Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Bacon wrapped green beans are coated in a buttery maple glaze and roasted until caramelized. This savory-sweet side is perfect for holidays or everyday meals.

Also try roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate, cheesy taco pasta, mushroom and steak bruschetta, or bacon-wrapped tater tots.

Why You’ll Love It

Bold flavor combo: Bacon, maple syrup and green beans create the perfect salty-sweet pairing.
Impressive presentation: These little bundles look fancy but are surprisingly easy.
Perfect for holidays: They’re ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas or dinner parties.
Make-ahead friendly: Prep the bundles ahead and bake them when needed.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Green beans: French-style beans offer a tender bite and slender shape perfect for bundling.
Bacon: Adds smoky richness and holds each bundle together while it crisps.
Butter: Melts into the glaze, bringing richness to the final flavor.
Maple syrup: Gives a touch of sweetness that balances the salty bacon.
Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes provide savory depth and a little kick.
Dried rosemary: Adds earthy flavor that pairs well with both beans and bacon.
Lemon juice: Brightens the dish and enhances the other flavors.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Green Beans      

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cook the bacon: Partially bake until just starting to crisp, then set aside.
Blanch the green beans: Boil briefly, then shock in ice water to preserve color and texture.
Make the glaze: Melt butter with syrup, seasonings and rosemary to create a coating.
Toss the beans: Dry the beans and coat them evenly with the glaze and lemon juice.
Wrap and arrange: Bundle the beans and wrap with bacon, securing if needed.
Bake and finish: Roast the bundles until bacon is crispy and beans are golden.

Substitutions and Variations

Use turkey bacon: A leaner option that still gives a smoky finish.
Try different sweeteners: Use honey or brown sugar instead of maple syrup.
Add fresh herbs: Swap dried rosemary for chopped fresh thyme or parsley.
Make it spicy: Add extra red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the glaze.
Use prosciutto: Prosciutto is an alternative to bacon when making these. It’s a salty dry-cured type of ham which is buttery in flavor and comes in very thin slices. It crisps up in the oven, making it a good bacon alternative. The difference if using prosciutto is it doesn’t need to be cooked before wrapping the fresh green beans. It’s thinner and cooks much faster, so this makes partially cooking it unnecessary.

Serving Suggestions

With a holiday dinner: Enjoy these green bean bundles with stuffed turkey breast, one of these Thanksgiving grilling recipes or a Christmas tree charcuterie board.
With a casual meal: They’d also be good with hamburger steak and gravy or a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf.
With other sides: More tasty sides you might enjoy include roasted acorn squash and garlic butter fondant potatoes.

How to Store Leftovers

Store: These will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing these, otherwise they will thaw floppy instead of bright and crisp.
Reheat: Heat them back up in an air fryer or in the oven.