These grilled green beans are wrapped in bacon and topped with blue cheese for your new favorite summer side dish!

bacon wrapped green beans in a cast iron pan

 

This easy grilled vegetables recipe has both the flavor and texture you want from the perfect side dish or appetizer. The savory steak marinade adds amazing, rich flavor balanced with the sweet brown sugar (or alternative when you’re going low-carb), enriched by the salty bacon and tangy blue cheese. On top of that, the barbecue adds a smoky component that we all love. So few ingredients are needed for these deliciously complex flavors!

Ingredients for Grilled Green Beans with Bacon

Here is a quick overview of what you will need for these bacon wrapped green bean bundles. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.

  • Fresh green beans – I do not recommend frozen green beans as they have a lot of moisture and aren’t as crisp.
  • Thin-cut bacon – I don’t recommend thick-cut bacon as it takes longer to cook and doesn’t get as crisp. Black pepper bacon is wonderful if you like a sharper tasting bite.
  • Steak marinade and brown sugar sweetener – If you are low-carb/keto, use brown sugar Swerve or monk fruit instead of sugar. I used Allegro steak marinade, but your favorite marinade will work great.
  • Bleu cheese crumbles – This salty addition brightens the flavor and complements the savory-sweet marinade perfectly. If you want to skip this, that’s perfectly fine as well. For a milder flavor, you could use parmesan cheese or feta.
Overhead view of bacon wrapped green bean bundles

How to Make Green Beans Wrapped in Bacon

These bacon-wrapped green bean bundles are so easy to make, but they do require a little prep work. Here’s how they’re made: 

  1. Start by trimming the ends from the green beans and stack them into nice, neat bundles. The size of your bundles will really depend on how big your green beans are, but I had about 5 in my bundle.
  2. Then, combine the steak marinade with a little bit of brown sugar. You can use any brand you wish, I really like a brand called Allegro but you can you use whatever you have on hand. By combining the marinade with the brown sugar you create this really rich smokey sweet flavor that is unstoppable when paired with the bacon and tangy bleu cheese.
  3. Use a thin piece of bacon and wrap it around your green bean bundle nice and tight and secure with a toothpick.
  4. Brush the marinade mixture over each bundle, making sure to cover the bacon and the green beans.
  5. Now it is time to grill! When the bacon is crisp remove, the green bean bacon bundles from the grill and sprinkle with bleu cheese crumbles. 

This is one side dish you will want to make over and over again! Try it and you will see why it is one of our all time favorites!

Can I make this in the oven?

Yes, you can bake this green bean recipe if you do not have access to an outdoor grill! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F while you prepare the green beans as directed. Once it’s hot, place your bundles in a lightly greased pan and bake for 10-15 minutes. You can remove when you bacon is to your preferred crispness.

PRO TIP: For the crispiest bacon, use a cast iron skillet when baking these. Let it warm up in the oven before adding your bundles so that the bacon gets a great sear while the green beans stay crisp tender.

Overhead view of green beans wrapped in bacon in a cast iron skillet and on a cutting board

What to serve with grilled green beans

For an easy camping meal, serve these with Cabbage and Sausage Foil Packets… The flavors go great with the Cajun butter sauce! They are also great with Jalapeno Popper Burgers and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. If you prefer seafood, try it with Grilled Salmon Kabobs or Shrimp Skewers.

More great recipes for cookouts:

Storage and Reheating

Place leftover green beans in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. You can microwave at 50% power in 1-minute increments for the quickest reheat, but I prefer using the air fryer (350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes) or the oven (350 degrees for 10-15 minutes) to preserve the crispy bacon.

Tips and Variations

  • You must use fresh green beans for this recipe. Frozen won’t work as they’d turn out too mushy. 
  • If you struggle with things sticking to your grill grates, first brush them when avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, or your preferred cooking oil.
  • Try different kinds of bacon if you like. Turkey bacon generally lowers the calories and fat while plant-based alternatives make this vegetarian safe, too!
  • Customize to your preference. Add a squeeze of hot sauce or spices if you like some heat! Grate some garlic and toss that in as well for more flavor. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you want a tangier dish. Replace the blue cheese with a creamy goat cheese, crumbly feta, or shredded parmesan if that is more your taste.
  • We cook directly on the grates because we enjoy the charred green beans, but you could cook on a grill pan or aluminum foil if you prefer them less cooked.
  • If you’re gluten-free, I recommend using a steak marinade from Allegro or Dales. 
  • If you’re keto, use brown sugar swerve instead of regular brown sugar. 

More Veggie Side Dishes: 

Tender green beans are marinated and wrapped in bacon, grilled to perfection and topped with tangy bleu cheese! This is an incredible Summer side dish you will love!

Get the Recipe: Grilled Green Beans with Bacon

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Total: 16 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (3 bundles each)
Author: Annie Holmes
Tangy, sweet, crispy, and tender – This grilled green beans recipe is a cookout favorite with bacon and blue cheese!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
  • 4 slices thin cut bacon, cut into thirds
  • 3 tablespoons steak marinade, Allegro and Dales are gluten free
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar, or monkfruit if keto
  • 2-3 tablespoon crumbled bleu cheese

Instructions
 

  • Heat a grill to 400 degrees F.
  • Separate green beans into small bundles of 5-6 beans. Wrap each bundle with 1/3 slice of bacon and secure with toothpicks
  • Combine marinade and brown sugar and microwave 15-20 seconds until sugar is dissolved.
  • Brush half the marinade on the bundles.
  • Grill or bake bundles for 3 minutes, turn and grill for 3 minutes more. Remove from grill when bacon is crisp and green beans are tender and lightly charred.
  • Brush with remaining marinade and top with bleu cheese crumbles.

Notes

Net carbs are 3.6g per serving
Serving: 0.25 of the recipe (3 bundles), Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 5.1g, Protein: 6.3g, Fat: 11.9g, Cholesterol: 20.4mg, Sodium: 726mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 2.2g
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