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Smothered Green Beans

Smothered green beans baked until tender with a glossy brown sugar butter sauce and crispy bacon. A Southern American side dish where the bacon-onion drippings soak into every bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Green beans
  • 4 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans, drained
Bacon and onion
  • 8 bacon, chopped
  • 0.5 small onion onion, diced
Sauce
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook bacon and onion
  1. Cook bacon and onion in a skillet for 8 minutes until bacon is mostly crisp, and do not drain the drippings.
Assemble the baking dish
  1. Place green beans in a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with bacon, onion, and drippings.
  2. Whisk brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce over the beans so it pools around and coats them.
Bake and finish
  1. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, stirring once, until the sauce is glossy.
  2. Stir the beans and serve warm.

Notes

For the best glossy finish, stir once midway so the brown sugar butter sauce reaches the bottom of the dish. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 4 days; reheat in the oven at 325°F until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the green beans can soften too much. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium soy sauce while keeping the same baking time.