Smothered Green Beans – canned green beans baked in bacon, brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, and garlic. This is the most requested green bean recipe in our house. Everybody gets seconds. SO good!! Great for a potluck. Everyone asks for the recipe! Super easy to make.
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Pin This RecipeThese Smothered Green Beans are ridiculous! OMG! SO good!! Green beans smothered with bacon, brown sugar, butter, soy sauce and garlic. How could they not be good? The best part is that this casserole only takes a few minutes to put together. You can actually cook the bacon ahead of time and this would be ready in about a minute! Woohoo!
This makes a TON! We ate leftovers for several days and they tasted great! This would be the perfect dish for a potluck or dinner party. I promise everyone will go crazy over these Smothered Green Bans! SO easy and SO delicious!
Smothered Green Beans
Ingredients:
- 5 (15-oz) cans green beans, drained
- 1 lb bacon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Pour drained green beans in an ungreased 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until almost done but not too crispy. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towel and chop. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top of green beans.
- Whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce and garlic powder. Pour over green beans.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
Steph
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I love this and my friends and family couldn’t get enough. I would encourage everyone to use no salt added green beans. That was the only issue we had. It’s a favorite all year long.
Can this be made in an instant pot? If so, how long?
I’ve never made this in the instant pot, so I can not say what the cooking time would be.
Love these beans!! Can you make it a meal and add chicken? If so suggestions on how to cook?
Thank you!
We love this recipe as written! That said, I’m feeding a couple of missionaries that have a dairy allergy so no butter. Yikes! Butter makes everything better but need suggestions for a substitute.
I can’t give recommendations for food allergies. You may ask them or have them ask their doctor.
Just throw in some bacon grease!! Probably will be better than the butter.
I halved the recipe and used frozen green beans. I only cooked the beans for four minutes so they were still a bit firm. I also used low sodium soy sauce. This is my new favorite green bean casserole. It was absolutely delicious.
Read the recipe and because I really like green beans decided to give this recipe a try. Followed the recipe exactly, except I cut the quantities in half as I only had 2 cans of beans. It turned out absolutely delicious. This will be a staple in my recipe collection. Yummy! 👍👍
So, so delicious!! I made them exactly like the recipe and wouldn’t change a thing. What an excellent side dish!
Oh. My. Goodness! These were amazing! Everyone in my family ate seconds, and has requested them again. I took the advice of some reviewers and added sauteed onion and sauteed sliced fresh mushrooms along with some worcestershire sauce, and they were a hit! We used frozen green beans that we pre-cooked to our taste preference. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I tried this today with some leftover chicken, it was delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Can this be done in a crockpot?
Sure
This green bean recipe is delicious! I have made it in the crock pot several times and I’ve taken it to some Church Potlucks. It is always a hit!
I’ve made this before a handful of times but never in the crockpot but want to. How long did you cook it for and on what setting?
How long in the crockpot…low/high?
You can cook it on LOw or HIGH? It will probably take 2 hours on HIGH. Maybe 4 on LOW.
Anyone use frozen green beans? I don’t use canned veggies.
You can use any green beans that you enjoy
I’m wondering too, wondering if this affects the cook time. Will frozen green beans be softened up enough with this same cook time?
Correction- I mean will FRESH Green Beans be softened up enough with this same cook time?
I would check the beans after the cooking time listed and see if you like the tenderness. If not, cook them longer.
I blanch fresh green beans first and put in an ice bath to keep their bright color. Then proceed with her recipe. Hope this helps!
I wanted a different side dish for Easter, I made this recipe. It was fabulous, everyone loved the mixture. I actually made it the night before so the flavors mixed together. This is a new favorite for our family. I highly recommend it and it was so easy too.
I have a recipe very similar to this and it says to marinate overnight. I usually don’t think that far ahead, but I do try to let them marinate for several hours.
Can you minimize the measurements to not make a casserole? Like maybe 2 cans of green beans?!
I am going to try just 1 can tonight. Not sure about the measurements🤞
Fantastic! I made a Smaller batch and my husband I loved it! Thank you for the terrific recipe.
Could this be prepped and frozen to cook later?
I’ve never frozen this dish. I don’t see why you couldn’t though.
This recipe was delicious! My husband was tired of the typical green bean casserole dish I usually make so we tried this! He said I should make this all the time!
SO glad it was a hit!
Do you think you could make these on the stove top?
You can try it.
I’ve made them on the stove because I didn’t have time to put them in the oven a time or two and they came out nice! They’re much better once they sit for a bit and let the flavors meld but are awesome either way you do it. They are now my go-to for the holidays! I always am asked to make them. I’ve adapted the recipe to use Italian-style green beans (the flat fatter ones) only using one can. Those come in 27oz cans and I find it goes farther and actually makes more.
Tried this for Thanksgiving with sliced mushrooms added. These were a hit and now my go to green beans. Thank you so much for this wonderful dish.
Love the addition of mushrooms!
I plan on making these for Christmas day can I use fresh green beans and if I do should I blanch them first?
just depends on how soft you want your green beans.
Can you serve this dish cold? For instance the next day.
That is up to you.
I made this recipe for the first time at a family Christmas gathering a few years ago… it was a HIT.. and none left! I even had people say that they aren’t even fans of green beans but they LOVED this recipe. Now it’s requested every time!
These green beans are delicious. Since there was only two of us I was going to make two or three cans. But my husband said I should only make one can for the two of us
He regrets it now. Lol! He wants more.
LOL! You’ll have to make the whole recipe for Christmas!
Can you freeze these?
Would the green beans taste good without adding brown sugar
This looks delicious I think I would add some finely diced onion If Iused fresh green beans should I precook them
I saw you mentioned onions. I used French fried onions and they were a good addition.
I served this for a large gathering. It was sooooooooooo good! I gave the recipe out to alot of my guests & told them about plainchicken.com as my source. I have made this numerous times since!
Your recipes are so on target for my small family ( my husband & me)Can’t wait to try them..
TURNED IT INTO A FULL MEAL
I reduced the green beans to three cans and added potatoes and sausage. I peeled the potatoes, cut into 1" cubes and microwave them with a 1/4 cup of water, covered for 2 min, stir and microwave them for another 2 min. Drain and add to the beans. I cut the fully cooked sausage into 1/2" coins and browned them in a frying pan. Once lightly browned I drained them on Paper towels then added to the beans and mixed. Continue with the sauce. Bake as directed.
Sounds delicious! I’m definitely going to give this a try.
I was wondering about Worcestershire sauce, since I don't have soy sauce. Also is precooked bacon from the store ok to use?
Precooked bacon is a great shortcut! It will work just fine.
I haven't made this with Worcestershire sauce. It is similar to soy sauce, so you can definitely give it a try! Enjoy!
I use the Black Label thick sliced precooked bacon (10 pieces in a pack) and worccestershire sauce – it is always a hit!! So quick to prepare!!
I never want to lose this recipe! I have made this many times since discovering it! I add a dash of Lea and Perrins too. I shared it on my Gluten free facebook sites as well(GF soy sauce of course). I am sure it will be on many tables this holiday season!
I'll have to try it with the Lea & Perrins next time. I love Worcestershire sauce! SO glad you enjoyed it!
Can this dish be made with fresh green beans? we REALLY do not like canned ones.
Stephanie, you should try them with worcestershire sauce instead of soy! I make my green bean bundles this way! Heavenly! War Eagle!
This is my new favorite green bean dish!! Made it the first time for Thanksgiving and every one raved over it. Making it today for a group of friends!!
How much do you suggest for 35-45 people? How long to cook all in the oven?
4 pans
Can you fix this in a crockpot?
I don’t see why not.
Hi Michelle,
I made these in a Crock Pot last year and they came out really well. I cooked them for 2-3 hours on low.
How long do I cook it for?
Can you use the french style green beans instead of the regular green beans in this? My brother made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them so I am going to give it a try.
That should be just fine. Enjoy ????
Made this for Thanksgiving family dinner. It was a huge hit! Took home an empty casserole dish. Was also asked to bring it to Christmas dinner.WINNER!
Made these for Thanksgiving. Oh my yum!!!! Thank you for sharing. I will take this over green bean casserole any day!!
OMHG! So very good! I added this to my Thanks Giving Menu on Thanks Giving Day 11/22/2018 and it was a Super HIT!!!!! My family lost their minds! I used frozen green beans thawed in the fridge, he loves the firmness of the green beans then added diced onions and fresh sliced mushrooms letting it cook a little longer, 10 minutes or so…Thank you so much for sharing this delightful dish!!!!!
Sounds delicious!! So glad it was a holiday meal success!!
Do you use Light or dark brown sugar?
Either is fine. I use light brown sugar
Can this be frozen and reheated later?
Emily – I’ve never frozen this casserole. You could make it in advance and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. I
I'm planning on making this for a cookout/birthday party and apparently there will be 25-30 people attending. How can I make this for that many?? Please help asap!
I would make 3 batches
I'm so glad I keep the ingredients for this stocked up. I was just notified that due to an oversight there will be no vegetable at Christmas dinner. Smothered green beans to the rescue!
I have made these for many different gatherings and always a huge hit! Thank you!
Can you prep this the night before and cook it in the morning?
Yes – enjoy
Can this be made without soy sauce?
Can these be made without soy sauce?
you would probably need to add another liquid to replace it. I've never made this without the soy sauce.
My cousin made this for a party last month.. sooo yummy. I am making them this weekend. Thanks 🙂
My cousin made this and brought it to a party and I loved them.. making them this weekend.. Thanks!!
I made these recently and they were a huge HIT! Thanks for the recipe. War Eagle!!
These were a hit at an office get-together. Several people asked for the recipe and already requested it for next year's event! Easy and delicious!
YAY! SO glad everyone enjoyed the green beans!!
Made the Smothered Green beans this evening for my Bunco group and it was awesome. Several ladies asked for the recipe. I will be making this again. I followed the recipe except I did not have low sodium soy sauce so I just used regular soy sauce. So good!
Is the brown sugar packed or unpacked? Also, how will it affect cooking time of I swap canned grean beans for fresh?
Low sodium soy sauce for health reasons, or because it would be too salty with regular ?
You can use regular. I just usually have low-sodium on hand, so that is what I used. I also get tons of comments about sodium content of recipes, so I look to reduce it where I can.
Do you bake covered or uncovered???
Uncovered
I included this recipe in my weekly cooking session. I used 3 cans of green beans but the full amount for the sauce and added some onions with the bacon. Oh my word! I'm not going to have any problem making sure none of this goes to waste! Can't wait for Monday's lunch!!
What is the recipe for just 3 people please can you help me out with it thank you so much
The above recipe indicates it serves 10 so cut it in half for 5 and have some left over.
Hi Stephanie! I just made these for Christmas dinner for the entire family and it was a HUGE hit! This will definitely be a new addition for holiday family dinners. I will have to double next time since it was gone. I made mine in the crock pot and would do it again. Thank you again for sharing this amazing recipe!
Does the sauce thicken when you make them in the crockpot? How long did you cook them and on low, I presume?
If I don't like soy sauce do you think I could just use chicken broth?
yes I made these last night…Yummy!
If I half the recipe does it still cook for 40 mins in a 350 degree oven?
Two questions. Does it matter if it's salted or unsalted butter? Can I halve/half this recipe? Thank you!
I always use unsalted butter. You can definitely half the recipe. Enjoy!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter
I used unsalted
Made these today….they're delish!!!!!
cant wait to try this…should i cover the pan when baking? thank you for sharing
I bake them uncovered- Enjoy!
Can I use "slow cook" on my pressure cooker for these? I have no room in my oven..kathryn
I think they would be fine in the slow cooker. 🙂
Can I use a "slow cook" on my pressure cooker for these? I have no room in the oven! kathryn
Do you drain the green beans first?
Yes
Do you drain the green beans first?
Yes
Just want to confirm that 5 cans of green beans isn't a typo – ? – didn't think all of that would fit in a 9×13 … Also, if cooked in a crockpot what temp and how long would it cook? Thank you!
5 can of green beans – no typo.
I've never made this in the slow cooker. I wouldn't think it would take long to cook in one. Let me know if you try it!
Just want to confirm – Is 5 cans of green beans a typo? Wouldn't think all of this would fit in a 9×13. Also, if you cook this in a crockpot, what do you put it on (mins for high or low)? Thank you!
5 can of green beans – no typo.
I've never made this in the slow cooker. I wouldn't think it would take long to cook in one. Let me know if you try it!
350 degrees that is a hot oven.
Not really.
The recipe means 350°F. 350°C IS very hot!
Bringing this to thanksgiving dinner…. looks like a winner. Can't believe its only a handful of ingredients… don't really care for "traditional" green bean casserole either. Going to use coco-aminos instead of soy sauce – has the same taste almost. Great pictures! Happy Holidays 🙂
Do you use the bacon grease as well or just the drained bacon?
I just use the bacon. I don't put the grease in the casserole. Enjoy!
Do you think this can work for fresh green beans and in a crockpot?
Can you freeze leftovers?
Do you add the bacon grease in as well or just the bacon?
Would it work to usethe Hormel Real Bacon in the bag??
Yes – that would work fine. Enjoy!
Would you happen to know the measurements for a family of 3?
Would I be possible to use frozen green beans instead of canned? I'm not a huge fan of canned green beans. ????
That should be fine. Enjoy!
If making these for a potluck, could I prepare the recipe in the morning, then bake it later? If not, what would you recommend for reheating the entire dish later?
I think it would be fine to assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake it when you are ready.
If taking these to a potluck, could I prepare the recipe that morning, then bake them later? If not, what you recommend for reheating the dish as a whole later?
Have you tried these in a crock pot? Sound great would like to do them for my sons birthday party
I haven't made them in the crockpot, but I think it would work fine. Enjoy!
I have made these in the crockpot and used thawed frozen green beans and it came out great and didn't have to have another item in the oven at Thanksgiving.
I've made these in the crockpot and they turned out great and I used thawed frozen green beans. I didn't have room in my oven with the turkey in there and then they could be dished right out of crock.
@Bustybrown– how long did you cook them in the crockpot? On low, I presume?
@Bustybrown– love that idea. How long did you cook them in the crockpot & on low, I presume?
I actually can't remember but I think it was on low for several hours. I'm going to cook on high today for just around an hour.
I also cooked the bacon ahead in the oven so I just broke it up into the crockpot from the frig and I also cut down on the amount of sugar in half from the first time I made it by the recipe. It was way too sweet for our liking.
I will be making this with Splenda brown sugar blend and halving the recipe. Can't wait!
Very similar to my Green Bean Bundles but would be much faster & easier without all of the bundling!
Perfect description!! Much easier than bundling. Enjoy!!
This recipe was excellent! My daughter loved this!
Similar to my the "Sweet and Sour" green beans my grandparents always used to make. They added a bit of finely chopped onion cooked with the bacon.
You can never go wrong with any recipe when you top it with bacon. This sounds yummy
I agree!! Bacon makes veggies SO much better! Enjoy!
Can you use fresh green beans?
I haven't tried it with fresh green beans. I'm sure you could, but I don't know the cooking time or quantity.
i actually made them with fresh for Easter….i used 2 lbs of fresh, they were amazing….i put them in the oven for 30 mins…we like them with a little crisp left to them…and yes they were a hit. will be making these much more often
Hi Stephanie,
I've been making this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner for a couple years now(nobody likes the traditional green bean casserole). I make the addition of dried cranberries….adds a bit of tart/sweetness. Fabulous
Cranberries sound good! I will try that next time. We loved this! I can't believe I've never had it before now!!!