This Crack Green Beans recipe is a lighter version of Southern smothered green beans. Canned green beans are baked in the most delicious, sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, maple syrup and butter topped with crisp bacon. It's an absolutely perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner side that disappears in minutes!
I absolutely love green or wax beans cooked al dente and served with garlicky vinaigrette but rarely cook with canned cut green beans. Mostly because they are usually overly soft and well, somewhat flavorless. However, when it comes to holiday side bean dishes, canned green beans is exactly what you want!
Because they are bland and tender, they act like a perfect vessel of all kinds of bold flavors they bake in. A classic green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup is one example of canned bean perfection. Crack green beans belong to the same category - smothered in sweet and salty sauce, the soft green beans soak up all the brown, velvety deliciousness.
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What's special about this recipe?
My version of Crack Green Beans is lighter than the traditional Southern smothered beans recipe which calls for copious amounts of brown sugar and butter. I experimented with various ratios of sweet and salty in the sauce for quite some time discovered that that a little bit of maple syrup, butter and soy sauce goes a long way.
To avoid overly salty dish, I used low-sodium or no sodium added canned green beans. Finally, crispy bacon bits on top are everyone's favorite part of this casserole. I've seen recipes using 12 bacon slices and while the more bacon, the merrier, you really don't need more than 6 slices to top the beans and have enough bacony crunch on top.
The best part about this recipe is that it only takes minutes to put together and it will always work. No room for error here!
Ingredient notes
- Canned Green Beans: I used no salt added cut green beans to control the amount of sodium. If you can't find them, use low-sodium green beans.
- Bacon: good quality bacon will give you best results. I like organic no sugar bacon from Applegate.
- Butter: unsalted butter is best for this recipe.
- Soy Sauce: I like Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce.
- Maple Syrup: use pure maple syrup. Mine is always from Maine.
- Onion Powder & Garlic Powder: for extra flavor
How to make it
STEP 1: Cook bacon until crisp. The fastest method is to cut raw bacon slices into small bits and cook them in a skillet. Once browned and crispy, take the bacon bits out with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Set aside.
STEP 2: Make the sauce. Melt the butter, add soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder and onion powder and mix well.
STEP 3: Prep the green beans. Drain the beans in a colander to get rid of all liquid and transfer to a casserole dish.
STEP 4: Mix in the sauce. Pour the sauce over the prepared green beans and mix with a spoon or spatula until the beans are evenly coated.
STEP 5: Top with bacon. I like to place the bacon bits around the casserole dish, much like you would arrange crispy onions around the green bean casserole. If you prefer, you can sprinkle them all over the beans though.
STEP 6: Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven and serve right away.
How to store it
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
For holidays and family dinners, you can make this casserole 24 hours ahead of time. Assemble the casserole (steps 1-5 above), cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge. When ready to bake, remove the film and bake as directed. You may need to add a couple more minutes (5-10) to baking time since the dish will be very cold at first.
What to serve with Crack green beans
These beans are a perfect side dish for any holiday or family gathering. Serve it with roast turkey and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving or ham and potatoes au gratin for Christmas.
To try something new, check out these protein recipe ideas:
- Brined Chicken Wings {Oven or Air Fryer}
- Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Ricotta and Feta
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders (no breading)
- Buffalo Chicken Thighs {Over or Air Fryer}
- Pork Kebabs {Over or Air Fryer}
- Oven Baked Cabbage and Meatballs {Unstuffed Polish Cabbage Rolls}
Variations and substitutions
Crack Green Beans are a very customizable and forgiving dish. Here are some adjustments you can apply, if needed:
- If you like more sweetness, increase the amount of maple syrup to ⅓ cup.
- Maple syrup can be swapped for brown sugar (more traditional) or coconut sugar
- Add more bacon, if you like
- Swap soy sauce for tamari to make this side dish gluten free
- To make it paleo friendly, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce - I recommend increasing the amount to ¼ cup since coconut aminos isn't as strong as soy sauce in terms of flavor
Frequently asked questions
Crack green beans are inspired by Southern smothered green beans. The name "crack" implies that this dish is very addictive and you can't get enough of it. I can certify that this is 100% true and whenever I make it, it disappears immediately and there are no leftovers for the next day.
You can use fresh or frozen beans but if you do, I recommend cooking them until completely soft, or else they won't soak up the sauce.
More Delicious dishes
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash Fries
- Roasted Beet Salad with Tahini Orange Dressing
- Strawberry Spinach Feta Salad
- Spinach Caprese Salad with Strawberries
- Greek Chickpea Salad
If you try my Crack Green Beans recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Crack Green Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cans cut green beans 15 ounce, low-sodium or no salt added
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce low-sodium or regular
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook bacon. Cut raw bacon slices into small bits and cook them in a skillet. Once browned and crispy, take the bacon bits out with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to catch excess grease. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave, add soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder and onion powder and mix well.
- Drain the beans in a colander to get rid of all liquid and transfer to a casserole dish.
- Pour the sauce over the prepared green beans and mix with a spoon or spatula until the beans are evenly coated.
- Top with cooked crispy bacon. I like to place the bacon bits around the casserole dish, much like you would arrange crispy onions around the green bean casserole. If you prefer, you can sprinkle them all over the beans though.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Mary
I thought they would be hot because the last "crack" recipe I tried was off the charts. These are sweet and flavorful. Green beans and bacon are one of my favorite flavor pairings.
Lilly
These green beans are delish! They paired well with my lemon herb chicken.
Andrea Janssen
Looks like a delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Maretha
This looks fantastic! Green beans are such an underrated veg, thanks for this unique recipe
Helen at the lazy gastronome
Wonderful recipe! The sweet, salty, smoky flavors really enhance the beans.
Swathi
Crack green beans looks delicious Perfect treat.
nancy
what a tasty way to cook green beans
Addie
So flavorful!
Ella Fox
How much butter do you use for the Crack green beans
Agnieszka
2 tablespoons!