Description
This Crock Pot Green Beans recipe combines fresh green beans with savory bacon, onions, and a flavorful broth, slow-cooked to tender perfection. It’s an easy, hands-off side dish perfect for family dinners or holiday meals that delivers a comforting blend of smoky, sweet, and savory flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Aromatics
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Vegetables
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: In a skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the bacon grease in the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions are softened and fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the crockpot.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: To the crockpot, add the trimmed and cut green beans, vegetable broth, butter, brown sugar (if using), Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cook in Crockpot: Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ hours in the crockpot, allowing the green beans to become tender and absorb the flavors.
- Finish with Bacon: Add the reserved crispy bacon back into the crockpot. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes on high to meld the flavors before serving.
Notes
- Storing: Store the cooked green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat. Alternatively, warm them in the crockpot on high for 30 minutes.
- Freezing: Cool the green beans completely, then freeze in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for up to three months.
- Trimming Green Beans: Trim stems and tough ends from fresh green beans, or use pre-trimmed fresh beans to save prep time.
- Canned Green Beans Option: Use four cans of drained green beans in place of fresh beans and omit the broth. Since canned beans are pre-cooked, cook for 1.5 hours instead of 3 hours.
- Meat Variations: Ham or sliced link sausage can be used instead of bacon for a different flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
