The moment I taste Cracker Barrel’s green beans, I’m instantly transported to my grandmother’s kitchen on Sunday afternoons. The aroma of bacon-infused beans simmering on the stove fills the house with pure comfort. That smoky, savory flavor paired with tender green beans creates the perfect side dish that turns any meal into a special occasion.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The genius of Cracker Barrel’s green beans lies in the slow-simmered method that allows the bacon fat to infuse every bean with smoky flavor. Unlike restaurants that might use shortcuts, this recipe adheres to the traditional Southern technique of low-and-slow cooking. The addition of sugar balances the saltiness, while the onions add aromatic depth.
Ingredients
- Bacon – Provides the essential smoky fat and savory flavor that infuses throughout the entire dish during cooking
- Canned green beans – Offer convenience while maintaining a tender texture that absorbs the bacon flavors perfectly
- White onion – Adds aromatic sweetness and depth that complements the smoky bacon without overwhelming.
- Sugar – Balances the saltiness of the bacon and enhances the natural sweetness of the green beans
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and helps bring together the bacon, beans, and seasonings
- Fresh ground black pepper – Provides gentle heat and aromatic complexity that rounds out the flavor profile
How to Make Cracker Barrel Green Beans
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is lightly browned but not crisp.
- Add green beans, salt, sugar, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place the onion on top of the green beans.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a light boil.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking
- Freezing: Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
Love Cracker Barrel? Check out these copycat recipes!
- Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad
- Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef
- Mushroom Pot Roast
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Sunday Chicken
Popular Side Dish Recipes
- Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole
- Chicken Gravy
- Cornmeal Mush
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Homemade Coleslaw
- Red Potatoes
You can find many more vegetable side dish recipes and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes here on CopyKat!
Copycat Cracker Barrel Green Beans
Ingredients
- ¼ pound bacon
- 42 ounces green beans (3 cans)
- ¼ cup white onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly brown but not crisp.
- When the bacon has browned, add green beans, salt, sugar, and pepper and mix well.
- Place onion on top of green beans.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a light boil.
- Turn heat down to low and simmer beans for 45 minutes. Cooking the green beans for 45 minutes on a very low simmer will blend the flavors.
After cooking the bacon is the grease drained off? In adding the beans do you use the liquid
and all from the bean cans? Adding the liquid from the cans of beans would tend to make the
bacon grease float when sitting in the pan.
If the green beans are hot, and when they are being heated in the pan, the bacon grease will go into the liquid, but you are right when this is cold the bacon grease will go straight to the top.
That looks nothing like the green beans at Cracker Barrel, but it tastes just like them.
Thank you for your comment.
Am I missing the actual recipe?
Not sure why 90% of these copy cat recipes call for adding sugar. Cracker Barrel NEVER adds sugar. As a 5 year past manager of Cracker Barrel the recipe calls for 3 large cans of green beans- drained; 1 chub (about 5 lbs) green bean seasoning- a mixture of bacon lard, sausage lard and pieces(this is melted down and provides the liquid); bacon pieces (about 2 lbs); salt and pepper to taste. The green beans are then slowly cooked for 2 hours.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us the straight recipe. I knew all these bloggers had it wrong because they all tailor it to what they like or think is good. If you even pay any attention to the beans, you will see how dark and shiny that they are. This comes from the seasoning that they use……bacon lard and sausage lard…all ham flavoring. You can buy bacon lard and ham lard on Amazon. This is what I plan to do. Can’t wait to try it. Eddie Wells
For me it is important to duplicate the recipe as best as I can the way it is served in the restaurant.
Hi Mike. I know you posted your comment last year but I’m just now seeing it.
I love some of the dishes made at Cracker Barrel and want to make them at home.
How are the fried chicken tenderloins made? This is what I order any time I go to CB. I get the tenderloins, green beans, pinto beans and mashed potatoes.
My beans always taste like the can! What brand of beans do you use?
God bless you for that! I look forward to making this on Thanksgiving. I just love Cracker Barrel’s green beans. I’m looking forward to some tasty side dishes this year. Any other suggestions for a good vegetable dish that can be made, or at least prepared, ahead of time would be appreciated.
Have you ever done this in the crockpot? I work 8-5 and don’t have the time to make the beans right before dinner. 🙁 I was thinking cooking the bacon on the stove and then adding it all to the crockpot.
Sounds great.. do you leave the bacon in the green beans or remove it after cooking?
I love these from Crackle Barrel…how many slices of bacon is 1/4 pound?
Is your bacon thick cut or thin cut?
Is the bacon thick or thin sliced? It depends on the thickness of the bacon. If your package of bacon is 12 ounces, it is about 1/3 of the package of bacon.
Would fresh green beans work?
You can use them, you will need to cook them a little longer.
WE LOVE EATING AT CRACKER BARREL AND ALWAYS ALWAYS HAVE THE GREEN BEANS ………
i added the onions while frying the bacon and added more salt and pepper than what it calls for. Other than that, it was great, just like my grandma used to make!
I used the bacon grease in the beans.
Do you use the bacon grease or discard it after the bacon is cooked?
Do you chop the onion up or just put the whole chunk of onion in the beans?
This onion piece should be chopped.
I made two huge pans of this fantastic recipe for a big Christmas dinner at my sister-in-law’s house today. My kitchen smelled JUST LIKE Cracker Barrel while the beans were cooking and they tasted identical. So easy and so good, I will never make green beans any other way again!