet delicious side dish.