Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon, Onions, & Mushrooms
This page contains affiliate links. For more information please read my Disclosure Policy.
Fresh sauteed green beans with bacon, onions, and mushrooms is an easy to prepare green bean side dish cooked on the stove top with just 4 simple fresh ingredients and a dash of salt and pepper. Crisp tender, perfectly seasoned green beans are a great dinner side dish, or make a lovely Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner recipe.
As soon as fresh green beans hit the market, I’m buying them by the pound. My family devours them in all forms, but this particular recipe for perfectly cooked sauteed green beans with crisp bacon, soft flavorful onions, and earthy tender mushrooms is a family favorite. We love it for casual dinners and as a holiday side.
They’ve made a regular appearance on our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables ever since I created it. We skip the casserole and serve these crisp tender skillet green beans instead, giving them their rightful place of glory alongside garlic thyme mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, garlic bread rolls, and honey roasted carrots.
The Ingredients
This is what I call a whole food recipe. There is nothing but fresh ingredients, seasonings, and bacon that come together to make this the best green bean side dish ever.
- Fresh Green Beans – the key is fresh, firm and smooth green beans. Look for bright green color free of wrinkles, yellowing, bumps, or limpness.
- Thick Cut Bacon – Avoid the thin, cheap diner-style bacon. Spring for the thick-cut stuff with a good meat-to-fat ratio (a balance of white fat and pink meaty bits). The butcher counter at your grocery is a safe bet.
- Yellow Onion – Yellow onions have more sugars, so they caramelize beautifully and add a mellow sweetness to the dish. You can use shallots or sweet onions instead.
- Fresh Mushrooms – We prefer shiitakes or portobellos. They’re both meaty and pack that umami punch you’re looking for, but if you can’t find either, go for cremini or baby bellas in a pinch.
- Salt & Pepper – I recommend coarse kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Tips for Perfect Green Beans
Start to finish this recipe takes about 50 minutes to an hour, prep included, and its mostly just stirring ingredients together so pretty easy! This serves 6, but depending on how hungry you are…at least 4.
Below you’ll find the complete recipe card and instructions, but here are my best tips for making your sauteed green beans with bacon perfect every single time.
- I prefer to make this in one pan – by first blanching the green beans in the same saute pan I cook everything else in. It comes to a boil faster in a shallow wide pan, and less dishes!
- IF however, you prefer a quicker cook time, start a separate pot of water to boil and blanch you green beans then start the bacon in a saute pan. This shaves about 10 minutes off your cook time!
- Prep, prep, prep! I like to have everything ready to go before I begin cooking.
- For Shiitakes – Remove the stems, they’re tough and woody, then slice caps.
- For Portobellos – Remove the stems and use a spoon to gently scrape the dark brown gills from the under side of the cap. Slice.
- For Cremini – Slice them whole, but check the bottom of the stem and cut off any dry ends.
- It’s so important to cook in stages. Let the bacon crisp almost completely before adding the onions. Then let the onions soften and brown before you add the mushrooms. This allows them to caramelize, instead of just steam and get soft.
- Don’t skip the blanch. I know it’s tempting, but blanching and shocking the green beans helps them achieve tenderness without shriveling.
FAQ’s
No, at least not in the many, many, many times I’ve made this have I ever needed to. It may seem like a lot, but as you add the onions, then the mushrooms, then the green beans, it gets used up. If you have particularly greasy bacon and after you saute your mushrooms the pan is still swimming in it, go ahead and drain off all but 1 tablespoon or so before adding the green beans.
If you can’t use fresh, I’d go for frozen over canned green beans which are too soft. Skip the blanching step for frozen green beans.
As with any pre-cooked vegetable, if you freeze it the green beans and sauteed mushrooms will probably lose their texture. If that doesn’t bother you, it is perfectly safe to freeze.
Yes. I’ve definitely made this several hours ahead when prepping it for Thanksgiving dinner. Once finished cooking, for best results place in an oven safe dish and cover it. Then place in the fridge. When ready, place in a low oven until heated through and serve.
Of course! If you’re not into mushrooms or onions, go ahead and leave out what you don’t like. It will affect the overall flavor, so I recommend making it as listed first.
Whatever you decide to to serve this with, it’s going to be delicious! We enjoy it with orange and ginger pork chops, Dr. Pepper braised short ribs, and or roast chicken when I whip this up for dinner. Or, pair it with Asiago bread, creamed corn, and scalloped potatoes to make your holiday table shine.
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5 star rating in the recipe card below, or a comment to share your experience with fellow home cooks. I hope you enjoy and as always, Happy Eating!
Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb fresh green beans
- 1 lb bacon thick cut
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cup onion, yellow diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil while you trim green beans, dice onions and bacon, and slice mushrooms.
- Place a large wide skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and stir occasionally until bacon comes to a crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water and ice and set near the stove. When water comes to a boil drop in green beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove green beans from water and place immediately into ice water to shock them and stop the cooking.
- Add the onions in with the bacon and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes.
- Remove green beans from water and gently blot dry to remove excess water. Add to the bacon, mushroom, onion mixture and cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until green beans are desired tenderness. Add salt and pepper, adjust to liking.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
One Pan Instructions
- To cook all in one pan, use a large, wide skillet with sides and begin by boiling the water in it. Once the green beans are blanched and in the ice water, dump out the water and return the pan to the heat. The remaining water will evaporate quickly and you can begin cooking the bacon.
Notes
Nutrition
If you made this, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share the foodie love with fellow home cooks. Thanks for visiting!
Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.
I love green beans this way but I also add craisins sometimes and so yummy.
Oh that does sound good! Sounds perfect for a nice, fall flavored green bean dish!
Just made this to take for my lunches this week at work! Yes let the onions brown and then add the mushrooms- such a deep rich flavor. This is a keeper recipe. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! I love this recipe, and using it for lunch prep is a great idea! Enjoy your lunches 🙂
These green beans look amazing! Definitely going to put it in my meal plan!
I hope you enjoy them Eden 🙂
I am always looking for healthy recipes and sautéed green beans comes as a refreshing side dish.
I hope you like the recipe!
Wow, what a hit these green beans are with my family. The bacon is crispy and crunchy and paired with the fresh green beaans, everyone was thrilled. Your directions were super easy to follow too.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear it, thanks for giving it a try Eileen!
I am a green bean lover. The fact that you paired bacon mushrooms and onions has my mouth watering. I can only imagine the texture and flavor. What a wonderful side dish and perfect for Thanksgiving too! Well done!???❤
We’ve definitely served it as a Thanksgiving side, it works great! I’m glad you like the idea of the recipe and I hope you enjoy it when you’re able to try it.
Green beans are my favourite veggie and Im always looking for new recipes! This recipe looks simple to make but so flavourful, will try soon!
They’re one of my faves too, so delicious! I hope you like it!
What a perfect side dish! We made it last night for a small gathering, and everyone loved it! I think it was the first time ever I’ve seen my other half enjoying green beans so much!
I’m always so glad to hear that Anna! Thank you for letting me know how you enjoyed it 🙂
I’m always looking for ways to flavor up my green beans! this looks like a great flavor option…especially with the bacon!
It’s one of my favorites for sure, I hope you enjoy Leslie!
I’m the opposite….I was raised on fresh beans and never had the canned kind until much later. It was a treat for me lol. This recipe looks like a great way to enjoy fresh beans while they are in season.
That’s so funny! My toddler basically lives on canned green beans now since they’re so soft, but I definitely still prefer fresh ones and make them for us frequently. Definitely have to get them while they’re in season!
These sauteed green beans with bacon, onions, and mushrooms were so hearty and outstanding tasting. My friends and I really enjoyed them. I will be making this recipe again soon!
That’s what I like to hear! Glad you all enjoyed them Heidy 🙂
Tried your recipe. The flavors were amazing. Relished each bite. Thanks for the share.
Glad you enjoyed it Aditi, thanks for sharing how it went!