Green Bean Bundles with Bacon
Green bean bundles wrapped in bacon are a true French classic that I absolutely love making for holiday meals. They’re simple, elegant, and always a crowd-pleaser, the kind of side dish that looks impressive without being fussy. In this post, I’ll show you how to prep them ahead of time and cook them perfectly so the beans stay crisp-tender and the bacon turns irresistibly golden and crispy.
Table of contents
A Quick Note Before the Recipe
Bacon-wrapped green beans are one of my favorite side dishes for holiday dinners. Growing up, my family made them every Christmas, they always looked beautiful on the table, everyone loved them, and they added a little green freshness to otherwise rich and hearty meals (okay, I know bacon isn’t exactly “light,” but you know what I mean!).
5 Tips for Perfect Green Bean Bundles
These bundles are quick and easy to prepare, but a few small tricks make all the difference between soggy beans and perfectly crisp, flavorful bites. Here’s how to get them just right, bright green beans with a little crunch and perfectly browned, crispy bacon.
- Choose fresh green beans whenever possible. The texture and flavor are so much better than frozen ones (though frozen beans can still work in a pinch).
- Blanch the beans before wrapping them in bacon. This step is important to keep them firm and tender at the same time. Check out my article for perfectly blanching green beans.
- Immediately plunge them into ice water after blanching, this helps lock in that vibrant green color and prevents them from shriveling during cooking.
- Don’t overload your bundles. About 10 beans per bundle is perfect. If they’re too thick, they won’t hold together nicely and the bacon won’t cook evenly.
- Searing vs. Baking: You can bake these bundles in the oven or sear them in a pan, both work well. But if you want that perfectly crisp bacon while keeping the beans tender and bright, a quick sear in the pan over high heat is the best.
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Green Bean Bundles with Bacon
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Ingredients
- 1 lb about 500 g fresh green beans
- 12 smoked bacon thin slices or American-style bacon
- Salt and pepper
- A drizzle of neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Wash and trim the ends of the beans.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 4–5 minutes until just tender.
- Drain immediately, rinse under cold water and plunge into a large bowl of ice water with a pinch of salt. This stops the cooking and keeps their bright green color.
- Drain again and pat dry in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Lay out one slice of bacon, gather about ten green beans, and wrap them tightly in the bacon strip. Repeat with the rest.
Pan-Seared Method (my favorite)
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a little neutral oil.
- Place the bundles seam-side down and sear for 2–3 minutes per side until the bacon is crisp and golden. Serve immediately.
Oven Method
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) for convection or 425°F (210–220°C) for a conventional oven.
- Arrange the green bean bundles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the bacon is nicely crisp. Serve hot.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve with Green Bean Bundles
These Green Bean Bundles pair beautifully with so many main courses, here are a few of my favorites:
- Chicken: Perfect alongside roast chicken (or my Air Fryer Chicken Legs for a quick weeknight version). They’re also great with Creamy Mustard Chicken or the French iconic classic Coq au Vin.
- Beef: It’s also nice with a beef stew such as the Beef Bourguignon or a juicy steak topped with peppercorn sauce.
- Fish: Bacon and fish may sound surprising, but they’re an amazing combo! Try these bundles with Parmesan-Crusted Cod or my Pan-Seared Salmon Meunière
- Other sides: I often serve them with another side, like Pommes Purée (French mashed potatoes), Parsnip Mash, or elegant Duchess potatoes for a fancy touch.
FAQ – Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Yes! Frozen green beans work fine if you don’t have fresh ones on hand. The texture will be a little softer, but still tasty. I’d skip the canned kind, though, they’re already cooked, too soft, and will fall apart during cooking. You’d lose that lovely contrast between the crisp beans and the crunchy bacon.
The key is high heat. Pan-searing is the best method, it browns the bacon beautifully without overcooking the beans. You can also pop them under the oven broiler at 475°F (245°C) for a few minutes, just watch closely, as the bacon can brown quickly. Got an Air Fryer? It works wonderfully! Cook at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes — the bacon gets crisp while the beans stay firm and vibrant.
Blanch them in a large pot of salted boiling water for 4–5 minutes. Taste one, it should be tender but still have a little bite. Then immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking and lock in that bright green color. Check out my article for blanching green beans without making them mushy.
Absolutely, in fact, it’s a great make-ahead dish. You can prep the raw bundles up to 2 days ahead and keep them tightly wrapped in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze them raw or cooked in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag. They’ll keep for about 3 months.
Yes, you can! Replace the bacon with blanched leeks, just season them with a little smoked paprika to get that hint of smoky flavor. Or use plant-based bacon, which you can now find in most grocery stores nowdayss.
