Your new favorite side dish is here! These green beans are smothered in a simple sweet and sour sauce with plenty of crumbled bacon.

This simple side dish is popular enough to be welcomed at your holiday table and easy enough to make it for a regular family meal. The green beans get a ton of flavor from brown sugar, soy sauce, butter and a bit of garlic.
Of course the crispy bits of bacon don’t hurt either.
These green beans might be one of the more popular side dishes I’ve ever made. The first time I made them 4 of us (including one six year old) ate the whole batch.
That is almost a whole can of green beans a piece! And there was plenty of other food to go around, so it’s not like we were starving.
The next time I threw them together thinking it would be just us for dinner. But we had a turkey on the grill, so it seemed a shame not to invite some people to enjoy it with us.
I immediately regretted not doubling the recipe. The pan was practically licked clean!

Side dishes are usually a bit hard for me to decide on. It’s hard to get inspired or creative.
So when I saw a local food facebook star, The Farm Stand, post her famous green beans I was inspired. She caters large events, so her recipe was scaled up quite a bit.
I scaled it down to a family dinner size and lightened it up just a bit. Going whole hog on the holidays is one thing, but I knew I was making these for just because.

The vegetable section of my dinner plate is usually something I want to feel good about. So I dialed back the butter and brown sugar a bit.
Having never had the all in version, we didn’t know we were missing anything. So we were very happy with the results.

This recipe is already on repeat at our house and I don’t see that changing any time soon! You are going to have to give them a try so you can see why we love them so much.
These green beans would go great with:
MiMi’s Baked BBQ Chicken is a great way to have the taste we love off the grill indoors. You can have your bbq chicken no matter the weather, it is an easy and delicious recipe.
Julie’s Big Batch Sloppy Joes are perfect for a party. They make a roaster full of meat for sandwiches, but the extras freeze well. Just make a huge batch of these green beans and the whole group will be well fed.

The Best Maid Rite Sandwiches are a fabulous quick and easy meal. Some people call them tavern burgers or loose meat sandwiches, but here in the Midwest we all know them as maid rites.
Braised Pork Chops are another great entrée. They cook in a flavorful sauce that makes them so tender and delicious.
More fabulous green bean recipes:
If you have fresh beans, try roasting them! Roasted green beans are super simple, but really tasty. That tender crisp finish is easy to get this way, but you can also cook them even longer for something really special.
For a more umami finish, try garlic soy green beans in the instant pot. The pressure cooker helps them get done super quickly!

Smothered Green Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 14.5 ounce cans of green beans drained
- 6 slices cooked bacon
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a n 8 inch square baking dish or similar sized casserole.
- Dump drained green beans into baking dish. Crumble or chop bacon and sprinkle over the top of green beans.3 14.5 ounce cans of green beans, 6 slices cooked bacon
- In a small bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic powder. Drizzle over green beans and bacon.3 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.
- Stir to coat before serving.
Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
I'm taking this dish to our next family dinner! I don't care for the traditional green bean dish that usually shows up, but this one... Carlee, I know I will love!
Carlee
Friday 19th of July 2019
I hope you do!! I'll be curious to hear about it!
Carlee
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
I hope you enjoy them!
Amy
Wednesday 19th of June 2019
Wow, this sounds wonderful. I like that you dialed back on the butter and brown sugar. I have got to make these green beans!
Carlee
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
It makes them a bit healthier but still super flavorful!
Andrea Nine
Wednesday 19th of June 2019
I make green beans like this all the time...but a sauce, friend you just took them to the top notch of green beans! YUM!
Carlee
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
This does kick them up a notch for sure!
Julia
Wednesday 19th of June 2019
If our house had an official vegetable, green beans would be it. HA! By far the most requested veggie of all. These green beans would be a sure hit..they look amazing!
Carlee
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
Green beans would be up there on our official list as well! Surprisingly Little Dude likes green beans and broccoli most of all.