Description
This Crock Pot Green Beans recipe combines tender green beans with savory bacon, onions, and garlic, slow-cooked in a flavorful broth with butter and Worcestershire sauce. Perfect as a comforting side dish, it’s easy to prepare and ideal for busy days when you want a delicious, hands-off vegetable dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Dairy
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
Vegetables and Aromatics
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Liquids and Seasonings
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it becomes crispy. Once done, remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add the diced yellow onion and minced garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and fragrant. Then transfer this mixture to the crockpot.
- Combine Ingredients in Crockpot: Into the slow cooker, add the fresh green beans, vegetable broth, butter, brown sugar (if using), Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Cook Green Beans: Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ hours until the green beans are tender but still hold some bite.
- Add Bacon and Finish Cooking: After the initial cooking time, stir in the crispy bacon pieces and continue cooking on high for an additional 30 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Once finished, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm as a flavorful side dish to your favorite main course.
Notes
- Storing: Store leftovers 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 in the crockpot on high for 30 minutes until heated through.
- Freezing: Cool completely and freeze in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to three months.
- Trimming the Green Beans: Remove tough stems and ends before cooking. Pre-trimmed fresh green beans save prep time.
- Canned Green Beans: Use 4 cans of drained green beans instead of fresh, omit the broth, and reduce cooking time to 1.5 hours since the beans are already cooked.
- Variations: Substitute ham or sliced link sausage for bacon for a different flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
