Crack green beans may just be the best vegetable you have ever had in your life. Bacon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a few other secret ingredients make this side dish irresistible.
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Pin RecipeI promise you that this is a vegetable side dish that everyone in your home will eat. Crack green beans are not only delicious but also a little bit addictive. You will want to make this recipe again and again!
Luckily, it is a side dish that goes well with almost everything. Serve these crack green beans with simple cast iron chicken thighs or next to air fryer pork chops. Green beans complement almost any entree! And these sugary green beans are the best ever.
Crack Green Beans Recipe
I love adding a sweet twist to savory foods. The combination of sweet and salty just never gets old! That is one reason why I add both savory bacon and sweet brown sugar to this green bean recipe. You get a whole array of flavors in every single bite!
But wait, there is more! Crack green beans are also made with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chopped onion, and a little bit of ketchup. To say that these green beans have it all is an understatement. They are called crack green beans for a reason! Once you taste the intense explosion of deliciousness that is this side dish, you will be hooked!
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Ingredients for Crack Green Beans
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Canned cut green beans – Canned green beans cook faster than fresh green beans. They are also always easy to find in the grocery store all year long.
- White onion
- Bacon – I like to use classic maple bacon but applewood smoked or hickory bacon is also delicious.
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work well.
Variations
- Use fresh green beans in place of canned green beans. Freshly cut green beans will need to cook for about five minutes longer in the oven to make them nice and soft.
- Replace the white onion with yellow onion or Vidalia onion.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers to the skillet with the bacon. This will add a whole new layer of flavor and extra nutrients, too.
How to Make Crack Green Beans
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the bacon: Add the bacon and onion to a large cast iron skillet, and sauté for about six to eight minutes.
- Make the sauce: Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar into the skillet. then, cook for two more minutes.
- Add the beans: Add the green beans to the skillet, and stir to combine.
- Bake: Pour the green beans into a casserole dish. Then, bake for fifteen minutes, and enjoy hot.
Quick Tip
Use a cast iron skillet or oven-safe skillet, and skip transferring the beans to a baking dish. This gives the dish a more rustic look and will save you some dishes!
How to Store Crack Green Beans
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-low heat until warm.
You can also freeze this recipe for up to two to three months! Let the green beans thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, warm as usual.
Serving Suggestions
Crack green beans go really well with BBQ pork ribs or baked breaded pork chops. The bacon in the green bean dish just naturally goes with other pork meals!
These green beans are also great as a summertime side dish alongside cheeseburger sliders and Instant Pot corn on the cob. However, you serve them, they’re always a hit!
FAQs
Yes! This easy crack green bean recipe is perfect for making ahead of time. I recommend making it two or three days in advance and storing it in the fridge. Reheat it right in the same casserole dish you baked with!
Crack green beans are a side dish made with chopped green beans, bacon, and brown sugar. Then, warm seasonings are included for a savory, complex flavor.
Green beans are a low-calorie veggie filled with nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. While beans are nutritious on their own, remember that this recipe has bacon and sugar, two ingredients that are not quite so nutritious. Crack green beans have both healthy aspects and unhealthy ones, too. Consult your doctor with any specific concerns!
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Crack Green Beans
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- large skillet
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring spoons and cups
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped white onion
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cans cut green beans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Add the onion and chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the bacon is crisp, about 6-8 minutes.1/4 cup chopped white onion, 6 slices bacon, chopped
- Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar into the pan with the bacon. Cook for another 2 minutes.1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Toss the green beans into the pan mix them into the sauce and bacon.2 cans cut green beans
- Pour the green bean mix into a 9×13 casserole dish. Spread the green beans evenly across the dish then bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve while hot.
