Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Updated Nov 16, 2025
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Bacon-wrapped green beans are the easiest way to turn a simple vegetable into a show-stopping holiday side dish. Tender-crisp green beans are bundled in smoky bacon, brushed with a sweet-savory glaze, and roasted until the bacon is crisped and caramelized. They’re make-ahead friendly, impressive on a buffet, and loved by kids and adults alike.
Bacon-wrapped green beans are one of those recipes that make people think “Oh, she fancy!” (when in reality, you just wrapped a vegetable in bacon and put it in the oven).
These little green bean bundles are tender, smoky, slightly sweet, and just special enough to earn a spot on any holiday table. They’re ridiculously simple, totally make-ahead friendly, and exactly the kind of side dish that gets you asked to “bring that bacon green bean thing” every year from now until eternity. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any time you want to show off a little.
Serve these on Thanksgiving with Cajun Roast Turkey or, for a lovely fall dinner, with Roast Eye of Round or Roast Chicken.
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What's In This Post?
Bacon Green Bean Bundles: Tender green beans are all wrapped up with a band of crispy bacon and brushed with a sweet and savory glaze.
Ingredients for Bacon Green Bean Bundles
- Bacon – Don’t buy thick-cut bacon for this; it’s hard to wrap around the green beans and won’t crisp up quickly enough.
- Thin green beans or haricot verts – Thin green beans work best here and make an elegant presentation.
- Unsalted butter
- Minced garlic – Make sure the garlic is very finely minced so it blends into the butter glaze.
- Brown sugar – Either light or dark brown sugar is fine here.
- Orange juice – Fresh is lovely here.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
- Partially cook the bacon: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the bacon (or you can cook it in a pan) until it is soft and starting to cook through but still very pliable. Transfer the bacon to the paper towel-lined plate and let it rest until cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on.
- Blanch the green beans: Cook the beans in a large pot of salted water for about 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and run them under cool water in the colander to stop the cooking. Pat them dry with a clean dish towel.
- Wrap the beans: Gather groups of 10 to 12 green beans, lining them up fairly evenly. Wrap each bundle with a strip of partially cooked bacon.
- Make the glaze: Melt the butter, then quickly sauté the garlic, and stir in the brown sugar and orange juice. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Brush the green bean and bacon bundles with the sauce.
- Bake: Bake until the bacon is crispy and the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can make the green bean bundles up to a couple of days ahead of time and store them in the fridge, tightly covered. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
Once the green bean bundles are baked, you can store leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days. They are best reheated in a 375 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes before serving to re-crisp the bacon. Bring them to room temperature before reheating.
Tips
- If you want to par-cook the bacon ahead of time, you can. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before wrapping the green bean bundles.
- Place each bundle in a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 or so bundles with an inch or so between each bundle, or use two baking dishes.
FAQ’s for Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
You cook the bacon halfway so that it’s still soft enough to wrap around the bundles of green beans, but partially cooked so that it crisps up in the oven in the same amount of time as it takes for the green beans to become crisp-tender.
Yes, blanching is key to green beans that stay vibrant and tender-crisp. A quick dip in boiling water followed by an ice bath ensures the beans cook evenly and don’t dry out in the oven.
Fresh is best for texture and presentation. Frozen green beans tend to be softer and can get soggy and slip out of the bundles.
They’re perfect alongside roasted chicken, turkey, beef tenderloin, ham, or salmon. They also play well with mashed potatoes, stuffing, or any classic holiday sides. Basically, they are the extroverts of the side dish world!
Absolutely, this recipe scales beautifully. Just add a few extra minutes of baking time if you’re loading up the oven with multiple pans/trays. Make sure not to crowd the bundles; you want room in between each bundle for the hot air to circulate so the bacon caramelizes nicely.
What to Serve With Bacon Green Beans Bundles
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Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 slices bacon
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 2 pounds thin green beans or haricot verts (trimmed)
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon very finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a plate with paper towels. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Place the bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake the bacon for about 12 minutes until it is soft and starting to cook through but still very pliable. Transfer the bacon to the paper towel-lined plate and let rest until cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on. (You can also cook the bacon in a pan.)
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for about 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and run them under cool water in the colander to stop the cooking. Pat them dry with a clean dishtowel.
- Gather groups of 10 to 12 green beans, lining them up fairly evenly. Wrap each bundle with a strip of partially cooked bacon. Place each bundle in a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 or so bundles with an inch or so between each bundle, or use two baking dishes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant and begins to color. Then stir in the brown sugar, orange juice. Let it come to a simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Brush the green bean and bacon bundles with the sauce. Grind some pepper over the bundles. (They can sit at room temp for a couple of hours or be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.).Bake until the bacon is crispy, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- If you want to partially cook the bacon ahead of time, you can. Store it in the fridge for up to three days. Bring it to room temperature before wrapping the green bean bundles.
- Place each bundle in a baking dish large enough to hold all 12 or so bundles with an inch or so between each bundle, or use two baking dishes.
