Crockpot Green Beans

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This simple Crockpot Green Beans recipe boasts a tasty combination of buttery and smoky flavors. It’s a hassle-free, dump-and-start side dish crafted from affordable pantry staples and requires minimal effort to prepare.

Suitable for Gluten Free, Low Carb and Keto diets. Weight Watchers Points included.

the finished crockpot green beans served in a white dish with a silver spoon

Guys, this is a simple pantry ingredients-only side dish that the whole family will loooooove. It can be hard to find a veggie that everyone agrees on, but this Crockpot Green Beans recipe will quickly become a family favorite for both adults and kids alike.

Green beans are an affordable side dish that goes great with so many festive and dinner dishes all year long and is a great dump-and-start recipe.

Crockpot Green Beans with bacon and butter is such a classic side dish with my other favorite dishes like this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, this delish Instant Pot Turkey Breast with gravy and Baked Ham. It’s a great side dish for Easter dinner.

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They can also be served as a snack and work perfectly for every holiday menu. You can easily double or triple to feed green beans for a crowd during the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or potlucks and this recipe requires very little effort, so it’s definitely a no-brainer. 

You can get so creative with green bean dishes because they’re super versatile. Like these Air Fryer Green Beans or Garlic Butter Sesame Green Beans.

fresh green beans inside the slow cooker

Why Make This Crockpot Green Beans Recipe

  • A true dump and start meal – Just dump in the ingredients, give it a stir, cover, and cook.
  • Versatile and customizable – Super easy to swap out fresh ingredients for canned, already cooked, or powdered type ingredients. 
  • Everyday ingredients – This affordable recipe comes together easily with ingredients you already have in the pantry. Great served with this Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole.

Want to make your meal prep even easier? Then check out this collection of awesome Dump and Start Crockpot Recipes for all sorts of stress-free dinner ideas.

Ingredient Notes

  • Fresh Green Beans – This uses fresh green beans but you can certainly use canned green beans too.
  • Bacon – You start with already-cooked bacon for this. I prefer smoky bacon as it has a fantastic flavor. Use store-bought bacon or save leftover bacon for this slow cooker recipe.
  • Chicken broth – You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth or water if you prefer. You may prefer to use reduced salt chicken broth if you are going to be using things like salted butter, salt, bacon dripping.
  • Butter – Use your favorite butter, or use bacon grease instead.
  • Onion – I love using sauteed onion in this green bean recipe, but use onion powder to cut down on time.
  • Garlic – Garlic puree adds a lot of flavor to this. Use garlic powder or garlic salt, too, if that is what you have.
  • Salt – Use your favorite salt in this. Green beans need more salt than you think, but remember how much salt your broth/bacon dripping may already have.

Ready to learn how to make this delicious Slow Cooker Green Beans recipe? Gather up these everyday ingredients and I will show you….

Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!

For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

How To Make Crock Pot Green Beans

Get complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. Add all the ingredients into the crockpot.
  2. Mix, cover, and cook fresh green beans on high for 2 1/2 hours -3 1/2 hours, without opening the lid. Check the green beans have reached the desired tenderness and be sure not to overcook green beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
image collage showing the steps for making crockpot green beans

Expert Tips

  • Fresh picked green beans will last up to 7 days in the fridge. So be sure to use them promptly for these slow cooker green beans.
  • Make sure to clean as well as snap off the tops and tails of fresh green beans
  • If using salted butter, you may not need to add much salt. Be sure to salt to taste as necessary
  • To make this more of a Southern Style Green Beans in Crockpot recipe, simply add 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar and another tablespoon of butter or bacon fat to your slow cooker green beans.
  • These beans are best served warm. The butter and bacon fat will conge as they cool, so enjoy them while they’re warm. 
  • Remember to stir gently so the beans don’t fall apart
  • If you like softer green beans, opt for the longer cooking time. 
  • Cooking times may vary depending on the size, make, and model of your slow cooker. Make sure to consult your manual as necessary. 
  • Here are some of my favorite things to use to make this delicious dish. Do you have any of them already?
top down view of the finished green bean side dish served in a white bowl

Delicious Variations

These Crockpot Green beans are perfect just the way they are, but you can try these other ideas; 

  • Swap ingredients – To save time and effort, swap out cooked onions for onion powder. Swap the chicken broth with vegetable or beef broth. Use what you have on hand. 
  • Add some crunch – Slivered almonds are a great addition to this dish.
  • Toss in fresh herbs – Parsley, rosemary, oregano, or thyme all work well. 
  • Make it lighter – Omit the butter and bacon fat or bacon drippings. 
  • Add sugar – If not keeping this low carb then you can add in a pinch of sugar for sweetness.
close up view of the finished crock pot green beans

Prep And Storage

Green beans really are an ideal meal prep solution. They’re very versatile, easily adaptable, and can be used with any meal, any time of the day, all year long.

  • Make Ahead – This recipe is so easy to make. And you can prep and store the ingredients, ready to dump and start in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them. 
  • Reheat If you want to reheat your leftover beans, try tossing them a saucepan on the stove for 5 minutes or until they’re warm and the butter and bacon fat breaks down. 
  • Store – Make ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Freeze – Let cool down then transfer into these very handy Ziploc Freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. Store in the freezer for 3 months.
  • Meal Prep – You can easily double or triple this crockpot green beans with bacon recipe to make extra for other meals or freeze them for later use. 
the cooked green beans and bacon inside the slow cooker insert.

FAQs

How Do You Store Fresh Picked Green Beans?

Store Fresh Picked Green Beans in your airtight reusable containers in the refrigerator. If possible, store them in the crisper bin.
 
If you’re freezing fresh beans to store them, rinse and drain your beans. Cut the ends and the beans to your preferred length. 

How Do You Tell When Green Beans Have Gone Bad?

You can tell if you green beans have gone bad if they are limp and dry. Toss them, don’t use them. 

Beans that are still fresh will snap when you bend them. Old beans will be rubbery and just bend instead of snapping when applying pressure. 

Can You Use Frozen Green Beans?

Yes, you can use frozen green beans in the Crockpot Green Beans recipe. Adjust the cooking time, consider whether to thaw them first, and be mindful of potential differences in texture and liquid content compared to fresh green beans. I personally prefer fresh or canned.

How do you prep fresh green beans?

To prep fresh green beans, rinse them under cold water to clean, trim the ends, and optionally remove any fibrous strings. You can leave them whole or cut them into bite-sized pieces based on your recipe.

crockpot green beans with bacon bit in a clay serving plate.

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Looking for more EASY, delicious, and flavorful recipes? I’ve got you covered. Check out my full collection of Crockpot recipes, or start a few of my most popular recipes:

Serve Crockpot Green Beans With:

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the completed crockpot green beans with bacon recipe served in a white dish

Weight Watchers Points 

There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

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the finished crockpot green beans served in a white dish with a silver spoon
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Crockpot Green Beans And Bacon

This super easy and adaptable green beans dish is full of flavor everyone will love.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours 40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: american, western
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 74kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (908g) green beans trimmed
  • 8 slices cooked bacon cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup (118ml) chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings
  • 1 onion sliced and sautéed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic puree
  • Salt to taste
  • Red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients into the crockpot.
  • Mix, cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 -3 1/2 hours, without opening the lid.
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Notes

  • Make sure to snap the top and tail of your fresh green beans. 
  • If using salted butter, you may not need to add much salt. Be sure to salt to taste as necessary. 
  • Make sure your onion is cooked before adding to the slow cooker. 
  • If you’re cooking your own bacon, you can cook some onion for this. 
  • These beans are best served warm. As they cool, the butter and bacon fat will congeal, so enjoy them while they’re warm. 
  • Remember to stir gently so the beans don’t fall apart. 
  • If you like softer green beans, opt for the longer cook time. 
  • Cooking times may vary depending on the size, make, and model of your slow cooker. Make sure to consult your manual as necessary.  
  • There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    What a great side dish! Love that these can be made in the crockpot, perfect for when you’re using the oven and stovetop for other dishes!

  2. 5 stars
    I usually make plain green beans as a side dish, and I have never thought of such a great combo – green beans with bacon! I love the idea and am going to make it tonight!