Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes {with bacon}
10 Comments Feb 28, 2022
Updated Oct 27, 2024
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Hearty yet light and delicious is the perfect description for this slow cooker green beans and potatoes dish. Perfectly tender vegetables and made with PLENTY of butter.
Easy side dishes are meant for your slow cooker! Try my creamed corn recipe, my sweet potato casserole recipe, or my broccoli cauliflower casserole if you need another side besides this one.
Why this recipe works
This crockpot green beans and potatoes recipe works because the prep time is minimal, and it works as a meal all by itself (paired with a nice piece of cornbread, of course). It’s also known as one of those go-to side dishes if you’ve prepared meat of some kind.
Not to mention, the combination of beef broth, thyme, butter, and bacon creates a taste you and your family will remember.
Recipe Ingredients
- Green Beans – Fresh green beans work best for this recipe (canned green beans will work but will be on the softer side).
- Potatoes – Quartered red potatoes not only add a dash of color, but they’re perfect for popping in your mouth. If your potatoes are bite size you can leave them whole or cut them in half.
- Bacon -Adds the perfect amount of flavor to the crisp, fresh green beans.
- Beef Broth – Compliments with the bacon by adding a savory flavor.
- Seasonings – Thyme, salt, and black pepper help create additional flavors in the dish.
- Butter – Added right before serving to give the green beans and potatoes a final boost.
Step-by-Step Directions
To prep for this crockpot meal, be sure to cut the ends off the fresh green beans, chop bacon into bite-sized pieces, dice the onion, and quarter the red potatoes.
Step One – Fry the bacon until cooked thoroughly (not crispy).
Step Two – Add all ingredients into the slow cooker, except for the butter. Stir. Choose your cooking time (low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours). Check your potatoes for doneness after the cooking time is up. Add additional time if needed; the timing will depend on how thick your potatoes are cut.
Step Three – Fifteen minutes before serving, add the butter. Once melted, give your green beans and potatoes a good toss.
How long should you leave vegetables in the slow cooker?
Since vegetables are prone to overcooking – especially green beans and cut potatoes – you’ll want to stick with the cooking times mentioned for the recipe. Once the dish has reached the desired level of consistency, it’s safe to turn it off entirely or to the “keep warm” setting (if your pot or cooker has one).
Recipe FAQs
Yes. And they do not have to be defrosted.
Absolutely! You can add a few garlic cloves if desired or use rosemary instead of thyme.
Somewhat, but not by too much. For example, if you choose to use a smoke wood bacon, your green beans and potatoes may have a slightly smoky flavor. Beef and turkey bacon typically yields the same taste like pork. Another meat option that works well is kielbasa sausage or chunks of ham.
Sure thing! Broths, bullion cubes, and meats all have one thing in common – they add flavor to any dish they’re added to. Water is fine if you are out of broth, you may need to add a touch more salt to the finished dish.
You’ll see most green bean and potato recipes call for red potatoes because they typically hold up better in longer cooking times. Not to mention, these are the perfect size when quartered and easily become fork-tender without falling apart. If you don’t have red potatoes, use what you have on hand; be sure to cut them small enough for thorough cooking.
The texture of bacon needs to be cooked at a higher temperature to get the right texture. Otherwise, it will be chewy/soggy. The browned bacon will give MUCH more flavor than raw bacon to the dish.
Potatoes aren’t the best for freezing. They can become mealy after being thawed.
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Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes Recipes
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed
- 1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, quartered – If your potatoes are bite sized, you can cut them in half or leave whole.
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup beef broth, can use chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp. dried leaf thyme, dried
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 6 Tbsp. salted butter
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until the bacon becomes almost crispy.
- Add all the other ingredients (including the bacon) to the crock pot – reserve the butter for later.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or High for 4 Hours. Check your potatoes for doneness after the cooking time is up. Add additional time if needed; the timing will depend on how thick your potatoes are cut.
- Fifteen minutes before you’re ready to serve, add the butter into the crockpot and stir to distribute the butter all over the green beans and potatoes.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I MADE THIS TODAY! AND OMG IT WAS DELICIOUS! ONLY THING I DID WAS USED MORE CHICKEN BROTH CAUSE I LIKE THE LIQUID I USED 2 CUPS INSTEAD OF THE HALF OF CUP AND REALLY REALLY GOOD! WISH I COULD SHOW PICTURES…
I made this using the exact recipe and the green beans were still hard. Put it in a pot on the stove to finish
Can you prep this recipe the night before cooking in crockpot
I would worry that the potatoes would brown.
If you leave out all this seasonings and butter And just add ham chunks ( Or Bone in ham my father-in-law used to use and gives the best taste ) You’ll End up with a very popular Pennsylvania Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. No seasoning needed unless you want to get a little salt and pepper. So three ingredients ham potatoes and green beans. If you do home canned beans they are the best because the juice is the best in this. Between the ham and the green bean juice from canned green beans it gives her really good broth to it in the end
My recipe is 6 potatoes, scrubbed and cut up, bag of baby carrots, 3 onions cut up, package mushrooms washed and halved, chicken thighs about 6. Mix up all the vegies and put in 7 qt. crock pot. Pour over that some olive oil. Stir with wooden spoon. Sprinkle over that 1/2 pkg of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. Place thighs on top of that, squash them on top of the veggies. Sprinkle over that rest of Good Seasons pkg. and place on the top. I cooked it for 12 hours on high so that it all was thoroughly cooked and seasoned. Just unbelievable. Add green beans too if they’ll fit the crockpot. If not, use 2 crock pots. It’s a real crowd pleaser.
I’m confused. Does this have anything to do with the recipe above? Sounds like I inadvertently skipped to a different recipe entirely.
Does the bacon have to be drained?
No, you can add some of the drippings if you want.
Throw a jar of tomatos or a jar of marinara sauce in there. That’s good also