Name: Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds fresh green beans (trimmed; frozen is ok when fresh is not available); 4 thick-cut bacon or 1/2 cup chopped ham to add more smoke flavor to the soup.; 1 medium onion (diced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium broth in case you wish you could control salt more); 1 teaspoon salt (begin with light, and add to flavor); ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (not a necessity, but there is a deeper smoky kick); 1 pinch red pepper flakes (Optional, to add some heat)

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe – it makes me think of warm-up meals in the South, church picnics, and that homey dinner where people go back for seconds. You already know that the green beans of a Bill Miller BBQ restaurant in Texas are legendary, should you ever have an opportunity to pay a visit. They are salty, smoky, and just salty-tender enough.

This is not one of those run-of-the-mill boiled green bean cases. Nope. These are slowly simmered with seasoning, a touch of smoky goodness, and that home-cooked touch that makes you feel like someone has been at the stove all day, just to make you.

The best part? You need not drive to Texas in order to enjoy them. I have created an approximation of a Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe that is absolutely perfect and very simple to prepare at home. So draw a chair, take a pot, and talk beans.

How to make the Bill Miller Green Bean?

In case you are not conversant with Bill Miller, the following is a short background story about it: Bill Miller BBQ is a chain of barbecue restaurants based in San Antonio, Texas, that boasts of offering down-home comfort food in large quantities. Although the brisket and fried chicken are normally in the limelight, their attached sides are equally known, particularly green beans.

These are not green beans that have been slightly cooked into flakey health food. Take Southern-style: mild, with smoky ham or bacon, with just the right amount of seasoning, and it should be made with practically cornbread on its lips. They are a good side dish to be comforting.

The First Eating of Bill Miller Green Beans.

The first time I met it, I will never forget. I was with a friend on a road trip through Texas, and she insisted that we pull up Bill Miller. Believe me, you will wish the green beans, she said.

I laughed–green beans in a BBQ place? But she was right. When I first took it, I realized the hype. They were not soft, yet were not hard either–they had absorbed all the smoky, savory tones of the broth in which they had been cooking. Each bean was a kind of sponge of flavor.

At night, I vowed to myself to re-create them at home. And then after a couple of rounds of experimenting, adjustments, and testing (and well, a lot of testing), I came upon the ultimate copycat recipe of Bill Miller Green Bean.

Equipment List

Fortunately, you do not have to go to a restaurant kitchen to prepare this. Here’s what you’ll need:

A big Dutch oven or large saucepan (to simmer in).
A wooden spoon (type, to stir).
A sharp knife and a cutting board (to cut the bacon, onion and garlic).
Measuring cups and spoons.
Spoon with a slit (useful to serve).

It is that plain, simple kitchen stuff.

Ingredients

Here’s the full lineup:

2 pounds fresh green beans (trimmed; frozen is ok when fresh is not available)
4 thick-cut bacon or 1/2 cup chopped ham to add more smoke flavor to the soup.
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium broth in case you wish you could control salt more)
1 teaspoon salt (begin with light, and add to flavor)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (not a necessity, but there is a deeper smoky kick)
1 pinch red pepper flakes (Optional, to add some heat)

Instructions

Step 1

Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven/saucepan on medium heat until it is crispy. Wipe away the bacon, chop and keep it aside. Retain some 2 tablespoons of the drippings of the bacon in the pan.

Step 2

Sauté the aromatics. In the pan, add diced onion and cook until it is soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute approximately 30 seconds- just a few seconds until fragrant.

Step 3

Add the beans and broth. Add the green beans and the chicken broth. Salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes are added to taste. Stir everything together.

Step 3

Simmer. Boil and turn down to a simmer. Add the lid and cook beans about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and full of flavor.

Step 4

Finish and serve. Add in the crumbled bacon, then serve. Add flavor and add spices.

Step 5

Use hot, ideally with cornbread or something smoky like some BBQ.

Tips on Screwing the Flavor.

Miss your Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe tastes just like in the restaurant. Here are some secrets:

Don’t rush the simmer. It is letting the beans hang in the broth that makes them so deep in flavor.
Use real bacon or ham. The smokiness is key. It does not take much, but it counts.
Balance the seasoning. Savor as you eat- green beans can absorb a lot of salt, so begin small.
Better than water is chicken broth. It builds the base flavor.
Rest time matters. The flavors are further enhanced should you leave the beans off the heat to allow a 10-minute rest before eating.

The Bill Miller Green Bean recipe is a good option always because of the following reasons.

You can serve a lot of side dishes, but here is why this one is always the winner:

It’s budget-friendly. Green beans, bacon, onion, garlic, they are cheap, everyday foods.
It feeds a crowd. Multiply twice and you have sufficient to make all happy at a potlatch or cookout.
It’s nostalgic. The recipe is a comforting THV that delivers those Southern flavors to your table, even if you are not in Texas.
It goes with everything. Brisket? Yes. Fried chicken? Absolutely. Grilled fish? Delicious. It is the supremely adaptable aspect.
It’s simple. No fancy tricks, and simple cooking.

This is a dish that just quietly slips into the background like the Potatoes of Cooper Hawk by Betty, or the olive oil dip at Bonefish Grill, but just like those dishes, it likes to take over the spotlight.

Variations You’ll Love

What is such a beautiful thing about the Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe is that you can make it your own:

Spicy kick: Add jalapeño or a dash of hot sauce.

Vegetarian variation: omit bacon, and replace it with smoked paprika or a squeeze of liquid smoke.

Holiday style: Sprinkle with battuta diced in slices of almonds or a sprinkling of crisp fried onions to make it holiday.

Additional hearty: Dice in some potatoes or carrots to make the dish a more hearty part of the meal.

Serving Ideas

Wondering how to serve it up? The following are pairings that have proven to work:

With a plate of smoky BBQ ribs.
With roast chicken or turkey.
With a holiday dinner of mashed potatoes and stuffing.
By a basket of hot buttery cornbread.
Or really–just on its own with a big spoon and some crusty bread. (No judgment!)

Final Thoughts

The Bill Miller Green Bean Recipe is the definition of comfort food: easy, nutritious, and delicious. You can use it to get the flavor of a Texas BBQ party at home, or just want a side that will be well received even by the most finicky of all food consumers; this recipe will never fail.

And next time you are in the mood to taste the South, don’t think of off-the-shelf steamed beans. Take out a pot, a bit of smoky bacon, and leave those green beans to simmer their way to something they will never forget.

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