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Crack Green Beans

Crack green beans are baked until the sticky brown sugar soy glaze turns caramelized and clingy. Blanching first keeps the beans bright-tender while bacon adds crisp, savory crunch.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Green beans
  • 2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
Bacon
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
Brown sugar glaze
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and blanch
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a pot of boiling water and blanch the green beans for 3 minutes, then drain.
  2. Cook the chopped bacon until mostly crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels so it stays crunchy on top.
Assemble and bake
  1. Place the drained green beans in a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with the bacon. Spread them out in an even layer for consistent glazing.
  2. Whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce, minced garlic, and black pepper. Pour the glaze over the beans so they’re coated.
  3. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes at 350F, stirring once. Look for a sticky, caramelized glaze that clings to the beans before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: blanching for exactly 3 minutes keeps the beans tender-crisp so the oven time caramelizes the glaze instead of overcooking the texture. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through, stirring once. Freezing is not recommended because the glazed coating can soften when thawed. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free soy sauce; the cook time stays the same.