A popular holiday side dish in the South, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, combines canned green beans with smokey, crumbled bacon, crunchy water chestnuts, sweet onions, and a tantalizing sweet and sour sauce made with granulated sugar and vinegar.
Like my Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon, this make-ahead Southern recipe is excellent whether you serve it at a quick weeknight meal or a dinner party.
This is one of those classic side dishes that you will turn to time and time again when you want a special meal. It is perfect for a crowd and fabulous when paired with barbecue for a casual backyard cookout. It also is one of my favorite dishes to take to a potluck.
Recipes made with canned green beans don’t usually get top billing and are often overlooked because canned vegetables have gotten a bad rap. That is until today!
While pantry staple canned green beans are good on their own, this recipe for Sweet and Sour Green Beans ups the ante and turns them into a side dish that will quickly become a family favorite.
Jump to:
Ingredient notes:
- Canned green beans – either regular cut or french-style, are the ultimate convenience food. Canned vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh.
- Bacon – with its delicious smoky taste, makes any dish more flavorful, and this recipe is no exception.
- Water chestnuts – add a pleasing crunch and earthy flavor. You can find them already sliced in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Onions – bring their familiar sweet oniony taste to this dish. I like to use Vidalia when they are in season, but any sweet yellow onion will work.
- Sugar – is responsible for the sweet taste and combines with vinegar to make the tangy sweet and sour sauce. Brown sugar can be substituted.
- White Vinegar – is sugar’s counterpart and supplies the tanginess. Apple cider vinegar can be substituted.
Step-by-step directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Pan-fry the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Turn frequently and cook for about ten minutes or until it is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Add the sugar and vinegar to the bacon grease and stir until well combined.
- Add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes.
- Then add one can of drained green beans and one can that has not been drained.
- Add a can of drained sliced water chestnuts. Combine and simmer for five minutes.
- Crumble the bacon and add it to the skillet – cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the ingredients to a casserole or serving dish and serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs:
Green beans and cornbread go together like shrimp and grits. Try my Traditional Southern Style Cornbread, gluten-free Old-Fashioned Southern Cornbread, or Jalapeno Cornbread for a match made in heaven.
This side dish is also delicious when served with turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving, and it is lovely paired with baked ham at Christmas or Easter.
For a quick side dish, try heating a can of drained green beans in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter or bacon grease. Once warmed through, add a touch of salt and garlic powder.
Then, to vary the taste, add a tablespoon or so of any or a combination of these ingredients: sliced or slivered almonds, pesto, lemon zest, soy sauce or Worchestire sauce, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes cut in half, pinenuts,
parmesan cheese or feta cheese, and serve.
Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to four days. They can be reheated covered in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
One of the nice things about canned vegetables is that they should last three to five years if properly stored and are a great pantry staple. However, you should occasionally inspect your cans to check the expiration dates and discard any that are leaking or misshapen.
The nutritional value of canned vegetables is just about the same as fresh because canning is done at the peak of their freshness, and it preserves their vitamins and minerals. However, they can be high in sodium.
Sharon’s tips:
- This dish is delicious served either warm or at room temperature.
- You can also make this side dish up to 24 hours ahead and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
- Fresh or frozen green beans can be substituted in this recipe, but you will have to add about one-half cup of chicken or vegetable broth to make up for the lack of liquid. Raw beans will need to be cooked in boiling water for eight to ten minutes on the stove or covered and microwaved for about five to six minutes.
- If you are trying to cut back on salt, you can certainly use low or reduced-sodium-canned vegetables.
More green bean recipes:
Other popular Southern-style vegetable side dish recipes you might enjoy include Southern Fried Cabbage, Southern Collard Greens, Southern Squash Casserole, Fried Sweet Corn, Classic Southern Tomato Pie, Baked Tomato Casserole, Southern White Acre Pea Succotash, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
If you need more menu ideas, here is a link to all of my side dish recipes.
*Special thanks to Brenda Godfrey of Fairhope, Alabama, for sharing this recipe with me to share it with you!
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!
**This recipe was originally published on January 18, 2017.
📋 Recipe:
Sweet and Sour Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup white vinegar
- ½ yellow sweet onion, medium, peeled and sliced
- 2 14.5 ounce cans cut green beans one drained, one not drained
- 1 8 ounce can water chestnuts, sliced and drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Pan-fry the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until it is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Add sugar and vinegar to the skillet and stir until everything is well combined. Add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add two cans of green beans, one drained and one not drained, and then add the can of drained, sliced water chestnuts. Combine and simmer for five minutes.
- Crumble the bacon and add it to the green bean mixture – cover and bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
- Pour into a casserole or serving dish and serve immediately!
Notes
- This dish is delicious served either warm or at room temperature.
- You can also make this side dish up to 24 hours ahead and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
- Fresh or frozen green beans can be substituted in this recipe, but you will have to add about a half cup of chicken or vegetable broth to make up for the lack of liquid. Uncooked green beans will need to be cooked in boiling water for eight to ten minutes on the stove or covered and microwaved for about five to six minutes.
- If you are trying to cut back on salt, you can certainly use low or reduced-sodium-canned vegetables.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to four days. They can be reheated covered in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Very good recipe! I’ve made it exactly as published and it never fails to elicit rave reviews. Warmed leftovers are excellent served over hot basmati rice!
Hi Sharon, and thanks very much for the delicious recipe! I’m preparing this for an early Thanksgiving and just gave it a taste test! The sweet and sour ratio is outstanding,with just the right amount of sauce. I added a pinch of salt and a squirt of liquid smoke, otherwise followed the recipe, just as written. Because of the sweet and sour flavors, I’m letting the mixture marinate for a couple of days. Thanks again.
Hi Robbie, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I am glad you like this dish; it is one of our favorites.
Sharon
Why so much sugar and vinegar?
Hi Sara,
This is an old-fashioned recipe given to me by a friend. The amounts of sugar and vinegar are what the recipe calls for and that’s the way I’ve always made it. If you decide to experiment by using less sugar and vinegar, please let me know how it turns out.
All my best,
Sharon