How to cook fresh Crockpot green beans with bacon, vegetarian or canned is here! A super easy slow cooker recipe that is cheap to make and a healthy vegetable side dish for the holidays.
Fresh beans are often overlooked and forgotten about. Yes you can buy cans you can just warm up, and we will go over that too in this post, but unprocessed is always so much better. You get a bit of a snap still and can cook to as tender as you want, seasoned to your liking. (affiliate links present)
Fresh Green Beans in Slow Cooker
Ok so years ago I made and shared Slow Cooker Green Beans with Ham and Potatoes, which is amazing. During the holiday though, many times I want to cook all of these things separately. If you have picky eaters (like my husband…not naming any names) you may be shaking your heads in agreement with me right now too. 😉 SO here are directions for just the beans….
Do fresh green beans need to be soaked before cooking?
No, fresh green beans do not need to be soaked before cooking. Soaking is typically reserved for dried beans, such as kidney beans or black beans, which need to rehydrate before cooking. Also known as string beans or snap beans, are already somewhat tender and can be cooked directly without this time consuming step.
Jump to
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
How Long to Cook Canned Green Beans in Crock pot
Ok so this part is subjective a bit. When it comes to cooking vegetables everyone has their preferences as far as the texture goes. I like to leave a bit more, I like them with a bit of a “chew” to them as I might explain it. Others want them to just melt in their mouth (which is a no go for me). SO there is a range, but you are looking at about 2 hours for canned or 4 hours for fresh, give or take, for planning purposes. 😉
I will say that it is quite a bit longer than How Long to Cook Fresh Green Beans on Stove of course but this is a great way of set it and forget it. When Thanksgiving and Christmas time arrives, this is what I am looking for. Something that doesn’t require an oven (because that is always full), and I don’t have to stir along the way. It can sit on warm for a while when done too so win win.
Frozen Green Beans in a Slow Cooker
Let’s just discuss all the ways shall we?? We talk all about different ways of How to Cook Frozen Green Beans here but low and slow is broken down here. Honestly it is the same cook time (give or take depending on preferences) than fresh explained below. Reason being is it takes a bit of time to defrost so it all evens out. I do still think the overall texture is best with fresh, just my opinion.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. fresh green beans with ends cut off
- Shallots diced, or use yellow onion
- Garlic minced
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Thyme
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth
Variations
- Of course you can add bacon bits
- This makes a great leftover ham recipe with diced bits the day after the holidays
- For a bit of a spicy kick, add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes in with shallots step
- This is how to cook ham hocks in slow cooker from the get go, slow cooked in the middle of beans
How to Cook Fresh Green Beans in a Slow Cooker
- Clean and cut the ends off the beans and place in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.
- The sauteing step is optional but will yield more flavor, you can alternatively put everything in and fold ingredients together
- In a small saucepan, place the butter (or olive oil) and the finely minced shallot or onions and garlic and saute for about 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add the thyme (stems and all), salt and pepper and stir and cook for another minute. Scoop over the beans and pour in the vegetable stock. (add bacon bits now if you want)
- Stir and set on low and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally ideally.
- Once the beans are tender, remove the thyme stems and discard.
- Serve immediately garnished with fresh squeezed lemon juice id desired or more bacon bits.
Can you keep vegetables warm in a slow cooker?
Yes, most slow cookers have a “warm” setting, which is ideal for keeping cooked vegetables at a safe serving temperature (around 165°F or 74°C) without continuing to cook them significantly. Keep in mind that the texture will continue to soften slightly as they sit so 1 hour is ideal but could push to 2 hours if you enjoy a softer outcome. Beyond that it should be cooled and stored in the fridge in sealed containers.
Green beans with bacon and onions is simple to throw together. You can use fresh, frozen or canned to make this in a few hours. Corn is simple too with just a bit of broth, butter and salt.
Crockpot Green Beans
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. green beans, fresh, ends cut off
- 2 shallots, diced
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 3/4 c vegetable broth, or chicken
- 2-3 tbsp bacon bits, optional
Instructions
- Clean and cut the ends off the green beans and place in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Set aside.
- (this sauteing step is optional but will yield more flavor, you can alternatively put everything in and fold ingredients together) In a small saucepan, place the butter and the finely minced shallot, and saute for about 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add in the minced garlic, the thyme (stems and all), salt and pepper and stir and cook for another minute. Scoop the shallot mixture over the green beans and pour in the vegetable stock. (add bacon bits now if you want to)
- Give it a good stir and set the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the beans are tender, remove the thyme stems and discard.
- Serve green beans immediately. Garnish with fresh squeezed lemon juice and thyme leaves. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Canned Green Beans in Slow Cooker
- Use 3 cans drained instead of fresh
- Follow rest of directions above
- Cut timing down to about 2 hours on low or until as warm as you’d like.
Frozen Green Beans in Slow Cooker
- Follow same directions as above for fresh
- Timing doesn’t change
- Best results if stirred twice during 4 hour timing
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
