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Smothered Green Beans

Smothered green beans are baked until tender in a glossy brown sugar butter sauce with crispy bacon and onion. This Southern-style side dish combines drippings, baking, and one mid-bake stir for a sticky, spoonable coating.
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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: 245
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

canned cut green beans
  • 4 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans, drained
bacon
  • 8 slice bacon, chopped
onion
  • 0.5 small onion onion, diced
brown sugar butter 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 sheet pan

Method
 

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

Notes

For extra sheen, stir once midway so the brown sugar butter coats everything evenly. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days; reheat covered in a 325F oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the beans can soften too much after thawing. For a lower-sodium swap, use low-sodium soy sauce while keeping the rest the same.