Made with fresh green beans, smoky bacon, onion, and a touch of brown sugar, these slow cooker green beans turn out tender and flavorful with just 10-minutes of prep! They free up the oven for the rest of the meal, perfect for any holiday table or anytime you need a hands-off vegetable side dish.

Cooked green beans mixed with pieces of bacon in a slow cooker, with a metal serving spoon.

My Favorite Southern-Style Green Beans with Bacon

Okay, these slow cooker green beans have earned a permanent spot at my Thanksgiving table because they free up the stove and the oven exactly when I need them most! Fresh green beans simmer low and slow with bacon, onion, and a touch of brown sugar until they turn out tender and smoky. The whole thing is mostly hands-off after about 10-minutes of prep, which is why I keep coming back to it for holidays and weeknights alike!

The two steps that really make this recipe shine are cooking the bacon and onion before they go in the slow cooker, and reserving half of the bacon to add at the end. Sauteing the bacon and onion first creates a savory base that the green beans soak up as they cook, and tossing the second half of the crumbled bacon in right before serving gives you that smoky bite in every spoonful instead of letting it all dissolve into the broth. SO GOOD!

This recipe calls for a lot of chicken broth because that liquid is what tenderizes the green beans within the cook time, but you don’t want to serve them swimming in broth! Drain off all but about a quarter cup of the cooking liquid before adding the butter and remaining bacon, and you end up with glossy, perfectly seasoned beans. Serve them alongside my slow cooker turkey breast for a fully hands-off Thanksgiving, or with my slow cooker sweet potatoes to round out a holiday spread without ever turning on the oven!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Green Beans in the Slow Cooker!

Sliced onions and pieces of bacon cooking and browning in a black cast iron skillet on a white wooden surface.
Sliced green beans topped with caramelized onions and bacon pieces inside a black slow cooker on a white wooden surface.
Cooked green beans with pieces of tomato and peppers in a black slow cooker, with a metal spoon resting inside.

Robyn’s Testing Tips for Crockpot Green Beans

  • For green beans, I use fresh haricots verts when I can find them since they stay the most tender, but regular fresh green beans work just as well; I have also tested thawed frozen haricots verts and they hold up beautifully.
  • Don’t use canned green beans here, since when I tested them they came out mushy and lost their structure entirely; this recipe is created with fresh or frozen for that reason.
  • For make-ahead prep, I cook the bacon and onion up to 4 days ahead and stash them in the fridge; the bacon fat hardens but melts right back when it hits the slow cooker, saving me 15-minutes on the day.
Cooked green beans mixed with pieces of bacon in a slow cooker, with a metal serving spoon resting in the pot.
Overhead shot of cooked green beans in a slow cooker.
No ratings yet

Slow Cooker Green Beans (with Bacon)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 9 minutes
These slow cooker green beans simmer fresh green beans with smoky bacon, onion, and brown sugar for a tender vegetable side.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick cut bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed, such as Haricots Verts

To Add at the End

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • freshly cracked ground pepper

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.
  • To the same skillet, add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and paprika, then cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 
  • Add the salt, brown sugar, stock and vinegar to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Add the cooked onion mixture, 2 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled and the green beans, tossing to coat.
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours on high, or low for 6-7.
  • Uncover and drain all but ¼ cup of cooking liquid. Add the butter and remaining 2 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled, to the green beans, stirring to combine. 
  • Taste and season with additional salt or pepper if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

  • I recommend thick-cut bacon over thin since I find it holds its texture better through the long cook and gives you crispier pieces to stir in at the end without disappearing into the broth!
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 190mg, Potassium: 358mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 895IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

Share + Save this Recipe