Southern Crockpot Green Beans with Bacon

A wooden spoon scooping up some green beans.

Fifteen minutes of work, then the crockpot does the rest. Fresh, frozen or canned beans all work — there's a note on each below. Add a pan of Easy Crispy Hoe Cakes (Fried Cornbread Recipe) and Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes and you've got most of a Southern table.

Quick Look: Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Servings: 8
📊 Calories: 113 kcal per serving
🥣 Ingredients: Fresh green beans, bacon, onion, garlic, russet potato, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
⭐ Difficulty: Easy — cook the bacon, dump everything in, walk away

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Frees Up the Stove. Four hours in the crockpot. No oven, no burner.

Bacon Does the Work. Cook it first, sauté the onions in the grease, and the beans cook in that for hours.

Feeds a Crowd for Almost Nothing. A pound and a half of beans, one potato, a few slices of bacon. Eight servings.

Pair them with Sweet Potato Crunch and Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls for the rest of the table.

Ingredients Needed

Green Beans: Fresh, frozen, or even canned works.
Chicken broth: I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth but vegetable broth can also be used.
Potato: I use russet, but red potatoes are also delicious.
Bacon: I like to use smoky bacon.

How to Make Crock Pot Green Beans

Bacon cooked in a skillet then onions and garlic.

Step 1: In a skillet or if you have a sauté option in your crock pot add the chopped slices of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.
Step 2: Next add the diced onions to the bacon grease and saute, then add in the garlic.

Bacon, onions and garlic added to the slow cooker with green beans, then diced potatoes added on top.

Step 3: Add the green beans, garlic and onions, bacon drippings, and diced potatoes into the slow cooker.
Step 4: Cook until desired tenderness, and add crispy bacon, topped with salt and black pepper to taste.

Slow cooker southern green beans in a white bowl.

Recipe Tips

Cook the bacon first, and sauté the onions in the grease. That step is the difference between these and beans that taste boiled.
Cut the beans in half. You don't have to, but they're easier to serve.
The diced potato soaks up the cooking juices — don't skip it.
Toss the bacon in with the beans if you like it soft, or sprinkle it on at the end if you want it crisp. I do the end.
Add a ham hock or diced ham for another layer of flavor.
These and my Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sausage are the two sides I never skip.

Recipe FAQ's

Will canned beans get mushy in a slow cooker?

Yes, they will, but you can add them halfway through the cooking time so they don't get too mushy. You'll need 29-32 ounces and cook for about 3-4 hours on low.

Can I use frozen green beans?

Of course, frozen works great; no need to thaw first.

Can I add a ham hock?

Absolutely, a ham hock is a great addition to this green beans recipe and a perfect way to add a delicious meaty flavor. Toss it in with your green beans or even some diced-up ham.

How to store this recipe?

Place leftover slow-cooker green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze for 3 months.

Can I cook this on high?

Yes. High for 3–4 hours or low for 5–6, until the beans are as tender as you like them.