Tiffany Haney
Green beans are a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many ways, including steaming, sauteing, and microwaving. However, one of the easiest and most flavorful ways to cook them is in a crock pot or slow cooker. This hands-off cooking method allows the beans to absorb the flavors of other ingredients, such as bacon, onions, garlic, and chicken broth, resulting in a tasty side dish that requires minimal preparation and cleanup. While it is possible to overcook green beans in a crock pot, this can be easily avoided by monitoring the cooking time. Additionally, crock pots offer the convenience of cooking multiple dishes simultaneously, making them ideal for holidays and special occasions when a variety of dishes are served.
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What You'll Learn
Use fresh or frozen green beans
You can use fresh or frozen green beans to make crock-pot green beans. If you're using fresh beans, trim the ends and cut them into halves or thirds. Rinse the beans, then place them in a 6-quart slow cooker. If you're using frozen beans, there's no need to thaw them first—simply add them to the slow cooker.
For a simple crock-pot green bean recipe, add onions and garlic to a skillet with olive oil and sauté over medium heat until tender. Then, add the sautéed vegetables to the slow cooker with the green beans. Pour in chicken broth or stock, or water with a chicken base. You can also add bacon, fatback, or salt pork to the crock-pot for extra flavor. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or until the beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can also add other ingredients to your crock-pot green beans, such as potatoes, butter, olive oil, Cajun or Creole seasoning, or lemon zest. If you're looking for a healthier option, you can use a small amount of olive oil instead of butter.
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Add bacon for flavour
Green beans cooked in a crock pot can be a delicious and easy side dish with minimal prep time. The long cooking time allows the beans to absorb the flavours in the pot, and adding bacon is a great way to add a savoury, smoky taste.
You can use fresh or canned green beans, and the beans can be prepared ahead of time by washing and trimming them. If you want to add bacon, you can cook this ahead of time too, and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Simply cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, and then drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving about one tablespoon. You can then add the onions to the same skillet and cook until softened.
When you are ready to cook the beans, lightly spray the crock pot with cooking spray, and add the green beans, pepper, and onion and bacon mixture. You can also add diced potatoes at this stage. Next, add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and stir well, ensuring that the bacon drippings are mixed in. You can then cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours. You can adjust the cooking time depending on how tender you like your beans.
For extra flavour, you can add some smoked paprika, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. This will give your beans a smoky, sweet, and tangy taste. You can also add garlic, butter, and Worcestershire sauce.
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Use chicken broth for non-vegetarians
Using chicken broth is a great way to add flavour to your green beans. If you're cooking for non-vegetarians, this is a good option to explore.
You can use chicken broth or stock as a base for your green beans, and add other ingredients to enhance the flavour. For example, you can sauté onions and garlic in olive oil before adding them to the slow cooker with the chicken broth. You can also add bacon, either cooked or raw, to the crockpot for a smokey flavour.
Some recipes suggest using 4-1/2 cups of chicken stock or broth, but you can adjust this amount to your preference. If you want more of a soupy consistency, add more liquid. You can also use water with a chicken base, such as Better than Bouillon, as a substitute for chicken broth.
If you're looking for a heartier dish, you can add potatoes to the crockpot. It's best to use small potatoes that can cook through without needing to be pre-cooked. You can also season the dish with pepper, Cajun or Creole seasoning, and salt to taste.
Using chicken broth as a base for your green beans in a crockpot is a versatile option that allows you to customise the dish to your taste preferences.
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Add herbs and spices for extra flavour
Green beans can be cooked in a crock pot with herbs and spices to add extra flavour. You can use fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, marjoram, or dried herbs such as basil, thyme or parsley. A bay leaf, paprika (smoked or standard) or ground mustard can also be added to the crock pot. If you want to add a ton of flavour to the crock pot, add onion soup mix. You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for a zesty kick.
For a sweet and savoury flavour, add brown sugar and soy sauce. You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice for a bright, citrusy finish. For a classic, comforting flavour, add crispy bits of bacon, yellow onions, and thyme sprigs. If you want to add a kick to your green beans, add red pepper flakes.
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Cook for 2-5 hours
Slow-cooked green beans are a great, hands-off veggie side dish. They can be cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker for 2-5 hours, depending on the desired texture. For a softer bean, cook for closer to 5 hours, and for a bean with a bit more bite, cook for 2-3 hours.
To prepare the green beans for cooking, trim the ends and cut them into halves or thirds. If your beans are particularly long, you may want to cut them into smaller pieces. Rinse the beans well.
To cook the beans, add them to a 3.5-quart or larger slow cooker with 4-1/2 cups of chicken stock or broth, or water with a chicken base. You can also add onions and garlic to the pot for extra flavour. Top with pepper and, if desired, butter or olive oil. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours. Taste the beans and season with salt if needed.
You can also add bacon to your green beans for a heartier dish. Add the bacon at the beginning of the cooking process so that the flavours have time to meld, or sprinkle cooked, crumbled bacon on top of the beans just before serving.
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Frequently asked questions
First, trim and snap the green beans in half or thirds and rinse well. Place the green beans into a 3.5-quart or larger slow cooker along with 4-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth, or water with a good chicken base. Top with 5 ounces of cut-up fatback, salt pork, or bacon. You can also add in onions, garlic, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
Yes, you can use frozen green beans in a crock pot. You do not need to thaw them first.
Yes, you can add potatoes to your crock pot green beans. If they are small, you can add them raw. If they are larger, you may want to cook them a little beforehand.
You can add lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs, ham hock, or cooked and crumbled bacon to your crock pot green beans.
Green beans take 4 to 5 hours to cook in a crock pot on low. If you cook them on high, they will take 2 to 3 hours.
