I talk about main course meat dishes a whole lot, because they’re usually the stars of the show. But what about the sides? We all want something tasty that’s not a lot of trouble to enjoy along with the entree. Green beans are a side dish staple. I’m going to dress them up today with some bacon so they’ll be perfect for your next big family meal. 

Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Recipe | Heath. Riles BBQ

There are so many ways to make green beans I can’t even count them. I’ve cooked them dozens of ways, but this recipe is one of my favorites. It's simple with only a few ingredients, and the results are delicious. They go good with beef, pork, or poultry. Let’s get started!

The Ingredients

French cut green beans. You probably figured this out, because of the name and all. 

Bacon. Using this to wrap the beans adds a delicious savory flavor to every bite. 

Spray oil. This helps the beans not stick to the casserole dish as they cook.

Butter. I’ll melt it and pour it on the wrapped beans to add flavor and sweetness.

Brown sugar. A few sprinkles gives the recipe more sweetness and adds taste. 

Low-sodium soy sauce. Packed with flavor, soy sauce adds a tasty element to the dish. 

Heath Riles BBQ Chicken Rub. I should have named this rub “Chicken and so much more” because its herbs and spices mixture makes almost every food taste better. 

The Equipment Setup

• Traeger Timberline 1300 preheated to 375 degrees F. I knew this was the way to go with this recipe, as it would cook the bacon and add a bit of smokiness to the flavor. 
• Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. I stoked my Traeger with Royal Oak because I love how it burns and the cook it delivers. 

The Process for Making My Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans

There’s a detailed demonstration of this recipe in the video and recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a basic run through of how I made this dish. 

1. Blanch the beans. I put the green beans in a medium-sized pot and let them boil for about 3 minutes, drained the water off, then rinsed them with cold water to stop them from cooking. Blanching helps green beans keep their bright color when they’re cooked. 
2. Wrap a bean bundle with bacon. Once the beans cooled off a bit, I gathered a small bundle (about 6-8 beans) and wrapped them around the middle with half a piece of uncooked bacon.
3. Spray the casserole dish. The wrapped green beans will cook in a casserole dish, so I sprayed it with oil to ensure nothing sticks to it.
4. Layer the green beans in the dish. As I wrapped the bundles of beans, I laid them end-to-end in the casserole dish.
5. Pour on the butter. Using a small-sized pot, I melted a stick of butter, then poured it over the beans.
6. Sprinkle on brown sugar. Brown sugar added another layer of flavor and some sweetness to this green bean recipe. I used my hand and sprinkled it all over the top of the green beans and bacon.
7. Drizzle on soy sauce. I opened a bottle of low-sodium soy sauce and drizzled some of it over the green beans to bring in a little saltiness.
8. Shake on Chicken Rub. Despite its name, my chicken rub is great on vegetables. I sprinkled a light layer over the green beans to top them off.
9. Put them on the grill. The beans were wrapped, seasoned, and ready to go on my Traeger Timberline 1300 to cook. I placed them in the middle of the rack and shut the lid.
10. Take them off the grill. After they cooked for about 45 minutes, I checked on them, spun the dish around, and let them go for another 45 minutes. Then they were done and ready to come off the grill. They had a great color and smelled delicious. 

The Results

The beans were perfectly cooked and had a rich sweet, savory flavor that blended well with their natural taste. The bacon was a great addition, too. It contributed some more savoriness to the recipe, and added that unique bacon flavor we all love. These bacon-wrapped green beans should be on the menu at your next family gathering. Trust me, you won’t be sorry. 

Serving Suggestions 

I recommend planning for each person to eat 2-3 bundles of green beans as a side dish. 

Storing Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans

Let the beans cool down and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the oven or the microwave. 

Equipment and Tools

Traeger Timberline 1300, Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets, Medium-sized pot (for blanching), Small-sized pot (for melting the butter), Large Aluminum Sheet Pan , Glass casserole dish.