Easy Green Bean Recipe

These delicious Sweet and Spicy Green Beans are quick, simple, and super flavorful! Crunchy bacon and tender green beans are coated in a delicious 4-ingredient sugar-free sauce that you’ll love. Top with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes for the perfect side dish for nearly any entree. With just 5 net carbs and fewer than 100 calories, this easy green bean recipe is the perfect side dish on a low-carb or keto diet.

Ingredients for Sweet & Spicy Green Beans

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. Find exact measurements at the bottom of the page in the printable recipe card.

• Bacon – I prefer thick-cut bacon in this recipe because it gives a meatier bite that perfectly complements the green beans.
• Green Beans – Fresh with ends trimmed. I don’t recommend frozen or canned green beans as they won’t get that crisp texture we’re looking for in this recipe.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic has the most flavor, but you can use the pre-minced jar from the store to make the meal quicker.
• Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar Monk Fruit, and Apple Cider Vinegar – Makes the flavorful sauce. Coconut aminos is a great soy-free alternative to soy sauce. Brown sugar Swerve or other alternative sweetener could be used instead of monk fruit. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, substitute champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar for a similar flavor.
• Optional: Sesame Seeds & Red Pepper Flakes – These are for garnish and add a great texture and flavor! If you don’t enjoy spicy foods, feel free to leave out the red pepper.

You’ll also need a small mixing bowl, a skillet, a slotted spoon, a paper towel lined plate, and a stovetop or hot plate.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

In addition to the ingredients listed above you will need a large skillet, cutting board and knife. This is an easy side dish recipe that can come together in just 20 minutes! Here’s a step-by-step guide for making these tasty green beans!

Cook the Bacon

Warm a skillet to medium heat. While that’s warming up, cut your bacon into small pieces. Place the bacon into the hot pan and cook until bacon is crisp. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Set it aside for now.

Add Green Beans

Pour off almost all of the bacon grease, but reserve 1 tablespoon for cooking the green beans. Add your trimmed green beans to the hot skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the beans have begun to char, and they reach your preferred level of tenderness.

Toss in Sauce

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, soy sauce, sweetener, and vinegar. Pour this into the hot skillet and toss the green beans to coat. Add bacon, sesame seeds, and crushed red pepper, then serve immediately.

Serve

We love these delicious green beans with an easy entree like Sesame Shrimp or this Slow Cooker Ginger Garlic Pork Tenderloin. To stretch the meal, you can add Cauliflower Fried Rice or Roasted Cabbage without weighing yourself down too much. These amazing Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts would make the best appetizer… The dipping sauce would be excellent with these green beans, too! Some other entrees include:

• Chili Garlic Salmon (2 carbs per filet)
• Air Fryer Asian Meatballs (2.2 net carbs for 5 meatballs)
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs (1.8 net carbs for about 2 drumsticks)
• Easy Asian Keto Lettuce Wraps (3.4 net carbs for 4-5 filled leaves)
• Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken (4.4 net carbs for about 1 cup)

Store

Allow these green beans to cool completely, then transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. It’ll last 3-4 days in the fridge. If you’re trying to prep this ahead of time, feel free to just cook the bacon, reserve one tablespoon of oil, and mix together the sauce ingredients. When you’re ready to cook, you’ll save another 5-10 minutes!

I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. Cooked green beans don’t keep a very crisp texture in the fridge, so they’re likely to become soggy and a bit mushy after freezing and thawing.

Reheat

Fresh green beans are best reheated in a hot skillet (medium heat, 2-5 minutes, shaking or stirring frequently), in the oven (350 degrees, 5-10 minutes, cover if you’re concerned they’ll brown too much), or in the air fryer (350 for 2-5 minutes, preferably with a liner so you don’t lose the bacon in the bottom).

You can microwave them, but they do lose some crispness this way. If microwaving, consider blasting at 50% power to prevent them from changing texture too much.

If you like this easy side dish, check out these simple recipes!

• Crispy Green Bean Fries – These are easily breaded and quickly crisped up in the air fryer! Just 5.6 net carbs per serving.
• Foil Pack Green Beans – This recipe uses a similar sauce, but the green beans basically get steamed in the tightly secured foil pack. I love that the only cleanup required is throwing away the foil!
• Air Fryer Green Beans – Ready in about 10-12 minutes, this is such an easy, healthy recipe! Lemon juice adds a ton of flavor and perfectly complements this crispy veggie.
• Green Bean Almondine – Our favorite holiday side dish! The texture of slivered almonds on crisp, fresh green beans, all with a sugar-free, delicious sauce… It can’t be beat!
• Keto Bacon Wrapped Green Beans – These are SO flavorful with just steak marinade, a sugar-free sweetener, and a sprinkle of blue cheese!

Green Bean FAQs

Yield: 4 servings

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

Print

These Sweet and Spicy Green Beans will be your new favorite keto side dish! This easy recipe is ready in just 20 minutes and has just 5 net carbs per serving.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon
• 12 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 2 teaspoons EACH soy sauce, brown sugar monkfruit, and apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Red pepper flakes (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into small pieces and brown over medium heat. When the bacon is crisp, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Pour off all of the bacon grease except 1 tablespoon. Add the green beans to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, 6-7 minutes until they have begun to char and reached your desired tenderness.
3. In a small bowl combine the garlic, soy sauce, sweetener and apple cider vinegar. Toss the green beans in the sauce until the beans are well coated.
4. Add the bacon, sesame seeds and crushed red pepper for garnish. Serve immediately.
   
   

Notes

• Brown sugar Swerve or another alternative sweetener can also work in place of the monk fruit.
• If you are not low carb you can use regular brown sugar in this recipe.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  John Boos Block B12S Maple Wood Edge Grain Cutting Board with Feet, 12 Inches Square, 1.5 Inches Thick

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4 of skillet
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 77Total Fat: 3.6gCholesterol: 8.5mgSodium: 223.3mgCarbohydrates: 7.4gNet Carbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 2.9gProtein: 5g

To avoid any confusion I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it is not known to affect blood glucose levels. To calculate Keto recipes listed on this site carbs - fiber = net carbs. I use Nutrifox as my nutrition calculator. This nutrition information is an estimate based on the information provided by Nutrifox and the specific ingredients I used.

The post Sweet and Spicy Green Beans appeared first on The Best Keto Recipes.

Juicy and Garlicky Steak Bites

There are few things that can compare to a bite of perfect steak. And my favorite thing about this garlic butter steak bites recipe is that that’s all it is … lots of bites of perfect steak. The meat is unbelievably tender, and the garlic flavor is strong (but not too strong!). The meat is seasoned with fresh herbs and a kick from some chili flakes, and it goes without saying that there’s a lot of butter.

This recipe also has a secret ingredient: soy sauce. It might seem unconventional, but the soy sauce adds a strong umami flavor to the beef. It makes these juicy keto steak bites even more irresistible. And did I mention how quick and easy this recipe is? Gourmet steak has never been so simple to make at home. You’ve got to give this recipe a try. 

Why You’ll Love This Easy Keto Steak Recipe

There are so many different reasons why you’ll be a huge fan of these garlic butter steak bites. Here are a few of them.

• Fast and easy. Normally steak is something that you need to labor over. But this recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s hassle-free and only takes about 15 minutes to make. What’s not to love? 
• Intense flavor. Despite only taking 15 minutes, this recipe packs some strong flavors. It’s loaded with garlic, fresh herbs, chili flakes, butter, and soy sauce, and the result is some intensely flavorful beef. This is unlike anything you’ve ever eaten, in the best way. 
• Protein-packed. This recipe is basically pure protein. It’s just steak with some seasonings! So if you’re looking for a protein-packed meal, this is it. One serving has a whopping 36.9 grams of protein. 

Ingredients for Steak Bites

Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this juicy garlic steak recipe. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities for each ingredient.

• Steak: I prefer to use ribeye or sirloin steak. Make sure to cut them into nice uniform chunks so they cook evenly. Alternatively, your local butcher will likely do this for you.
• Butter: You want to use salted butter for this recipe.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best in this recipe.
• Herbs and Spices: fresh thyme, rosemary, crushed red peppers, salt, and pepper.
• Soy sauce: trust me, this is the secret to the best steak!

How to Make Garlic Butter Steak Bites

In addition to the ingredients listed above you will need a large skillet. I’ve documented every step of this process below. Here’s how to make this simple, 15-minute steak recipe.

Sear the Steak

The first step is to heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt completely. Add the steak cubes to the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd them. Cook the steak undisturbed for 2 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip each piece of steak over. Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, until the steak has good color. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Make the Sauce

Reduce the heat to low, if you feel the skillet is still quite hot remove it from the heat entirely for a few minutes to allow it to cool. Next, add the rest of the butter, along with the garlic, herbs, chili flakes, and soy sauce. Sauté for 1 minute, making sure not to burn the garlic.

Add the Steak

The final step is to finish the steak. Add the meat and the drippings back to the pan and coat it with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook to your desired doneness. 

Store

This recipe will last for 3 days in the fridge if you store it in an airtight container. Make sure the steak is fully cooled before closing it in a container–Residual heat could build up steam and continue cooking the steak.

Freeze

You can definitely freeze these garlicky pieces of steak. Let them cool entirely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months. Make sure you defrost or thaw the steak fully before you reheat it.

Reheat

These leftover steak tips are great enjoyed cold on a salad, but you can carefully reheat it in the oven as well. Simply warm on 375 degrees F for about 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t overcook and dry out.

What to Serve with Steak

I always like to serve steak with some traditional sides. Here are some of my favorite recipes for eating with these tender steak bites. These Crispy Green Bean Fries are great, especially when dipped in a little of the leftover garlic butter! Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or Brussels Sprouts with Bacon are also super impressive served with the steak bites. When you miss bread but not the carbs, try these Keto Dinner Rolls or Keto Garlic Bread Chaffles!

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Steak

This is one of my favorite recipes, and it’s so easy to make. Here are a few tips for making it perfect every time.

• Use fresh garlic. As the name would suggest, garlic is one of the stars of this recipe. Because of that, it’s really important to use high-quality garlic. Always use fresh garlic for this recipe, instead of pre-minced or pre-peeled garlic. 
• Don’t overcrowd. When searing the steak bites, make sure you don’t overcrowd them. You don’t want the cubes of beef to be too close together, or the meat won’t be able to get a good sear. If you have too many cubes of steak to cook in the skillet, then cook in batches. Once the meat has been seared, you can add it back to the sauce without worrying about crowding. 
• Get a good sear. The best way to make steak taste good is to get a good sear on the meat. If your steak cubes don’t have a golden brown sear, they won’t taste very good. Make sure your skillet is hot enough, and that you cook your steak long enough to get a great sear on it. 
• Pick your doneness. It’s important to always cook steak to the doneness that you like. The best way to do this is to use an instant-read meat thermometer to see what the internal temperature of the steak is. Cook the steak bites to 130F for medium rare, 140F for medium, 150F for medium well, and 160F for well done. 

If you like this keto steak, you’ll love these other low carb beef recipes:

If you’re anything like me, then you just can’t get enough beef. Here are a few more of my favorite keto beef dishes to make.

• Bacon Cheeseburger Quesadillas – This is the perfect use of leftover ground beef! These quesadillas are packed full of your favorite classic burger flavor.
• Steak and Shrimp Skillet – Surf and turf in a skillet is incredibly easy AND healthy! This veggie packed skillet has both steak bites and seared shrimp!
• One Pan Philly Cheesesteak Skillet – This is great fresh or as a leftover lunch in a lettuce wrap! These are so satisfying and meaty, you don’t even miss the bread.
• Beef and Broccoli – Perfectly tender broccoli with juicy beef and a thick, delicious sauce… Yes, please! This one pan meal is a huge favorite with cauliflower fried rice.
• Easy Steak Wraps – Perfect for meal prepping some easy lunches and dinners! These are versatile and super filling.
• Keto Beef Meal Prep Ideas

Yield: 4 servings

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Print

These garlic butter steak bites are juicy, tender, and packed with garlic, fresh herbs, butter, and soy sauce. They have a kick from chili flakes, and only take 15 minutes to make.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds steak (ribeye or sirloin), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 whole garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the steak cubes to the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd them.
2. Cook the steak undisturbed for 2 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip each piece of steak over. Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, until the steak has good color. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat to cool it down. Reduce the heat to low so that you don't burn the garlic or the butter.
4. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, along with the garlic, fresh herbs, crushed red pepper, and soy sauce. Sauté for 1 minute, making sure to not burn the garlic.
5. Add the steak and the drippings to the pan, and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Cook the steak to 130F for medium rare, 140F for medium, 150F for medium well, and 160F for well done, then serve immediately.

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
• Reheat in a 375F oven for 7 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

6 ounces
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 20.2gCholesterol: 132.5mgSodium: 218.4mgCarbohydrates: 1.7gNet Carbohydrates: 1.3gFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.1gProtein: 36.9g

The post Garlic Butter Steak Bites appeared first on The Best Keto Recipes.

Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken

This is a low carb chicken recipe you will love! It has a bit of spice to it and a rich flavor from the savory Kung Pao sauce. It is really a guest-worthy dinner. The flavor is spot on to Pei Wei’s Kung Pao chicken, and it is gluten free and keto friendly!

Don’t shutter when you see the ingredient list. It does call for a couple things you may not keep in your pantry, however if you like Asian food I highly recommend taking the plunge and keeping these spicy kung pao ingredients around. They aren’t expensive and you only need a couple tablespoons so they last forever. You can use this sauce for anything!

How to Make Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken

If you are missing delivery or take out Chinese food, you must try this Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken. It might not be quite as fast as your favorite restaurant, but it will be surprisingly simple to make at home with healthy, wholesome, and gluten free ingredients!

What You Need:

• Chicken breasts
• Canola oil
• Soy sauce 
• Sriracha
• Rice vinegar
• Sesame oil
• Brown sugar monkfruit or Swerve
• Minced garlic
• Water
• Garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper

Tip: Normally you can find sesame seed oil in the global food section and in the baking section next to the regular oils – check both places. Chances are one is much cheaper than the other! 

Steps to Make Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken:

Because this dish is so easy to make and flavorful, I guarantee it is better than take out!

1. First, cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks fry over medium high heat in a dutch oven or deep skillet. 

2. Next, make the sauce. Simply mix your main ingredients together in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl combine the water and cornstarch.

3. Finally, when you’re ready to coat your chicken with the Kung Pao sauce to serve, you just add the sauce, corn starch mixture and chicken together in the pan and heat through. 

4. To serve, garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and crushed red pepper if you want even more spice.

This Low Carb Kung Pao chicken recipe is just like what you find in a restaurant, but hot and fresh from the comfort of home!

So, the next time you have a hankering for Kung Pao skip the take out and try this version! My family is sure that it’ll be a regular favorite in your household, too.

How many carbs are in Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken?

This recipe makes 4 servings and comes to 4.3 net carbs per serving! I do use 1 tablespoon of corn starch to thicken the sauce. This adds minimal carbs to the recipe as a whole, but you can reduce the carbs even further by leaving this out. However, if you leave the corn starch the sauce will not thicken as well. 

Looking for More Quick and Delicious Dinners?

• Keto Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
• One Pan Tuscan Chicken
• The Best Keto Chili
• One Pan Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet
• Keto Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole

Yield: 4

Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken

Print

This Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken is better than take-out! At about 4 net carbs per serving this recipe is gluten free, low carb and keto friendly! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Kung Pao Sauce

• 3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar monkfruit or Swerve
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Chicken

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces, set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat, pour in just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
3. Cook chicken in batches, take care not to over crowd your skillet. I cooked about 4 minutes on each side.
4. Remove chicken from pan and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet in order to drain off as much oil as possible. Continue until all chicken is cooked.
5. Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sweetener, garlic and sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Combine one tablespoon of water with one tablespoon of corn starch and mix well.
7. Drain off any oil that is in your pan and wipe clean, heat to medium, add in soy sauce mixture and corn starch mixture, add in chicken and stir until mixture is evenly coated and heated through.
8. Garnish with green onions, peanuts, and crushed red pepper if desired.

Notes

If you wish to make this even lower in carbs you can omit the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, just note the sauce will not thicken as well.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, 1:1 Sugar Substitute, Keto, Non-GMO (Golden - 1 Pound)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

about 1 cup cooked chicken
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 23.5gCholesterol: 82.7mgSodium: 412.5mgCarbohydrates: 4.5gNet Carbohydrates: 4.4gFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.9gProtein: 26.6g

The post Low Carb Kung Pao Chicken appeared first on The Best Keto Recipes.