Green beans cooked with lots of bacon and onion and coated in a sweet, salty, and sour sauce make one of the best side dishes ever. The kind of side dish where you don’t even care if there is a main dish.
My favorite way to cook green beans is this Southern-Style Green Bean recipe, but this is a close second. It’s kind of like a German potato salad only with green beans.
Type of Green Beans to Use
I like to use fresh green beans but you could certainly use canned or frozen. You can use either regular green beans or the thinner French-style.
The sweet and sour flavor primarily comes from sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bacon adds even more saltiness. Onions are cooked in the bacon grease to add even more bacon flavor.
Sweet and Sour Green Beans are so easy to make with ingredients you most likely already have on hand.
Even if you’re not typically a fan of green beans, this recipe is a must try. I don’t think there will be any leftovers.
Make Them Spicy
These green beans have lots of sweet and sour flavor. If you want to add some spice, add up to a half teaspoon of caynne pepper.
How To Store
Leftovers will keep for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
More Ways To Cook Green Beans
- Candied Green Beans
- Green Beans with Bacon Breadcrumbs
- Smothered Cajun Green Beans
- Maple-Glazed Green Beans
- Crispy Fried Green Beans
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Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Sweet and Sour Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds fresh green beans,, ends trimmed
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 medium sweet onion,, chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place green beans in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.
- Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook until crisp in a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onion to bacon drippings and cook until softened.
- Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir to mix.
- Add green beans to pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Continue to cook 1-2 minutes, stirring often so that the green beans pick up as much flavor as possible.
- Sprinkle bacon on top and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally posted June 5, 2016
just like granma Lula made it!
This was excellent. My family enjoyed them, and asked for me to make them again.
I took this to a harvest dinner this fall using almost 7 pounds of canned green beans. We took home about 3 Tbsp. and unlike many leftovers, my husband made sure he ate those beans within a day or two. I received a number of compliments and can tell you these were the most popular green beans served!
This is a huge hit. I’ve made it several times now and even people who aren’t fond of green beans will eat this. Can’t go wrong with bacon!
Hi. We have been making these for many years now, however, we ALSO add 2 TLB of Katsup. It makes it super tangy and really, really good!
So good! Add a 4oz jar of pimentos…I promise…you won’t be disappointed!
I’ve been making green beans like this for 50 years now. My version also adds a tablespoon of ketchup, it just adds to the glossy sauce. Definitely German I think…
The entire family’s favorite green bean recipe.