Sauteed garlicky green bean salad with smoky bacon and cherry tomatoes. This Green Bean Salad with Bacon recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser at any gathering.
Serve it with my Thanksgiving turkey recipe and easy turkey gravy!
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This Green Bean Salad is perhaps the most flavorful salad I’ve ever tasted. If you love bacon, you will love love love this salad. And it’s super low maintenance. I almost want to say it tastes even better after it’s been sitting for a while because all the flavors blend together even more.
- TASTE: The bacon does all the work in providing a bold and smoky flavor to this Green Bean Salad. And the tomatoes are sweet and the green beans have a perfect garlic flavor.
- TEXTURE: The crisp bacon is a nice contrast to the juicy tomatoes and slightly crunchy green beans.
- TIME: It only takes 25 minutes to make.
- EASE: It’s a very quick salad that doesn’t require much prep work and still tastes amazing the next day.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon– Thick cut is best for this salad.
- Garlic cloves– Freshly minced gives this Green Bean Salad the best flavor.
- Frozen green beans- These have the perfect texture for this salad, and they are also a convenient choice.
- Cherry tomatoes– This type of tomato is very juicy and sweet, a perfect counterpoint to the salty bacon.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add feta cheese- This cheese adds a salty, briny flavor to the salad that’s delicious. Choose a whole feta block that you crumble yourself for the best flavor.
- Substitute other tomatoes- You can make this with grape tomatoes as well, or with chopped Roma tomatoes.
- Add vinegar- This salad tastes good with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar added in.
- Add Dijon mustard- This tangy mustard combines with lemon juice or vinegar to make a dressing that is bursting with flavor.
How to Make Green Bean Salad with Bacon
- Prep the ingredients. Chop the bacon and onion, then mince the garlic.
- Cook the bacon. In a large pan, cook olive oil and bacon over high heat. Or until the bacon is golden and slightly crispy.
- Add the onion and garlic. Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium-high heat until the onion becomes translucent.
- Toss in the green beans. Add the frozen green beans and stir until they soften.
- Finish with the seasonings and tomatoes. Add the salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Stir for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Serve.
Pro Tip: Don’t over stir as stirring too much will cause the tomatoes to become mushy.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the bacon until crispy- You don’t want the texture of mealy bacon in your salad, so make sure that it’s crispy when cooked.
- Don’t rush the onions- When you fully cook onions until they become translucent, they release their sweet flavor. That’s what you want in this Green Bean Salad.
- Don’t defrost the green beans- To get the right texture in the green beans, you want them to cook and thaw in the skillet, taking in the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Don’t over stir the salad- Once the tomatoes are in, be careful not to over stir and make the tomatoes mushy.
FAQs
If you used canned green beans in this recipe, the smoky bacon, sweet onion, juicy tomatoes, and garlic really make the dish. Canned or frozen green beans taste great in this Green Bean Salad with Bacon.
This is entirely up to your preference. My family and I prefer to eat it hot off the stove because we love how it brings out the sweet flavor of the onions. However, this salad also tastes just as delicious cold. You can refrigerate it and eat it throughout the week.
Serving Suggestions
This Green Bean Salad with Bacon is versatile and delicious with different proteins, other salads, soup, or dinner sides. Serve it with your favorite meal, your family will love it!
- Meats: Serve this salad with Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO), Smoked Chicken Thighs, Ribeye Steak, or Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey.
- Salads: Pair this Green Bean Salad with some Greek Chicken Pasta Salad, Purple Cabbage Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Spinach Pomegranate Salad.
- Sides: Serve it alongside some Buttermilk Cornbread, Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Bacon Wrapped Asparagus.
- Soups: Pair this salad with a bowl of Potato Leek Soup, Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, or Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Make this salad a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, covered. Its flavors marry together deliciously when it sits.
Storing: Store this Green Bean Salad with Bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop, in the microwave, or eat it cold.
Freeze: I don’t advise freezing this salad because the tomatoes will thaw mushy and the green beans will be soggy.
More Tasty Thanksgiving Side Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions
Green Bean Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz Bacon about 1 cup chopped
- 1/2 onion 1 cup chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 14 oz pkgs. frozen green beans
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 10 oz tub cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Chop the bacon and onion, then mince the garlic.
- In a large pan, cook olive oil and bacon over high heat for about 4 minutes. Or until the bacon is golden and slightly crispy.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the frozen green beans and stir until they soften. About 5-6 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Stir for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Don’t over stir, stirring too much will cause the tomatoes to become mushy.
Nutrition
This green bean salad was featured by BuzzFeed, find the article HERE
This recipe was originally posted on October 9, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Lily says
Can I use fresh green beans instead of frozen?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lily, yes you can use fresh green beans for this recipe 🙂
Inna says
Is it better to serve this salad cold or hot?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Inna, we usually make this and eat it hot and prefer it hot. But you can eat it hot or cold.