Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

Slow cooker Southern green beans are a comforting, crowd-pleasing side dish that belongs on the table for all kinds of gatherings. They’re a natural fit for holiday meals and Sunday dinner, and they’re just as welcome at a picnic or potluck alongside barbecue and other favorites. Instructions to make Instant Pot Southern green beans are also included.

Ingredients For Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

• Green beans: Use fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half if they’re long.
• Smoked ham hocks: These season the broth and add smoky flavor. Once tender, you can pull off the meat and stir it back into the beans.
• Low-sodium chicken broth: The beans cook in the broth and absorb its flavor.
• Onion and garlic: Add savory flavor to the broth.
• Seasonings: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and pepper season the beans.

How To Make Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

Slow Cooker

1. Add the green beans, broth, onion, garlic, and seasonings to the slow cooker. Toss to mix. Add the ham hocks. You may need to add an additional 1 cup of water if your green beans are not fully immersed.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Cook until the green beans and ham hocks are both tender.
3. Remove the ham hocks. When they’re cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones, skin, and excess fat.
4. Stir the ham meat back into the green beans. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Add the ham hocks, chicken broth, onion, garlic, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and pepper to the Instant Pot.
2. Secure the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
3. Remove the ham hocks. When they’re cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones, skin, and excess fat.
4. Add the green beans to the pot and stir. Secure the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
5. Carefully quick-release the pressure. Stir the ham meat back into the beans, taste, and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Why You Will Love this Recipe

• The ham hocks add smoky, savory flavor as they cook with the green beans.
• The slow cooker does most of the work, so the beans are easy to serve alongside your main dish.
• It uses simple ingredients and makes a generous batch for sharing.

FAQs & Tips

How many servings does this recipe make?

This recipe makes about 6–8 servings as a side dish. A serving is approximately 1 cup.

Can you use frozen green beans?

No, I do not recommend using frozen green beans for this recipe. 

Should you add all the ham hock meat?

Add as much of the meat as you like. Remove and discard the bones, skin, and any large pieces of fat.

How do you keep the beans from getting too salty?

Smoked ham hocks can vary in saltiness. The recipe uses low-sodium broth; taste the beans after cooking and add more salt only if needed.

Substitutions & Variations

• Use smoked turkey legs or wings in place of the ham hocks.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce for heat.
• For a richer broth, stir in an additional tablespoon of butter before serving.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover slow cooker Southern green beans in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with some of the cooking liquid. You can freeze the cooked green beans for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these southern green beans with cornbread, biscuits, or alongside roast chicken, pork chops, or meatloaf. They also make a hearty side dish for a holiday meal.

What size slow cooker should you use?

I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Other Side Dish Recipes

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Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

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Slow cooker Southern green beans are a comforting, crowd-pleasing side dish that belongs on the table for all kinds of gatherings. They’re a natural fit for holiday meals and Sunday dinner, and they’re just as welcome at a picnic or potluck alongside barbecue and other favorites. 

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Pressure Cooking, Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30

Ingredients

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Add the green beans, broth, onion, garlic, and seasonings to the slow cooker. Toss to mix. Add the ham hocks. You may need to add an additional 1 cup of water if your green beans are not fully immersed.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Cook until the green beans and ham hocks are both tender.
3. Remove the ham hocks. When they’re cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones, skin, and excess fat.
4. Stir the ham meat back into the green beans. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Add the ham hocks, chicken broth, onion, garlic, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and pepper to the Instant Pot.
2. Secure the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
3. Remove the ham hocks. When they’re cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and discard the bones, skin, and excess fat.
4. Add the green beans to the pot and stir. Secure the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
5. Carefully quick-release the pressure. Stir the ham meat back into the beans, taste, and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Notes

You may need to add an additional 1 cup of water to the slow cooker so your green beans are fully covered once you add the ham hocks. 

Total cooking time is calculated based on the HIGH estimate.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 94
• Sugar: 5.7 g
• Fat: 1.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
• Fiber: 4.5 g
• Protein: 8 g
• Cholesterol: 2.1 mg

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