5 MINUTES PREP TIME, DUMP and GO for Smoky, Flavorful, Perfect Southern Slow Cooker Green Beans with Bacon.
This southern family favorite is gobbled up for holidays and for our weekly get togethers too! You'll be the POT LUCK Superstar with this recipe! Another great holiday favorite is my Best Double Green Bean Casserole Recipe (Classic) !
Why This Recipe Works...
- Dump and Go Crock Pot Recipe!
- Easy with Simple Ingredients.
- TONS of flavor!
- Ingredients you probably have at home!
- It's as southern as sweet tea, grits and fried apples!
Here's How To Do It...
STEP 1.
Place everything into the crockpot
STEP 2.
Come back in 6-8 hours and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
How Long Does It Take To Cook Green Beans and Bacon?
SHORT ANSWER: 6 Hours.
LONG ANSWER: Essentially, canned green beans are already cooked when you open them, right? Right.
You don’t really have to cook them at all.
The question is, really, do you want that deep smoky flavor?
Do you want silky soft green beans that cry out, “As God as my witness, I’ll never be hungry again!”?
If so, then at least 6 hours with good quality bacon and the other ingredients listed in the recipe.
How Do You Make Green Beans And Bacon On The Stove Top?
You can, in fact, make this same recipe on the stovetop. Simply follow those directions listed in the tips and tricks section.
No problem. You’ll get the most flavor if you cook them in the crockpot, however.
How Do You Make Green Beans and Bacon in the Oven?
Dump everything into an oven proof baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Can I Make Green Beans and Bacon on the Grill?
Yes! Of course you can!
Place all of the ingredients in a grill safe baking dish (like an old dutch oven).
At least use a pan that you aren't going to worry about being blackened by smoke.
Heat over medium grill heat for 45 minutes.
To Make Green Beans and Bacon in an Instpot
Place all of the ingredients in the instapot or pressure cooker and bring to high pressure for 10 minutes and then allow a natural release.
How Long is This Dish Good for?
- Green Beans and Bacon will last for 5 days if kept covered and refrigerated.
- Put in the refrigerator within 2 hours.
How Can I Reheat Green Beans and Bacon?
- Reheat by putting into a sauce pan, add a little water and heat over medium heat on the stove top till heated through.
- Place in a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 1 minute, stir, repeat at 30 second intervals until heated through.
- Put your leftovers into an oven safe dish, add ½ cup of water, cover with aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.
Can I Make This Recipe with Fresh Green Beans?
Yes! Of course you can!
Wash the green beans, cut into bite sized lengths, use in place of the canned green beans and cook to desired level of doneness.
Fresh green beans will take longer to cook and to soften if you like your green beans southern style.
WHY is There Sugar in This Recipe?
Sugar is the SECRET ingredient! It helps to balance all of the other flavors.
Sugar in vegetables is something grandmas in the south have been doing forever, trust me.
What Can I Serve with Green Beans and Bacon?
Green beans and back are good with literally everything, but we especially love them with
TIPS and TRICKS For Slow Cooker Green Beans and Bacon
The Bacon
- Use the thick sliced applewood smoked or the cherry wood smoked bacon for the best flavor.
- If you are using thin sliced or inexpensive bacon, the kind that is stringy and falls apart when you try to take it out of the package, then please add 4 slices of bacon to the recipe.
- “WHY would you put RAW bacon in a recipe??? THAT IS DANGEROUS”. In fact, no, it isn’t dangerous.
- The bacon cooks right along with the beans - believe me - after 6-8 hours in a crockpot - EVERYTHING Is cooked.
- The bacon imparts a lot of smoky goodness to the beans as it cooks. That is why it is in there!
- If you are afraid of the bacon - then just don't eat it. Eat the beans - for they are delicious!
Other Ingredients
- “Can I use water instead of chicken broth since you only call for a cup?”. The answer is “of course you can”.
- However, the chicken broth is going to add flavor and that is what we are going for here.
- You might want to use chicken broth that comes in the box with the pour spout - that way you can use it in EVERYTHING to add flavor!
- That is what I do (If I don’t have any that I canned myself - you can find that HERE).
- Brown sugar vs white sugar. Yes, I know, your grandma used white sugar (mine probably did too). However, I’ve found that the brown sugar just gives a little more depth of flavor and that is what I am going for, after all. The flavor.
PRO TIP - This recipe has a wonderful balance of sugar, fat, salt, smoky flavoring, acid and a dash of heat. You'll find everyone wondering how you did it!
If You Enjoyed This Recipe You Might Also Enjoy....
How to Cook Canned Green Beans
How to Cook Pinto Beans on the Stove Top
How to Cook Frozen Green Beans
If you enjoy this Bacon Recipe, you might also enjoy….
How To Cook Bacon on a Rack in the Oven
Slow Cooker Green Beans and Bacon
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Slow Cooker Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 14.5 oz green beans canned (1 home canned quart)
- 2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp, minced
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1 Tbs brown sugar
- 2 strips of bacon - raw - cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon vinegar
- 1 dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste Usually about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the above listed ingredients together in the crockpot and set on low.
- Cook for 6-8 hours.
Notes
- Do not worry about putting raw bacon in this dish, it cooks along with the beans and imparts amazing flavor.
- Home canned beans beat store bought beans hands down any day. If you don't have home canned then store bought are fine.
- Drain the water from the canned beans first.
- For Butter: Vegetable oil or any unflavored grease but not olive oil. Olive oil adds a different flavor. You could also use bacon grease if you have it.
- For Chicken Broth: 1 bouillon cube plus 1 cup of water.
- Instead of brown sugar: It's ok to use granulated white sugar, raw sugar, honey or maple syrup but the honey and maple syrup will impart a different taste.
- Bacon: ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- Canned Beans: Fresh green beans, but allow to cook longer.
Nutrition
***This recipe first appeared on the pages of Loaves and Dishes on November 28, 2017 and has been updated with FAQ's, Tips and Tricks, Pro Tip, Nutrition Information, related recipes, what to serve with and a video***
A VERSE TO SHARE
You are special, do you know that? You are! Look at what you have accomplished! Just take a single moment and say to yourself, “Self, look at what you have been able to do! Isn’t it amazing?”
But you aren't the only one, everyone looks like this in God's eyes. Poor people, rich people, famous people and the person who sweeps the floor.
It is important to remember that the person struggling is as precious in God’s eyes as you are.
Thank you for being the special you that you are! I appreciate you and I know God holds you in his heart.
Galatians 6:10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
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