Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans are tender, full of flavor, and incredibly easy…making them the perfect side dish for your favorite family dinner!
There’s a bit of a Green Bean Debate out there: namely, whether they should be cooked-to-death-until-they’re-so-tender-they’re-almost-mushy OR whether they’re best when they’re still bright green and just crisp-tender.
Personally, I like them both ways…I just consider them two totally different animals. Call it The North versus The South. Today, we’re focused below the Mason-Dixon line!
These are definitely the tender green beans that I mentioned above, but they are SO good…thanks to that bacon and onion that keeps them company as they simmer slowly in your pot.
How to cook Green Beans in the Slow Cooker:
I like to use my multi-purpose slow cooker, which allows me to sauté the bacon and onion right in the pot before switching it to the slow cooking mode. It saves me from washing an extra pan!
If you prefer to use a regular slow cooker for your green beans, that’s fine too — you’ll just need to cook the bacon and onion in a skillet before transferring it to the Crock Pot.
And if you happen to have a smaller 3-quart slow cooker, you can prepare a smaller batch of green beans to feed a family of 4. Just cut the ingredients in half and follow the same instructions!
I just know that you’re going to love how easy, simple, and incredibly delicious these veggies taste! They’re truly the perfect addition to just about any entree.
Cooking for a Smaller Family?
Use a small 3-quart slow cooker and cut the ingredients in half. The cooking instructions remain the same.
What to Do with Leftovers?
Leftovers can be added to salads, omelets, frittatas and even stir fries depending on how soft you like them.
These green beans will keep well in the fridge for around 3 days just make sure to keep them in a sealed container.
Serving Suggestions for Slow Cooker Green Beans
These green beans would be delicious alongside:
- Country Pride Pork Chops or Pulled Pork Casserole
- Pork Chop and Rice Casserole
- The Perfect Grilled Salmon, Oven Fried Fish, or this Fried Catfish Recipe
- Sheet Pan New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
- Dump-and-Bake French Onion Chicken
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Cornbread and Ground Beef Casserole or Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Oven
- Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
- Chicken and Apples
- Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie or Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak or Dump-and-Bake Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Bratwurst and Sauerkraut with Potatoes
- Crockpot Meatloaf
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Slow Cooker Green Beans
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion (use frozen diced onion for a shortcut)
- 5 strips bacon, diced
- 48 ounces frozen green beans (see notes for fresh green beans)
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or thyme; squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the bacon and onion: In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and onion and sauté until the onion is tender and the bacon is starting to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer to the slow cooker: Scrape the bacon and onion mixture, along with all of the drippings, into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the green beans: Add the frozen green beans to the slow cooker straight from the bag. Do not thaw them and do not add extra liquid.
- Whisk the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of melted butter, brown sugar, garlic salt, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour and toss: Pour the sauce over the green beans and toss until the beans are evenly coated.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking. The beans are done when they are very tender and easy to cut with a fork.
- Taste and finish: Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.
Notes
- Frozen green beans: Add them straight from the freezer with no added liquid. Whole or French-cut both work.
- Fresh green beans: Use about 3 pounds, trimmed. Add ½ cup of chicken broth or water along with the sauce, and cook until very tender, about 6 to 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH.
- Canned green beans: Drain well and cut the cook time to about 1 to 2 hours on LOW, just long enough to heat through. A pinch of extra brown sugar helps offset the canned flavor.
- Brighten if flat: A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the flavor better than extra salt.
- Swap the pork: A ham hock, smoked turkey wing, or pork neck bones can stand in for the bacon for a deeper smoky flavor.
- Storage, Freezing, Reheating: Refrigerate in the broth in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days. Freeze in the broth for up to 3 months. Texture softens, so use thawed beans in soups or casseroles. To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over low heat, or microwave 30 to 60 seconds. Add a splash of broth if dry.
- Keep warm: Switch to WARM to hold for up to 2 hours before serving.
- Smaller batch: Use a 3-quart slow cooker and cut all ingredients in half. Cooking instructions stay the same.
- Double batch: Use a 7-quart or larger slow cooker and keep the pot no more than two-thirds full. Stir an extra time or two.
I am SO ready for Thanksgiving and these green beans are calling my name!! These look too good, pinned!
Thanks so much for the pin, Jen! The green beans are delicious. 🙂
Oh, I’ve never thought about tossing my green beans in the crock pot. I’m definitely going to have to try this! Thanks for linking up at Show Me Saturday! Hope to see you there again this week.
Give it a try, Ginger. They’re great (and easy)!
I have seriously been thinking about the green beans I use to have when we lived in Texas and trying to figure out how to recreate them…. can’t wait to give these a try! Thanks for the recipe! Pinning!
I bet these are really similar, Justine! Enjoy! 🙂
I love finding sides you can make in the crockpot!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
I prefer them just barely warmed, but cooked with bacon and onions I could eat them well done. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
I do love tender green beans. I make these the same way but on the stove but I have never put soy sauce in mine. Definitely going to try it!
Cheers,
Stephanie
Thanks, Stephanie! This is such an easy version — you’ll love them! 🙂
These look amazing!! I am planning our Thanksgiving dinner menu and I think these will be perfect! Pinning now. 🙂
Awesome, Amy! Your guests will love them. 🙂
To double this recipe in a 5 quart slow cooker, would the time also increase to more than 6 hours? Like 8 hours maybe?
Hi, Jolene! I’m so glad that you left a comment here, because it reminded me to make these green beans again soon. It’s been too long. 🙂
I honestly don’t know if you’d need to adjust the cooking time for the larger slow cooker, since I’ve never tried it myself. I don’t THINK so — I would imagine that the time is roughly the same to cook the beans, but I would just give them a try. If they’re done earlier than you need them, you can always re-heat them or leave them on low. Different Crock Pots cook with different heat, too…so I often find that I just have to watch it the first time around to gauge the amount of time that’s right for my pot.
It’s hard to mess these green beans up, so I would stick them in there and just turn off the slow cooker when they reach the level of tenderness that you prefer. 🙂
Hi Blair:
I love reading about your boys!
How long would I cook them to get Bright Green and Tender Crisp?
Hi, Charlie! Thanks so much for reading along with us! 🙂
If you prefer your green beans crisp-tender and bright green, then I wouldn’t suggest the slow cooker. The Crock Pot is best for longer cook times when you want the veggies really soft. Instead, try blanching the beans in a pot of boiling water. You might have to work in batches if you have a lot of green beans because you don’t want the pot too crowded, but you should only need about 4-5 minutes in the boiling water to get medium-sized beans cooked to crisp tender. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Blair
Can can cut green beans be used instead of frozen French style?
Yes! Those should work well, too! 🙂
Love the sound of these with the added bacon and Worcestershire sauce, yum!
Thank you you. Recipe sounds great. I appreciate that it’s very well written.
I want to use your recipe for fresh green beans but should I add some extra liquid?
Hi, Becky! No, you shouldn’t need to add any liquid. You may need to increase the cooking time a bit, though. I find that the French cut green beans cook faster than whole, fresh green beans. Add about an hour on high, or a couple of hours on low, and you should be all set! 🙂
So good! It was exactly what I was looking for as a healthy substitute to green bean casserole over the holidays. Even my picky family enjoyed it. I modified it by taking out most of the butter and adding a cup if lower-sodium chicken broth.. Flavir was still great.
Thank you, Brie! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a note. Happy holidays!
So good! Even my picky family enjoyed it as a healthy alternative to green bean casserole. I modified it by easy minimal butter, and adding some reduced-sodium chicken broth. Turned out excellent. Even wrote it down to add to the family cookbook.
Hi Blair, These looks delicious. I do my Green Beans in the crock pot (I use canned green beans) I do add butter, salt and onion to mine (I also add just a bit of sugar to get rid of the grit/canned flavor lol). But I can’t wait to try this. I will let you know how they turn out. Thanks again for all the wonderful recipes you share with us. Have a wonderful and blessed day.
Thanks, Joann! I hope that you enjoy them! They’re a favorite around here. 🙂
Seems as if some liquid would need to be added to the frozen beans. Is there an ingredient left out?
Hi Alice! No, you shouldn’t need to add any liquid. We hope you enjoy!