Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Potatoes

There’s nothing quite like a pot of Southern green beans with bacon and potatoes simmering on the stove. Fresh green beans are slowly cooked in a flavorful chicken broth with smoky bacon, tender potatoes, onion, garlic, butter, and Cajun seasoning for an easy side dish that tastes like pure comfort food.

Unlike green beans that are cooked just until crisp-tender, Southern-style green beans are meant to cook longer. The beans become soft and tender while soaking up all that savory flavor from the bacon and seasoned broth. Add buttery potatoes to the pot, and you have a hearty old-fashioned side dish that pairs beautifully with just about any Southern meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Full of Southern flavor. Bacon, onion, garlic, butter, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning give the beans a rich, savory flavor.
• Made with simple ingredients. Nothing complicated or difficult to find.
• Everything cooks in one pot. Once the bacon is cooked, the rest of the dish comes together in the same pot or deep skillet.
• Tender and comforting. These aren’t crisp green beans—the longer simmer gives them that soft, old-fashioned Southern texture.
• Perfect for family dinners. Serve them alongside chicken, meatloaf, pork chops, or your favorite comfort-food main dish.

Watch me make these green beans step-by-step in the video above.

Ingredients You’ll Need

12 ounces fresh green beans – Rinse the beans well and trim off the ends before cooking.

2 medium potatoes (about 1 pound) – Yukon Gold or russet potatoes both work well. Cut them into roughly 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly.

4–5 slices bacon – Bacon gives the beans their smoky flavor, and we’ll also use the rendered bacon grease to sauté the aromatics.

½ white onion, sliced – Adds a subtle sweetness and plenty of flavor to the broth.

3 garlic cloves, minced – Fresh garlic adds another savory layer to the dish.

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth – This becomes the flavorful cooking liquid that the green beans and potatoes simmer in.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter – Adds richness to the broth. Using unsalted butter also gives you better control over the final salt level.

1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning – Adds plenty of savory seasoning and just a little kick.

Salt and black pepper, to taste – Because bacon, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning can all contain salt, taste before adding too much additional salt.

Fresh parsley, optional – For garnish before serving.

How to Make Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Potatoes

1. Cook the bacon

Cut the bacon into smaller pieces and place it in a large skillet, Dutch oven, or pot over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is browned and crisp.

Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Don’t discard the bacon grease. Leave it in the pan because we’re going to use it to flavor the rest of the dish.

2. Sauté the onion and garlic

Add the sliced onion to the bacon drippings and cook for about 2–3 minutes, or until it begins to soften.

Add the minced garlic and continue cooking briefly until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

3. Add the green beans

Add the trimmed fresh green beans to the pot along with the low-sodium chicken broth, butter, cooked bacon, and Cajun seasoning.

Stir everything together so the green beans are coated in the seasonings and flavorful broth.

Season lightly with black pepper. Hold off on adding much salt until later—the bacon, broth, and Cajun seasoning may already provide plenty.

4. Begin simmering

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and allow the green beans to simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the potatoes

Add the chopped potatoes and gently stir them into the green beans.

Cover again and continue simmering until the potatoes are fork-tender and the green beans have reached that soft, Southern-style texture, about 20–30 minutes longer.

You’re looking for approximately 30–40 minutes of total simmering time, but use the tenderness of your vegetables rather than the clock as your final guide.

6. Taste and serve

Taste the broth and adjust with additional salt, black pepper, or Cajun seasoning if needed.

Spoon some of that flavorful broth over the beans and potatoes when serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve warm.

Tips for the Best Green Beans

Don’t throw away the bacon grease. That’s one of the major flavor builders in this recipe. Sautéing the onion and garlic in it carries that smoky bacon flavor throughout the whole dish.

Wait before adding extra salt. Bacon, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning can all be salty. Let everything simmer together first, taste the broth, and then decide whether it needs additional salt.

Cut the potatoes evenly. Keeping the potato pieces roughly the same size helps prevent some from falling apart while others are still undercooked.

Don’t rush the beans. This is not a crisp green bean recipe. Southern green beans should be soft and flavorful after simmering in that seasoned broth.

Watch the liquid. You want enough broth in the pot for the vegetables to simmer without drying out. If too much evaporates before the vegetables are tender, add a small splash of chicken broth or water.

Can I Use Canned or Frozen Green Beans?

You can, but fresh green beans are my first choice for this recipe because they can withstand the longer cooking time without becoming quite as soft.

Frozen green beans can also work, although they may cook faster than fresh beans.

I wouldn’t make canned green beans my first choice here because they’re already cooked and can become overly soft during a long simmer. If canned is what you have, drain them and add them much later in the cooking process.

What Kind of Potatoes Are Best?

Yukon Gold and russet potatoes both work.

Yukon Gold potatoes have a naturally buttery flavor and hold their shape nicely during cooking.

Russet potatoes become softer and absorb plenty of that seasoned broth.

You can peel the potatoes or leave the skins on. Either works, so this one really comes down to personal preference.

What to Serve With Southern Green Beans

These green beans are hearty enough for Sunday dinner but simple enough for a weeknight meal. They would be especially good alongside:

• Meatloaf
• Baked or fried chicken
• Pork chops
• Homemade meatballs
• Smoked Turkey Wings
• Macaroni and cheese
• Cornbread

Storage & Reheating

Allow leftover green beans and potatoes to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

To reheat, place the desired amount in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth if there isn’t much cooking liquid remaining.

You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Southern green beans need to be cooked this long?

For this style of recipe, yes. Southern green beans are traditionally cooked until much softer than crisp-tender green beans. The longer cooking time also allows them to absorb the flavors from the bacon, onion, garlic, and seasoned broth.

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

No. You can peel them or leave the skin on. Just scrub them thoroughly if you’re leaving the skins intact.

Why are the potatoes added after the green beans?

The green beans need more time to develop their soft Southern-style texture. Adding the potatoes after the beans have already simmered for about 10 minutes helps keep the potatoes from becoming too soft or falling apart before the beans are ready.

Can I make these green beans without bacon?

Yes. You can leave out the bacon, but you’ll lose some of the smoky flavor. For a bacon-free version, sauté the onion and garlic in a little butter or olive oil and season the broth well.

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Did you make these green beans? Leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out!