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Slow Cooked Green Beans: Tender, Healthy, and Delicious Recipe

Slow Cooked Green Beans

Fresh green beans slowly cook with onion, garlic, broth, and herbs until tender and flavorful. Finish with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and add bacon or ham if you prefer a Southern-style variation.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 2 pounds Fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
  • 1 small Small yellow onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil or unsalted butter
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried thyme
Finishing Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Optional Southern-Style Addition
  • 3-4 slices Cooked and crumbled bacon
  • 2 ounces Diced ham

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Rinse the green beans under cool water and trim the stem ends. Leave them whole or cut them into approximately 2-inch pieces.
  2. Place the diced onion and minced garlic in the slow cooker. Add the green beans, broth, olive oil or butter, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.
  3. Stir briefly to distribute the ingredients. The broth should only partially cover the beans because the beans release additional moisture as they cook.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or on HIGH for 2–3 hours. Begin checking earlier for young, thin beans or if you prefer a firmer texture.
  5. Taste the beans and adjust the salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice or apple cider vinegar just before serving.
  6. If using bacon or ham, add it during the final 30 minutes of cooking or sprinkle it over the finished beans. Serve warm with some of the flavorful cooking liquid.

Notes

Avoid adding extra broth because slow cookers trap steam and the green beans release moisture. For firmer beans, check them after about 3 1/2–4 hours on LOW. Frozen green beans cook faster because they are already partially blanched.