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Where did 2017 go? Christmas is in just a little over two weeks, and New Year’s Eve is in three. We only celebrate the latter at our house, but no matter what you celebrate, there is plenty of holiday menu planning to do. This year, I’m so excited to include this pan fried green beans almondine recipe with bacon and garlic!
I hope you will, too. Even though this dish is naturally low carb, gluten-free, and even paleo, I’ll bet everyone at the table will devour this. Try it, you’ll see!
The Best Pan Fried Green Beans Almondine
I don’t remember where I first tasted or even heard about pan fried green beans almondine. Probably a restaurant?
I do know that it’s a French dish, which is one of my favorite cuisines. There’s a reason it’s world renowned, right?
The American term “almondine” is actually known as “amandine” in French, which simply means a dish topped with buttered, toasted almonds. This type of topping is common for fish, sometimes asparagus or potatoes, and most notably, green beans.
Call it green beans amadine or green beans almondine… all I know is that it’s French and absolutely delicious – especially with filet mignon!
The good news is, even though it’s French, that does not mean it has to be complicated. In fact, this green beans recipe is incredibly easy! It’s perfect for a busy weeknight meatloaf and fancy dinner alike.
I’m almost positive that the traditional version is not made with bacon. But, bacon is awesome! And that means, we’re putting bacon in ours.
I know you guys love it, because some of my most popular recipes are with bacon! My personal favorites are bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon wrapped chicken tenders, cabbage steaks with bacon, and loaded cauliflower casserole. Go ahead and try those if you haven’t yet.
So! Thanks to our collective love for bacon, we’re making this green beans recipe with it. And with just six ingredients, I’m pretty sure it’s the easiest, best pan fried green beans almondine ever. Even better than regular the regular kind, which is already oh-so-good.
Here’s how I make green beans with garlic, almonds, and of course, bacon…
How To Blanch Green Beans
To start with, let’s talk about how to cook fresh green beans in general. There are a few ways to do it, but I’ll tell you about my favorite. Once you know that general process, you’ll see how easy it is to transform it into French pan fried green beans almondine with bacon.
The first step is to blanch the green beans. Blanching means cooking the green beans in boiling water for a very short time, just until they are crisp tender.
How do you blanch green beans? It’s super easy and takes just a few minutes.
Before you start, trim the ends of the green beans. I like to cut them in half, too, so that they are more bite-sized. That’s up to you. You can easily do it while you wait for the salt water to boil.
Once you have boiling water, add the green beans, and cook for just three or four minutes. Exactly how long to blanch green beans will vary a little bit, so just watch them for signs that they are done. The green beans are ready when they are bright green and crisp tender. Don’t overcook them!
Next, drain them and immediately plunge them into ice water. This prevents them from continuing to cook in residual heat.
If you don’t have ice, very cold water will work in a pinch, but the result will not be as good. You’ll end up with much better blanched green beans if you actually use ice water.
After the green beans are cooked, you can use them in all kinds of recipes, like gluten-free green bean casserole. You can also stir fry green beans, which is what we’ll be doing here. You know I love a good low carb stir fry!
Sauteing the green beans with bacon and garlic is probably my favorite way to eat fresh green beans. Because everything is better with bacon and garlic.
Except possibly this recipe for green beans almondine with bacon and garlic. That might be even better…
How To Cook Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
While the green beans are cooking, cut the bacon slices into 1/2-inch square pieces. You’re going to pan fry them. Just like cooking bacon in general, start with the pan at room temperature.
Use a large one saute pan, since you’ll want room to add the blanched green beans later. Pan fry the bacon on the stove at the same time that the green beans are cooking. The bacon might take a little longer, about ten minutes, so you may need to switch tasks.
Don’t forget to plunge the green beans into cold water to stop cooking once they are ready! They can wait there until you are ready for them.
When the bacon is nice and crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces from the pan. Leave the bacon fat behind. We’re going to use this to make the toasted almonds, and later to stir fry the green beans.
Melt a little butter in with the bacon, add the sliced almonds, and saute for a few minutes, until they are golden. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice.
Finally, add the blanched green beans and bacon to the saute pan. Now, the best part is putting everything together. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, and toss to coat. Cook for just a few minutes, until everything is hot.
There you go – stir fried green beans with bacon and garlic! (Or should I say, voila? It seems particularly appropriate for French green beans.)
As you can see, the whole process for this fresh green bean recipe is super easy. It’s pretty hard to mess it up! Even though there are multiple steps, they are all straight-forward. And, the whole dish is ready in under 30 minutes.
You can even easily eyeball the ingredient amounts. I’m pretty sure your pan fried green beans almondine will still be delicious. You really can’t go wrong with bacon and garlic.
More Low Carb Veggie Recipes
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
- Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Oven Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts
- Spicy Asian Green Beans – just skip the honey to make them low carb!
Pan Fried Green Beans Almondine Recipe with Bacon and Garlic:
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RECIPE CARD
Pan Fried Green Beans Almondine Recipe with Bacon and Garlic
PrintIngredients
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- 4 slices Bacon
- 1 tbsp Butter (or ghee)
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/3 cup Almonds (sliced)
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 lb Green beans (trimmed)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS in the post above! VIDEO + nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Boil salt water in a large saucepan or pot. Add green beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and crisp tender. Drain, then immediately plunge the green beans into ice water to stop cooking. Leave the green beans in the water for a couple of minutes, then drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile, use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the bacon slices into 1/2 in (1 cm) square pieces.
Add the bacon to a large saute pan at room temperature. Place on the stove and fry over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and releases its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Set aside the bacon.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the butter to the pan with the bacon fat. Heat until melted.
- Add the sliced almonds. Saute for a few minutes, until the almonds are golden.
- Add the garlic. Saute for about another minute, until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Add the green beans and bacon pieces to the saute pan. Toss everything to coat. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes, until hot.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Video Showing How To Make Green Beans Almondine:
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make Green Beans Almondine!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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10 Comments
Nick
Good recipe.
Liz
I’m obsessed with pan fried green beans. These are SO good! Perfect for an easy side dish.
wilhelmina
These beans are the perfect flavorful side dish!
laurel
love the recipe…. turned great….loved the video idea and execution.
Christy
I can’t wait to mak this tomorrow for dinner with hour crispy chicken thigh recipe! How much is one serving? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
One serving is 1/2 cup. Thanks for stopping by, Christy! Have a nice day!
Sharon
This sounds great!
Can frozen green beans work also?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Sharon! Sure, you can make it with frozen green beans.
Tessa
Loved this! Loads of flavor, great crunch! Thank you for a yummy side!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Tessa!