Welcome to the ultimate guide for recreating a beloved classic: Cracker Barrel Green Beans with Bacon! This iconic homestyle side dish is a staple of American comfort food, known for its tender green beans slow-simmered in a rich, savory broth infused with the smoky goodness of bacon and the sweet aroma of onions. Whether you’re planning a cozy family dinner or a festive holiday feast, this copycat recipe promises to deliver that authentic Cracker Barrel Old Country Store flavor right to your dining table.

Authentic Cracker Barrel Green Beans with Bacon: Your Ultimate Homestyle Side Dish Recipe

There’s a unique charm in being able to recreate cherished restaurant dishes from the comfort of your own home. For many, Cracker Barrel represents a beloved haven of nostalgic American comfort food, where hearty meals and a warm atmosphere combine to create memorable dining experiences. Their Country Green Beans, lovingly cooked with bacon, stand out as a fan favorite – a simple yet incredibly flavorful side that complements almost any meal.

We often find ourselves missing the convenience of dropping into a Cracker Barrel for a satisfying, comforting meal. Our closest location might be quite a journey away, making those spontaneous visits a rare treat. During times when staying in is the best option, the desire to enjoy those familiar, comforting flavors only grows stronger. This recipe was born from that very yearning – a mission to bring the authentic taste of Cracker Barrel’s famous green beans into our own kitchen, without the need for a road trip.

While rumors of a Spokane restaurant location have circulated, we’re still patiently waiting for a Cracker Barrel to open closer to home. Until then, we’ve dedicated ourselves to perfecting copycat recipes that capture the essence of their menu. These Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Country Green Beans with bacon are not only incredibly easy to make but also astonishingly delicious. The rich interplay of smoky bacon and sweet, sautéed onions transforms humble green beans into a truly irresistible side dish, perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to special holiday gatherings.

The Secret to Cracker Barrel’s Famous Green Beans

What makes Cracker Barrel’s green beans so incredibly popular? It’s their distinctive homestyle flavor and perfectly tender texture. Unlike many green bean recipes that aim for a crisp-tender bite, Cracker Barrel’s version is slow-simmered, allowing the beans to become deeply infused with savory flavors from bacon and a hint of sweetness from sugar and onion. This method yields green beans that are soft, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and bursting with a rich, complex taste that is pure comfort food. Our copycat recipe meticulously follows this tradition, ensuring you achieve that same beloved outcome every time.

Essential Ingredients for Your Copycat Cracker Barrel Green Beans

Creating these famously flavorful green beans requires just a few basic ingredients, each playing a crucial role in building the dish’s signature profile. The magic truly unfolds as these components simmer together, developing a depth of flavor that’s hard to beat. Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need; precise measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions are provided in the static recipe card further down the page.

• Thick-Cut Bacon: The cornerstone of this recipe! Thick-cut bacon is essential not just for its smoky flavor but also because it renders a generous amount of fat, which serves as the foundational savory base for the green beans. The rendered fat coats each bean, ensuring maximum flavor infusion.
• Canned Green Beans: For true Cracker Barrel authenticity and ultimate convenience, canned green beans are highly recommended. They are already cooked to a tender consistency, making them ideal for slow simmering and absorbing the rich flavors. If you prefer, blanched fresh green beans or thawed frozen green beans can be used, though cooking times may vary slightly.
• Yellow Onion: Finely chopped yellow onion adds an aromatic sweetness and another layer of savory depth to the dish. As it gently cooks with the bacon, it softens and releases its natural sugars, complementing the smoky bacon beautifully.
• Granulated Sugar: A small amount of granulated sugar is key to balancing the savory notes, providing a subtle sweetness that rounds out the overall flavor and mimics Cracker Barrel’s distinctive taste profile. It helps to enhance the natural sweetness of the onion and green beans.
• Salt: Essential for seasoning and enhancing all the other ingredients. We recommend starting with the specified amount and adjusting to your personal preference after the green beans have simmered.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds a hint of warmth and a gentle bite, elevating the overall flavor of the dish.

Equipment You’ll Need

Gathering the right tools before you begin ensures a smooth and enjoyable cooking experience. For this homestyle green bean recipe, you won’t need anything specialized, just a few kitchen essentials that most home cooks already have.

• Large Dutch Oven with a Lid: A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven is the ideal vessel for this recipe. Its superior heat distribution and retention are perfect for slowly simmering the green beans, ensuring even cooking and maximum flavor infusion. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a sturdy 2-quart saucepan with a lid can also work, especially for smaller batches.
• Kitchen Spoon/Stirring Utensil: A sturdy spoon or spatula is needed for browning the bacon and gently stirring the green beans during their long simmer.
• Heat-Resistant Potholders: Safety in the kitchen is paramount! We strongly recommend using silicone or other certified heat-resistant potholders. We once had a fire scare when a cloth potholder accidentally caught fire after an unobserved burner was turned on. These modern, heat-resistant alternatives offer crucial peace of mind and protection.

How to Make Cracker Barrel Style Green Beans with Bacon

Bringing these beloved green beans to your table is surprisingly straightforward. The true magic lies in the slow simmering process, which allows all the flavors to meld beautifully. Follow these clear, step-by-step instructions for a truly authentic Cracker Barrel experience.

1. Prepare and Cook the Bacon: Start by cutting your thick-cut bacon slices into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Place the diced bacon into your large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is beautifully browned and has rendered a good amount of its fat. It should be tender and pliable, not overly crisp, as it will continue to cook with the green beans. The rendered bacon fat is a crucial element for the dish’s flavor.
2. Combine All Ingredients: Once the bacon is perfectly browned, and without draining the flavorful bacon grease from the pot, add the canned green beans (including their juice), the measured salt, black pepper, granulated sugar, and the finely chopped yellow onion. Stir all the ingredients gently to ensure everything is well combined and the green beans are coated in that wonderful bacon fat.
3. Bring to a Gentle Boil: Increase the heat slightly under the pot and bring the mixture to a light, gentle boil. Keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn’t boil vigorously.
4. Simmer to Perfection: As soon as the mixture reaches a light boil, immediately reduce the heat to its lowest setting to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Cover the saucepan tightly with a lid and allow the green beans to simmer for approximately 45-55 minutes. This extended, slow cooking time is essential for the green beans to become incredibly tender and fully absorb all the savory, smoky flavors from the bacon, onion, and seasonings. Stir occasionally throughout the simmering process to prevent any sticking and ensure even flavor distribution.
5. Serve Warm: Once the green beans are deeply tender and flavorful, they are ready to serve. Ladle them hot into a serving dish and enjoy your homemade Cracker Barrel-inspired side!

Serve these hot and enjoy your homemade Cracker Barrel-inspired green beans!

Preparation, Storage, and Reheating Tips

These homestyle green beans are fantastic for meal prepping or enjoying throughout the week. Here’s how to manage them efficiently to maximize freshness and convenience:

Make-Ahead: This green bean recipe is wonderfully suited for advance preparation, making your cooking day much easier. You can prepare the bacon by dicing it ahead of time and chop the onions, storing both in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. While you could pre-cook the bacon, we highly recommend cooking it fresh on the day to maximize the rendering of flavorful fat directly into the pot.

Storage: Any leftover Cracker Barrel green beans should be transferred promptly to an airtight container and refrigerated within two hours of cooking. Properly stored, they will maintain their delicious quality and texture for three to five days. Often, the flavors deepen overnight, making them even more enjoyable the next day!

Freezing: These green beans freeze beautifully, making them an excellent candidate for batch cooking. Portion the cooled green beans into airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to three months without significant loss of quality. Label with the date for best practice.

How to Reheat: Reheating is simple and depends on the quantity. For individual portions, the microwave works quickly and efficiently. For larger quantities, gently reheat the green beans in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are warmed through. If the beans appear a bit dry, you can add a splash of water or chicken broth to restore moisture.

Recipe Variations to Suit Every Taste

While the classic Cracker Barrel green beans are perfect as is, this versatile recipe offers plenty of room for customization to fit various dietary needs, flavor preferences, or ingredient availability.

Green Bean Substitutions: Our recipe champions canned green beans for their authentic Cracker Barrel texture and sheer convenience. If you prefer a fresher approach, you can certainly use blanched fresh green beans or even thawed frozen green beans. When using fresh, ensure they are blanched until tender before adding them to the pot, and be prepared for a potentially slightly longer simmering time to achieve the desired softness. Frozen beans, once thawed, might release more water, so monitor the liquid level and adjust as needed.

Vegetarian + Vegan Option: To transform these savory green beans into a vegetarian or vegan delight, simply omit the bacon and replace it with a plant-based alternative. Options include vegetarian bacon bits, smoked tempeh (cubed and sautéed), or a combination of liquid smoke and smoked paprika to impart that deep, smoky flavor without any meat. When cooking, use a plant-based oil like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil instead of relying on bacon fat.

Gluten-Free: This recipe is inherently gluten-free, as all the core ingredients – green beans, bacon, onion, sugar, salt, and pepper – typically do not contain gluten. However, for those with severe gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, it’s always wise to exercise caution. Double-check the labels on your bacon and canned green beans to ensure they are certified gluten-free, as some processed ingredients may contain hidden gluten-containing additives or be subject to cross-contamination during manufacturing.

Alcohol-Free Option: This specific copycat recipe does not call for any alcoholic ingredients, so it is naturally alcohol-free and suitable for all ages and preferences. We have not encountered any boozy variations of these classic homestyle green beans, ensuring they remain a purely wholesome and family-friendly side dish.

Adjusting Serving Size: The base recipe yields approximately eight servings, making it perfect for an average family meal or a small gathering. Should you need fewer servings, you can easily halve all the ingredients. For larger celebrations or events, doubling or even tripling the recipe is easily done. Just ensure you utilize a sufficiently large Dutch oven or pot to comfortably accommodate the increased volume and allow all the green beans enough space to simmer properly.

Make It Spicy: For those who appreciate a kick of heat, integrating a bit of spice is simple. Add about ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings when you combine them in the pot. You can adjust this amount to achieve your desired level of spiciness.

Sugar-Free: If you are monitoring your sugar intake or prefer a less sweet profile, you can easily make these green beans sugar-free. Opt for a sugar-free bacon variety and substitute the granulated white sugar with a cooking-friendly sugar alternative, such as stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit sweetener. Adjust the quantity of the sweetener according to your taste preferences. The original recipe contains approximately 6 grams of sugar per serving.

Expert Tips for the Best Cracker Barrel Green Beans

Achieving that perfect homestyle taste and tender texture, just like Cracker Barrel, is all about paying attention to a few key details. Here are our top tips to ensure your copycat green beans are a resounding success and genuinely taste like the restaurant classic:

• Dice Your Bacon Evenly: Before you start cooking, take the time to cut your thick-cut bacon into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Even dicing ensures that the bacon cooks evenly and renders its fat consistently without some pieces burning while others remain undercooked. This creates the best flavor base for your green beans.
• Choose the Right Pot: As previously mentioned, a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven is truly the best choice for this recipe. Its robust construction and excellent heat retention are ideal for the slow, even simmering required to develop deep flavors and achieve perfectly tender green beans. If a Dutch oven isn’t available, a heavy-gauge stockpot or large saucepan will work, but you may need to monitor the heat more closely.
• Brown Bacon, Don’t Crisp: Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is beautifully browned and has rendered most of its fat, but stop just before it becomes fully crisp. The goal is flavorful, tender bacon that melts in your mouth, not brittle bits. The bacon will continue to cook and soften as it simmers with the green beans, contributing its texture and flavor throughout the dish.
• Don’t Drain the Bacon Grease: This is arguably the most crucial step for achieving that signature Cracker Barrel flavor! The rendered bacon grease is a treasure trove of savory goodness. Leaving it in the pot when you add the green beans, salt, sugar, and pepper ensures that all that rich, smoky flavor permeates every single bean, creating an unparalleled depth of taste that defines the dish.
• Layer the Onions: For optimal flavor infusion and texture, add the chopped onions on top of the green beans after they are combined with the bacon and seasonings. As the liquid comes to a slow boil and then simmers, the onions will gently soften and release their sweet, aromatic notes into the dish without getting overly browned or mushy.
• Low and Slow Simmering is Key: Patience is indeed a virtue when making these green beans. The extended simmering time (approximately 45-55 minutes) on low heat is absolutely essential. This allows the green beans to fully absorb all the wonderful, complex flavors from the bacon, onion, and seasonings, transforming them into the incredibly tender and flavorful side dish you expect from Cracker Barrel.
• Quick Prep, Long Cook: While the total cooking time is about an hour from start to finish, the actual hands-on preparation work is minimal. You only need to chop the bacon and onion, and measure the seasonings. This makes it a perfect hands-off side dish that you can let simmer while you focus on other meal preparations.

What to Serve with Your Cracker Barrel Green Beans

These flavorful, bacon-infused green beans are the quintessential homestyle side dish, incredibly versatile and perfectly suited to complement a wide range of meals. Whether you’re planning a hearty breakfast, a comforting lunch, or a satisfying dinner, these green beans will fit right in and elevate your dining experience. They truly embody the spirit of Southern comfort food.

Complementary Side Dishes:

• BLT Pasta Salad
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams
• Cracker Barrel Carrots
• CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans
• CrockPot Tater Tot Chicken Casserole
• CrockPot Corn Pudding
• 2 Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Cups
• Easy Homemade Banana Bread

Hearty Main Dishes:

• Bacon Pot Pie
• Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
• Crock Pot Steak Stroganoff
• Crockpot Mushroom Pasta Casserole
• Easy German Apple Pancake
• French Toast Casserole
• Apple & Raisin French Toast
• Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes
• Crock Pot Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Sweet Endings (Desserts):

• 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars
• Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
• Orange Dreamsicle Salad
• Bisquick Peach Cobbler
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
• Air Fryer Donuts
• Cinnamon & Sugar Crescents
• Raspberry Coffee Cake
• Biscuit Donuts

When to Serve These Homestyle Green Beans

These versatile green beans are a welcome addition to nearly any meal or occasion, offering that comforting, familiar taste of home. Their hearty nature makes them suitable for a wide variety of dining scenarios.

• Breakfast (a true Southern tradition!)
• Brunch
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter)
• A universally loved, kid-friendly side dish

More Beloved Cracker Barrel Copycat Recipes

If you’ve enjoyed recreating this Cracker Barrel classic at home, you’ll be thrilled to discover more of our favorite copycat recipes designed to bring those restaurant flavors right into your kitchen. Explore these other delicious dishes from our collection:

• Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
• Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes
• Cracker Barrel Pancakes
• Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
• Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
• Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
• Cracker Barrel Carrots

These Bacon Green Beans are truly one of our favorite side dishes for chicken dinner! They also pair wonderfully with pork, beef, or just about any main course that craves a savory, comforting accompaniment.

Do you love discovering new and exciting recipes? Be sure to check out our extensive collections of copycat recipes, delightful dessert recipes, and our convenient CrockPot Recipes. There’s always something new to inspire your culinary adventures!

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Cracker Barrel Green Beans Recipe

How to make delicious copycat Cracker Barrel Green Beans at home with bacon.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Calories: 108 kcal
Author: Tammilee Tips

Ingredients

• 5 slices Thick-Cut Bacon, cut into pieces
• 42 oz Green Beans (3 cans, undrained)
• ¼ cup Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon White Granulated Sugar
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and add to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is nicely browned but not yet crisp. This allows the fat to render, creating a rich flavor base.
2. Without draining the bacon grease, add the green beans (including their liquid), salt, pepper, sugar, and chopped onion to the pot. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
3. Increase the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a light boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
4. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for approximately 45-55 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking and to prevent any sticking. The green beans should become very tender and fully infused with the savory bacon and onion flavors.
5. Serve hot as a delicious homestyle side dish.

Kitchen Tools

• Large Dutch Oven (or 2-quart saucepan)
• Kitchen Spoon/Stirring Utensil
• Heat-Resistant Potholders

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Cracker Barrel Green Beans Recipe

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 108 Calories from Fat 54

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% Daily Value*

Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 2g 13%

Cholesterol 9mg 3%

Sodium 246mg 11%

Potassium 349mg 10%

Carbohydrates 12g 4%

Fiber 4g 17%

Sugar 6g 7%

Protein 5g 10%

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Vitamin A 1027IU 21%

Vitamin C 19mg 23%

Calcium 55mg 6%

Iron 2mg 11%

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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.