Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans With Bacon and Pork Hock

Green beans with meat and tomatoes on a black plate.

4.95 from 40 votes

Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans With Bacon and Pork Hock

Meaty, savory, and loaded with slow-cooked flavor and goodness, these Slow Cooked Southern Green Beans are the best kind of set-it-and-forget-it cooking! Bacon, pork hock, and more - what's not to love?

Prep Time5

Cook Time4

Total Time4 5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crock pot green beans, slow cooker green beans, southern green beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Chef Jenn

Equipment

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