As a professional chef, I’ve always believed that the best recipes are delicious and evoke a sense of comfort and nostalgia. That’s precisely why I love this Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans recipe. It’s perfect for anyone struggling to find the time to cook a hearty meal without compromising flavor. This dish, slowly cooked to perfection with smoked pork hock, bacon, and sausage, is Southern comfort food on a plate!
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Green beans are so versatile and delicious, and I challenge green bean haters to try this dish! I fell in love with beans like these while living in Texas. Versions of slow-cooked Southern beans show up on menus at BBQ restaurants, and if you see them, you must try them!
Of course, my version, tested to perfection over the last 20+ years, is meatier and more flavorful. There’s something magical about the flavor of beans slow-cooked in a flavorful broth. They take on the smoky goodness from the pork hock, the meaty sausage, and the bacon, and the results are divine.
Delicious as a side dish or the main event, these Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans are Chef Jenn approved!
Ingredients
- Green beans – You need fresh green beans; frozen green beans won’t work for this recipe as they’ll turn into mush during the long cooking time.
- Chicken broth – Low or no sodium added. If you’re a foodie and have frozen stock or broth, use that.
- Sausage links – I love garlic sausage in this recipe, but any kind will work. You could even use smoked sausage, especially if you can’t find double smoked bacon. The recipe really is yummy with that extra hit of smoke flavor.
- Smoked pork hock – You can find this in the deli section of most larger grocery stores. If it’s huge, just chisle off about half the meat and save that for another recipe.
- Bacon – Double-smoked bacon is my favorite in this green bean recipe, but thick-cut will do in a pinch.
- Yellow onion – Use cooking onions; sweet onions don’t have the bite that this recipe needs.
- Tomatoes – Fresh tomatoes are what you’ll need, like Roma or even just salad tomatoes.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic, please. Just don’t even come near this recipe with jarlic. Trust me, you want the punchy flavor of real garlic.
- Salt and pepper
How to make SLOW COOKER SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS
- Trim the stem ends from the beans and give them a rinse.
- Put everything into the slow cooker and set it on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
- Stir once – or more – during the cooking time.
- Shred the pork hock meat and fish out the fat.
- Drain and serve with some of the liquid.
- Adjust the seasoning before serving.
Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes
- Don’t stop experimenting with different types of sausage to find your favorite combination. I usually make it with garlic sausage, but smoked or mild Italian sausage would also be delicious.
- Remember, the quality of your bacon can make a huge difference. Look for well-smoked, thick-cut varieties. Or, use double-smoked bacon if you can find it.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the cooking liquid on the stove for a more concentrated glaze to finish the beans before serving.
MAKE IT A MEAL
This is the perfect side dish, but it can also be a meaty main dish. I love serving it with Shrimp & Grits Casserole, smoked meatloaf, or for the holidays, a turkey roast. It goes with so many dishes, and is perfect with anything grilled or smoked, too. Don’t forget about dessert! This king cake recipe is the perfect finish to any meal that includes these beans.
STORAGE
These Crock-Pot Southern green beans keep wonderfully in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to let them cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container. This dish also freezes well. Portion it into freezer-safe containers, and you’ll have a ready-to-eat meal for those busy days. Just pack them with some of the cooking liquid.
Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans With Bacon and Pork Hock
Add Preferred SourceEquipment
- 1 Slow cooker you need a fairly large one to hold 2 pounds of green beans
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans woody end trimmed
- 2 sausage links garlic or mild Italian sausage, cut into chunks
- 8 ounces pork hock
- 3-4 slices thick-cut bacon cut into chunks
- 1 cup chicken broth use low or no sodium added
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim the stem ends from the beans and give them a rinse.
- Put the beans, sausage, bacon, pork hock, diced tomatoes, diced onions and garlic into the slow cooker. Give it a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken broth to the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
- Set it the slow cooker to high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
- Stir once – or more – during the cooking time.
- Shred the pork hock meat and stir it back into the beans, and fish out the fat.
- Drain and serve with some of the cooking liquid.
- Adjust the seasoning before serving.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Experiment with different types of sausage to find your favorite combination. I usually make it with garlic sausage, but smoked or mild Italian sausage would also be delicious.
- Remember, the quality of your bacon can make a huge difference. Look for well-smoked, thick-cut varieties. Or, use double-smoked bacon if you can find it.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the cooking liquid on the stove for a more concentrated glaze to finish the beans before serving.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
