Long Cooked Green Beans with Onions and Bacon (Using Frozen Green Beans)
Cooked green beans with onions and bacon is such a delicious way to use frozen green beans. We cook them a bit longer than fresh, about 15 minutes, to create tender, flavorful beans that make a wonderful side dish for any meal. This is a simple recipe that will always surprise you with how good it is!
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
This recipe for long cooked green beans with onion and bacon is one of our family’s favorite winter and spring side dishes.
And I also love that it uses our frozen unblanched green beans. With a freezer full of bags of frozen green beans we can have these delicious beans all winter long!
Why just winter and spring? Because summer is when we love to quick-cook in season fresh green beans by pan frying or grilling with garlic or sautéing with tomatoes.
Anything we don’t eat is frozen to use in the off season in soups, stews, casseroles and longer pan cooked like this recipe.
Although by long cooked I only mean 15 minutes! But that’s longer than the 3 to 5 minutes fresh beans are cooked, so these frozen beans are longer cooked, for sure.
How and What to Cook with Unblanched Frozen Green Beans
One of my most popular preserving how-tos is how – and why – to freeze green beans without blanching them first.
I’m not surprised, since preserving green beans this way is super easy and results in a better product, in my opinion (and many others), even if it goes against the “expert” advice.
While I’ve gotten lots of questions on that technique (LOTS of comments!) over the years by far the most common question I get is “how do you cook with them?”
You DO need to cook them longer than fresh. After freezing, the beans texture changes (whether they are blanched or not), so they benefit from longer cooking or cooking in liquid.
Here are some recipes that use frozen green beans (unblanched or not):
- Thai Inspired Turkey or Chicken Vegetable Curry
- Cheesy Crust Ham Pie
- Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken Vegetables
- Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner
- Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup
- Italian Vegetable Beef Soup
- Quick Bone Broth Chicken & Vegetable Soup
And now this recipe for a wonderfully flavored side dish that lets the green beans shine.
It’s one of those recipes that seem so simple, yet I am always surprised to remember just how good these are when I make them!
Ingredients & Substitutions
The simple ingredients for this recipe to make long cooked green beans include:
- Frozen beans (about a 16 ounce bag) – can be either unblanched frozen or blanched.
- Bacon – only a couple pieces are needed, you can substitute turkey bacon if you’d like or leave out.
- Onion – this really adds to the flavor, so I always use onion.
- Chicken broth – we only need a quarter cup, but it does add nice flavor. You could use vegetable broth or water in a pinch (I’d add more salt when tasting, then).
- Salt and pepper – start with 1/4 teaspoon of each, and then taste to see if you’d like more.
- Optional Ingredients: Red pepper flakes – this is a nice addition since we’re fans of spicy around here. Red bell pepper – adds a nice color and flavor, especially around the holidays. Fresh minced garlic – I often add this when I don’t use bacon because the combo of the beans and onions with garlic is SO good.
Equipment
- Large skillet or sauté “everything pan.” This is similar to the stainless steel pan pictured, and I like this non-stick everything pan, too.
- Large bamboo spoon – I find they’ve held up better than wooden spoons.
How to Make Cooked Green Beans with Onions and Bacon
Like I mentioned, while this recipe is called “long cooked” they’re really only cooked 15-20 minutes with three steps (detailed quantities and instructions are included in the full recipe box below):
Step 1: Chop and cook the bacon in a large pan (that has a lid).
Step 2: Add the chopped onions and cook right in the bacon fat with the bacon pieces.
Step 3: Add frozen green beans (no need to thaw!), chicken broth, and seasonings to the the pot. Boil, then lower heat and cover, letting it all cook until the beans are soft and tender and the onions translucent.
Three steps in one pan – the best kind of recipe, right?
Well, the best recipes are easy AND taste delicious – and this delivers!
Simple ingredients + simple cooking = amazing flavor.
That is the best kind of recipe, now that I think about it!
More Easy Side Dishes
- Amazing Garlic Green Beans Recipe (with Skillet or Grill Options)
- Simple Corn, Pepper and Onion Saute
- Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Tomatoes
Best Comments:
“We made this recipe last night using unblanched green beans from last summer. It was super yummy! The sauce almost seemed to caramelize a bit and had tons of flavor. We will definitely make this again!” -Megan
“These were the best green beans ever! Now I know what to do with all my frozen beans, thank you, the whole family loved them!” -Sandy S.
“Great recipe! I’ve disliked our frozen green beans for years because they never taste good like fresh ones. They needed this recipe! I followed the directions perfectly, and they turned out fabulous!” -Lani
Want to save this?
Enter your email below and you’ll get it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get easy new recipes, gardening tips & more every week!
Long Cooked Green Beans with Onions & Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 pound frozen green beans or 1 quart bag
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Optional Ingredients:**
- 1 sweet red pepper, chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat until almost cooked; add onion and cook another minute.
- To the pan add frozen green beans, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low (or low, to keep them gently cooking) and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Optional: Remove cover & raise heat to medium to evaporate some of the liquid (I don’t usually bother).
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in September of 2015.
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read our full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
This recipe is just what I was looking for. Simple straight forward and delicious. I sprinkled some garlic powder because I did not feel like peeling garlic. I used veggie broth to avoid purines in chicken broth. I used short frozen green beans because I didn’t have any.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and adapted it to things you had on hand!
Great recipe! I’ve disliked our frozen green beans for years because they never taste good like fresh ones. They needed this recipe! I followed the directions perfectly, and they turned out fabulous! This is a major exciting breakthrough for me! Now I can enjoy my garden and green beans in the winter!
I also really like the easy method of freezing the beans without blanching. It has worked well for me. One tip I would give to beginner growers of green beans is to pick them while slender. Sometimes I would wait for them to get longer and by that time they were starting to bulge with the beans on the inside. When they get to that stage, they’re so tough to eat. Pick them slender even if they don’t get as long.
Thanks Jamie for the tasty recipes and your hard work in developing and sharing your finds with us!
I’m SO glad to read this, Lani!! I feel the same as you do. 🙂 And whenever I serve these to guests, they usually comment on how good they are!
And your tip is spot on – that’s one of the reasons I only grow filet style beans so they stay slender longer. When people don’t have a good experience with the unblanched beans, I always forget that they could be growing regular beans and letting them get too big.
We made this recipe last night using unblanched green beans from last summer. It was super yummy! The sauce almost seemed to carmelize a bit and had tons of flavor. We will definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you gave this a try, Megan! It always surprises me with how good it is. 🙂
How could I do this in my electric pressure cooker?
I haven’t tried it, so I wouldn’t know the times, but you could look up a other green bean recipe and adapt it.
I’ve always cooked fresh green beans this way, except that I substitute a few slices of smoked sausage (beef, pork, or turkey sausage will all work fine), and they’re even better!
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that – will have to try it!!
No doubt about it, this is a very good recipe.
Albany, Ore
Glad you liked it!
So I only use a quarter cup of chicken broth? No other liquid?
Yes, any more and it was too soupy for us. You can certainly try more if you’d like.
I used a little more then cooked it off. Added garlic powder and a half teaspoon of vinegar. Tastes just like Grandma’s! Your recipe is definitely a keeper.
I love this recipe and I have always fixed fresh green beans by first cooking my bacon (I only use the bacon drippings for seasoning). I cut up a medium onion into small quarters, heat with a little butter, use about 1/4 tsp lite salt; then I add 1 cup of water and 5 chicken bullion cubes until dissolved. Then, I add the fresh green beans and fill with water until beans covered. Cook on high heat until almost done. (20 minutes) Then, I taste and if needed more seasoning, add 1/4 tsp more of lite salt and a couple more bullion cubes. Now is the time also to put new potatoes on top of the beans while you have enough liquid to steam cook potatoes. Optional: The potatoes you can put pats of butter and season with a little sprinkle of lite salt. Turn down heat to medium and cover partially with lid until potatoes are cooked. My husband and friends tell me they are the best beans they ever tasted. By the way, I love your website and your easy to do recipes, etc.
Thank you, Joyce! And this sounds like a wonderful way to cook beans, too.:)
Can you use this same method for vegetables bought in the grocery store (carrots broccoli, cauliflower ect.)?
Probably, though I haven’t tried it. I don’t think broccoli would need that much cooking time, though.
I have 3-4 bushels of snap beans (with at least that volume ready next week), the prettiest I have ever grown. Have seen not one beatle! Have a son in Tampa, Fla., who wants the beans, thus, the search began to find a way of freezing without blanching or freezing in water. You have provided just what I believed to be THE way to freeze bean and if I am to do the freezing it will be completed just as you have so noted. Also makes the transporting to Tampa from Atlanta easier.
Ninety percent of those in my age bracket either can, blanch and freeze, or freeze the beans in water. Your way is easie and more sensible.
I’m glad to have helped, Arnold – I hope you (and your son) enjoy them this way!
These were the best green beans ever! Now I know what to do with all my frozen beans, thank you, the whole family loved them!
Yay! Happy to read this Sandy. 🙂
Agreed. We like them canned best too. Something about the squeekieness (I know it’s not a word) of the frozen beans when I chew them that gives me shivers. Maybe, though, with all those yummy ingredients I would like them better.
Sharon H….I tip and tail mine when I can them. My mother did that and my grandmother did that and that is why I do that. LOL
About the only way we like frozen green beans, is cooked in soups, stews, casseroles, etc. I usually freeze some, and I don’t blanch them either for the same reasons you don’t, but we like our beans canned, so that’s my preferred method. But I noticed in your video that you cut off the natural tip end of the bean. Why do you do that? It’s just bean….enlighten me, please!
I honestly can’t stand that hard, sharp tip on the beans, Sharon. 🙂 Maybe they’re more pronounced in the filet-style beans I grow, but some of them seem like little sharp daggers just waiting to poke me!
Oh, okay! LOL, I guess that’d make sense to me too, then. I usually grow Contender beans, but when I had more space available I’d also grown some of the long slender filet-types. I really liked those too, especially for cooking fresh. Thanks, Jaimi!
Hmm, maybe it has something to do with the variety of the bean. I’m growing something called “green bean, bush” (some sort of basic dollar store seeds that are doing much better than I would have expected) and the tip on those beans is actually rather soft and tender, much scarier looking than they really are.
Yes, some people aren’t bothered by them and some varieties have harder tips. I just prefer to stay clear of them. 🙂