10 Best Cracker Barrel Green Beans Recipes

If you order green beans at a fancy restaurant, they are usually bright green and crunchy. But at Cracker Barrel, they do things differently. Their “Country Style” green beans are cooked slowly until they are incredibly tender, dark, and infused with the smoky flavor of pork.

It is pure comfort food. We have gathered the best copycat recipes to help you recreate that savory, salty, Southern flavor at home. Whether you want to simmer them all day or need a 15-minute fix, we found a recipe for you.

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1. The Authentic Copycat

This is the gold standard. It uses the traditional Southern method: boiling the beans with bacon grease and meat for a long time. The secret here is using “streak o’ lean” (cured salt pork) or thick bacon to flavor the water before adding the beans.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 2 lbs fresh green beans (ends trimmed).
• The Meat: 4 slices of thick-cut bacon (chopped).
• The Liquid: 4 cups water (or chicken broth) and 1 tsp sugar.
• The Seasoning: 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.

Instructions

1. Cook the chopped bacon in a large pot until it is crispy. Do not drain the grease.
2. Add the water, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring it to a boil.
3. Add the green beans. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
4. Simmer for at least 1 hour. The beans should be very soft and olive-green, not bright green.

2. The “Canned Bean” Hack

If the first recipe takes too long, this one is your savior. Cracker Barrel actually uses high-quality canned beans in some locations. This recipe dresses up ordinary canned beans to taste homemade. It is fast, cheap, and tastes surprisingly authentic.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 4 cans (14oz) cut green beans.
• The Meat: 6 slices of cooked bacon (crumbled).
• The Flavor: ½ onion (finely diced) and 1 tsp garlic powder.
• The Secret: 2 tsp sugar and bacon drippings (from cooking the bacon).

Instructions

1. Drain the liquid from the cans of beans.
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon. Remove the bacon but keep the fat in the pan.
3. Sauté the onion in the bacon fat until soft.
4. Add the drained beans, sugar, and garlic. Stir gently and cook for 15 minutes until heated through. Top with crumbled bacon.

3. The Ham Hock Method

While bacon is great, many Southern grandmothers prefer a ham hock. A ham hock is a joint of pork that adds a deep, smoky richness that bacon alone cannot achieve. This version is richer and perfect for Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

• The Foundation: 1 smoked ham hock (bone-in).
• The Beans: 2 lbs fresh green beans (snapped).
• The Liquid: 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water.
• The Seasoning: 1 onion (chopped), salt, and pepper.

Instructions

1. Put the ham hock, water, broth, and onion in a large pot. Boil for 45 minutes to create a flavorful stock.
2. Add the fresh green beans to the pot.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Before serving, pull the meat off the ham hock and mix it back into the beans.

4. The Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Version

If you want the ham hock flavor but don’t want to watch a pot on the stove, use your slow cooker. This method allows the beans to soak up the juices for hours without turning into mush.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 2 lbs fresh green beans.
• The Meat: 1 cup diced ham or 4 slices raw bacon (chopped).
• The Liquid: 1 cup chicken broth (you need less liquid in a slow cooker).
• The Seasoning: 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp sugar, salt, and pepper.

Instructions

1. Place the beans, meat, and seasonings into the slow cooker.
2. Pour the chicken broth over the top.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours.
4. Stir gently before serving to distribute the juices.

5. The Instant Pot Express

Maybe you forgot to start dinner and need “slow-cooked” flavor in 20 minutes. The Instant Pot uses pressure to tenderize the beans and infuse the bacon flavor rapidly.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 1 ½ lbs fresh green beans (trimmed).
• The Meat: 4 slices bacon (chopped).
• The Liquid: 1 cup water or broth.
• The Flavor: ½ onion (diced) and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Instructions

1. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Cook the bacon and onion until the onion is soft.
2. Add the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the green beans. Close the lid and set to High Pressure for 15 minutes (for soft beans).
4. Do a “Quick Release” of the steam. Season with salt and enjoy.

6. The “Green Beans & Potatoes” Meal

At Cracker Barrel, you can often get green beans mixed with chunks of potato. This turns a side dish into a hearty meal. The potatoes absorb the salty pork broth and become melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Ingredients

• The Veggies: 1 ½ lbs green beans and 1 lb baby red potatoes (halved).
• The Meat: ½ lb salt pork or bacon.
• The Liquid: 3 cups water and 1 tbsp butter.

Instructions

1. Boil the salt pork in water for 10 minutes to release the flavor.
2. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the green beans and butter.
4. Cover and simmer on low for another 25–30 minutes until both the potatoes and beans are tender.

7. The Sweet & Savory Twist

Some people remember Cracker Barrel green beans having a slight sweetness. This recipe increases the sugar slightly to balance the salty bacon. It is a subtle change that makes the flavor pop.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 4 cans green beans (drained).
• The Sauce Base: 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled).
• The Sweetness: 2 tbsp brown sugar (instead of white sugar).
• The Savory: 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and ½ tsp garlic powder.

Instructions

1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet. Remove the bacon but keep the grease.
2. Add the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic to the grease. Stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the beans and toss them to coat in the sticky sauce.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes, then top with the crumbled bacon.

8. The Smoked Sausage Variation

If you don’t have bacon or ham hocks, smoked sausage (like Kielbasa) is a great substitute. It provides that necessary smoky flavor and adds more protein to the dish.

Ingredients

• The Protein: 1 package smoked sausage (sliced into coins).
• The Beans: 2 lbs fresh or frozen green beans.
• The Flavor: 1 onion (chopped) and 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
• The Seasoning: Cajun seasoning or simple salt and pepper.

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage slices in a large pot with the oil. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the onion and beans to the pot. Add just enough water to barely cover them.
3. Simmer for 45 minutes until the beans are soft.
4. Return the sausage to the pot for the last 10 minutes to heat through.

9. The “Butter Broth” Method

This recipe focuses on the liquid. Instead of just water, it uses a rich mixture of chicken bouillon and butter. This creates a silky coating on the beans that feels very restaurant-quality.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 2 lbs fresh green beans.
• The Broth: 4 cups water mixed with 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon (Chicken flavor).
• The Fat: 4 tbsp salted butter.
• The Meat: ½ cup diced country ham.

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Sauté the country ham for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in the bouillon mixture and bring to a boil.
3. Add the beans. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
4. Cook uncovered for 1 hour so the liquid reduces and concentrates the flavor.

10. The Vegetarian “Fake-Out”

You can’t have traditional Southern beans without pork, right? Wrong. This recipe uses smoked paprika and olive oil to mimic the bacon flavor for a vegetarian version that still tastes authentic.

Ingredients

• The Beans: 2 lbs green beans.
• The Smoke: 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp cumin.
• The Fat: 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter.
• The Savory: 1 onion (diced) and 2 cloves garlic (minced).

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a pot. Cook the onions until they are brown and caramelized (this mimics the meat flavor).
2. Stir in the smoked paprika, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the beans and 1 cup of vegetable broth.
4. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until very tender.