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So, I hate green bean casserole but I love green beans and these are the best. The beans always get mushy and they get lost in the cream and I just really don’t like it. These Balsamic Green Beans 🫛 with bacon still have sauce but they stay crunchy and they feel so fresh!
Why You’ll Love Balsamic Green Beans
In case you’re not convinced, I’m going to pitch these balsamic green beans with bacon to you. You start by rendering the fat of thick cut bacon until it gets all yummy and crispy. Remove it and use that fat to fry your green beans till slightly charred, but you still want a bite so they don’t get mushy. Then you do garlic, shallots, some balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce. You’re going to finish it off with some brown butter, top it with the sauce and the thick cut bacon and just like that, you have beautiful, delicious balsamic green beans and you know these flavors are going to be unreal!
How To Prepare Balsamic Green Beans
🧈 Brown your butter: I do this in larger batches but this recipe only needs two tablespoons for these balsamic green beans. It’s always great to make more and it is so good in so many different things. In a smaller pan on medium heat, add your butter and bring to a simmer. Once it looks dark/deep yellow, turn heat to medium-low and let it go until it gets a deep golden color. Stir frequently. Add it to a bowl, and in a smaller bowl add ice. Whip your browned butter until reincorporated. Check out my Brown Butter Recipe if you need more explanation. Also, I am a really big fan of Kerrygold Irish Butter.
🥓 Balsamic Green Beans: Preheat another pan for 2 minutes on low. Add in bacon and let it render until crispy. It will be about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let sit over a paper towel. Remove ½ of the bacon fat.
🔥 Turn heat up to medium-high and let it reheat for 1-2 minutes.
🫛 Add in haricot vert green beans and let them cook in the bacon fat until slightly charred. About 3-5 minute on medium-high. You want to keep some bite so they don’t get mushy as they cook later on.
🧄 Add shallots and garlic. Lower heat to medium and cook 2-3 minutes. At this point, you want the beans soft but with some bite.
🍁 Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and maple to your green beans. Cook for 1 more minute and remove the green beans.
🥄 On medium heat reduce the sauce for 30 seconds. Turn heat off and add in the brown butter. Mix well.
🍽️ Add the balsamic sauce over the green beans. Some crushed red peppers, black pepper and the bacon.
♥️ And that is it, subscribe for more!
Substitutions for Balsamic Green Beans
- If you would prefer, you can use agave or honey instead of maple syrup.
- If you cannot find haricot vert green beans 🫛, you can always just use regular fresh green beans. Keep in mind, they are thicker so they may need to cook longer.
- Instead of using bacon for this balsamic green bean recipe, you can use lower sodium or turkey bacon if you’re trying to go a little healthier.
Variations for Balsamic Green Beans
- Fig Jam Variation: Replace the maple syrup with fig jam for a different pop.
- Cranberry Variation: Toss in some cranberries and toasted nuts for a festive touch.
- Cheesy Variation: Grate some parm or your favorite cheese on top for a cheesy twist.
🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Be careful you don’t overcook your green beans. Green beans continue to cook even after you remove from the heat, so stick to the recipe time to make sure your balsamic green beans aren’t soggy by the end of it.
Recipes That Pair with Balsamic Green Beans
Common Questions
Make sure you dry them very well before cooking. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Also stick to the cook times. Green beans continue cooking after taken off the heat and a lot of people don’t realize that.
You can, it may not taste as good reheated. You can prepare everything but don’t combine it. Store everything in airtight containers in the fridge, and when you are ready to make it, put it all in an oven safe pan and then top with sauce and bacon and heat in the oven to re-crisp everything.
If you need a more thorough explanation, you can check out my Brown Butter Recipe. I explain it there in more detail.
Balsamic Green Beans & Bacon
Equipment
- 2 pan
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into cubes
- 1 lb haricot vert, french green beans
- 1 large shallot, brunoise
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown butter
- Black pepper
- Crushed red peppers
Instructions
- In a smaller pan on medium heat, add your butter and bring to a simmer. Once it looks dark/deep yellow, turn heat to medium-low and let it go until it gets a deep golden color. Stir frequently. Add it to a bowl, and in a smaller bowl add ice. Whip your browned butter until reincorporated. Check out my Brown Butter Recipe if you need more explanation.
- Preheat another pan for 2 minutes on low. Add in bacon and let it render until crispy. It will be about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and let sit over a paper towel.
- Remove ½ of the bacon fat.
- Turn heat up to medium-high and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in green beans and let them cook until slightly charred. About 3-5 minute on medium-high. You want to keep some bite so they don't get mushy as they cook later on.
- Add shallots and garlic. Lower heat to medium and cook 2-3 minutes. At this point, you want the beans soft but with some bite.
- Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and maple. Cook for 1 minute and remove the green beans.
- On medium heat reduce the sauce for 30 seconds. Turn heat off and add the brown butter. Mix well.
- Add the sauce over the green beans. Some crushed red peppers, black pepper and the bacon.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
