Crack Green Beans are so simple to make and absolutely addictive! With only 5 ingredients, get tender green beans in a bacon ranch butter sauce.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super simple. You need just 5 ingredients to make this dish - and there's very little prep work involved!
- Loaded with flavor. Think of this dish as a deconstructed version of my green bean bundles. It's so much easier to make and you'll get the same rich flavor!
- Special enough to be a holiday side dish, but easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.
🥓 Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs green beans - It is entirely up to you whether you use fresh green beans or canned green beans. Fresh will result in a dish with more crunch; canned will result in softer, more melt-in-your-mouth beans. If you choose to use canned, go with 2 15oz cans.
- 2.5oz bagged bacon pieces - Now, if you want to use regular bacon, go for it - I'd recommend about a pound of bacon that's been cooked and crumbled. But you won't notice a difference - the bagged makes it so much easier! It's important that you use bagged real bacon pieces instead of bagged bacon bits.
- 2 packs ranch dressing mix - I'm a big fan of using the bigger shaker cans of ranch dressing mix. It's a great seasoning you can use on everything! If you use dressing mix from a shaker, go with about ¼ cup for this recipe.
- ⅔ cup brown sugar - Ok, trust me here. I know ranch and brown sugar isn't a common pairing, but the two work together so well in this sweet/savory glaze!
- 1 stick butter - You'll melt your butter to make a sauce before adding to the green beans.
Additions & Substitutions
- Try another veggie! This same basic recipe is great with Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or broccoli.
- Try another meat. Instead of bacon, you can also use cooked & crumbled sausage or diced ham.
Check out more cracked-out favorites: both these crack twice baked potatoes and this crack chicken soup are loaded with ranch and bacon flavor!
👨🍳 How to Make Crack Green Beans
- ADD GREEN BEANS. Wash, remove ends, and chop green beans into 1-2" pieces. Add to an 8x8" glass baking dish. (If using canned green beans, drain well and add to the dish.)
- MIX SAVORY SAUCE. Melt the stick of butter in a medium bowl. Mix 2 packs of ranch dressing mix and ⅔ cup brown sugar into the melted butter until smooth. Pour over green beans and stir.
- SPRINKLE BACON over the sauced green beans.
- BAKE beans in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
🎬 Step-by-Step Recipe Video
🥡 Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: I recommend storing this one in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It has some big flavors that can easily contaminate your other foods! Enjoy this dish within 3-4 days of prepping it.
REHEATING: Individual servings can be reheated for 30-40 seconds in a microwave.
FREEZING: This side dish freezes well! Simply store it in a gallon-sized freezer bag and thaw it in the fridge when you're ready to enjoy it again.
📝 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- If you use canned green beans, make sure to drain the beans well. I prefer either cut green beans or French-style green beans for this recipe.
- You might want to drain the butter sauce off of the dish before serving - there will be a lot of leftover sauce. I like to transfer the beans to a serving dish with tongs.
Make this one for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year - your guests are going to love it! If you try this side dish, I'd love to hear what you think - leave a comment 💭 or rating ⭐️ below.
Crack Green Beans
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Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs green beans (2 cans of green beans or 1.5lbs of fresh beans)
- 2.5 oz bagged real bacon pieces
- 2 packs ranch dressing mix (¼ cup)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 stick butter (½ cup, melted)
Instructions
- Wash and trim the ends of the green beans, then chop into 1-2" pieces. Place them in an 8x8" glass baking dish. (If using canned green beans, drain them well before adding to the dish.)
- In a medium bowl, melt the butter and stir in the ranch dressing mix and brown sugar until smooth. Pour this mixture over the green beans.
- Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 35-40 minutes.
Notes
- If you use canned green beans, make sure to drain the beans well. I prefer either cut green beans or French-style green beans for this recipe.
- You might want to drain the butter sauce off of the dish before serving - there will be a lot of leftover sauce. I like to transfer the beans to a serving dish with tongs.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
