Hickory Smoked Green Beans with Bacon

BBQ side dishes are essential and these green beans pair perfectly with so many smoker recipes like my smoked whole chicken, these easy smoked beef short ribs, and this smoked bacon wrapped meatloaf!  Smoked low and slow with hickory wood and bacon, these green beans with bacon have become a family favorite!

Jump to:

• ✔️ Quick Recipe Overview
• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• 👩‍🍳 Preparing The Smoker
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• 📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
• 🙋🏼 Frequently Asked Questions
• 💭 Expert Tips
• 🍲 Other Smoked Side Dishes
• Smoking Meat Made Easy!
• Hickory Smoked Green Beans Recipe

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There are a plethora of green beans recipes out there, like these savory garlic grilled green beans, but did you know that you can smoke green beans in a smoker? It's a convenient and super flavorful way to enjoy this healthy green beans recipe side dish. This vegetable is great on its own, but green beans with bacon is delicious. When you smoke them instead of cook them on the stove top or in the oven, the flavor is over the top delicious!

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Green beans have a wonderful taste when smoked and you can really taste the hickory and the bacon. I smoke a lot of different foods in the smoker and I love making side dishes in the smoker because of the convenience. These smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs taste amazing with these green beans. I mean, you already have the smoker going so why not make some side dishes to go with the smoked meat?

And the flavor. Smoked anything just tastes delicious. I don't know about you, but I like to avoid heating up my kitchen in the summer as much as possible so anytime I can cook an entire meal in the smoker, I do it.

👩‍🍳 Preparing The Smoker

Depending on what type of smoker you have depends on how you prepare it. Below are steps to take when preparing an electric smoker and a pellet smoker. I typically only smoke side dishes when I'm smoking a piece of meat. But you can also prepare the smoker for just a side dish or two if you want.

If I crave the taste of smoked side dishes, I also include some type of smoked me with it so I can make it into a full meal. When it comes to smoking, preparing the wood chunks or chips, water pan, and cleaning the smoker takes effort so if you're going to smoke food, smoke as much as you can. Plus, smoked leftovers are wonderful.

Before we jump into this smoked green beans recipe, there's a couple of basic things you need to know about preparing a smoker.

• Wrap the water pan - regardless of the type of smoker I use, I always use a water pan when smoking this side dish. It provides more moisture during the smoking process. I wrap the water pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil before adding the water. By doing this you’re saving yourself a lot of mess. Less cleanup is always better. If your smoker doesn't come with a water pan, place a disposable aluminum pan beside the meat directly on the smoker racks.
• Wood Chunks or Wood Chips? - I personally prefer using wood chunks when I smoke food because it’s been my experience that they produce more smoke for a longer period of time.
• Wood Type - For this recipe, I use hickory wood but I've also made this fresh green bean recipe using pecan and apple wood chunks.
• Preheat the Smoker - Always preheat the smoker to 250°F before placing in the food.

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🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

The ingredients you need to make these green beans with bacon are simple. You can use french cut green beans if you want but any fresh beans will work. And, you can even use canned green beans if you want. I've had great success when using both turkey and pork bacon. Pork bacon provides more flavor, but turkey bacon is a healthier option. The acid in the apple cider vinegar helps make the beans more tender and the chicken broth adds a lot of flavor when paired with the bacon.

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

First, cut the ends off the fresh beans. Cut them in half and add to a colander. Rinse well and set aside.

Blanching the green beans is the next step. Make sure you don't skip this part. In a large skillet, add in the chicken broth, apple cider, salt, and pepper. Add the fresh green beans and turn up the heat to a slow boil. Blanch for about 3-4 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Transfer the green bean mixture (including the liquid) to a disposable aluminum pan. Do not drain the liquid.

From there, chop the uncooked bacon into bite size pieces. Place the bacon on top of the green beans and once the smoker is preheated to 250°F, place the pan of directly onto the smoker rack. Smoke uncovered for 3 hours.

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After 3 hours, remove the pan of smoked green beans with bacon out of the smoker. Stir and add in some almond slices. Serve with your favorite smoked meat and enjoy! This green bean side dish is amazingly delicious and a huge crowd pleaser!

🙋🏼 Frequently Asked Questions

💭 Expert Tips

• You can use pork or turkey bacon in this recipe. Both taste great!
• When preparing, make sure to string the beans before cutting them in half.
• If using canned green beans, skip the blanching step and reduce the smoke time to 1.5 hours. 
• Adding a bit of apple cider vinegar helps bring out the flavor and soften the beans. Apple Cider Vinegar is acidic and has a sweet and tangy taste that also pairs really well with the chicken broth and the salt.
• If there are leftovers, store them in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

🍲 Other Smoked Side Dishes

If you're looking for more great recipes to smoke, check out my Smoked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta. Creamy and delicious, this smoked mac and cheese is smoked over hickory wood and full of flavor that will both satisfy and impress. Also, these Smoker Baked Beans are a southern classic and is a must for any BBQ! Topped with bacon, these homemade baked beans are the perfect pairing to any smoked meat!

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in May 2019, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in April 2022.