These are my family's true southern holiday green beans with ham hocks, y'all! I couldn't think of a better way to start off the holiday season than updating a tried-and-true favorite.
Cooked low and slow in the crockpot (which makes it so easy!) and packed full of flavor from the smoked meat and aromatics, honey. These are the green beans Black folks serve up at all the holidays, at the summer cookout (because the crockpot won't heat up my house!), and any family gatherings all year long. They are so. Freaking. Good.
So this dish? They're the real deal, an authentic southern recipe: tender and buttery, smokey and savory, they're the best green beans I have ever eaten hands down. They only need a handful of ingredients and have so much flavor!
Like so many Black and southern folks, some of my best childhood memories revolve around snapping fresh beans into a big wood bowl with my mama and grandma.
Seeing the green beans I helped prepare for Thanksgiving dinner on the table made me immensely proud as a little girl, so I continue that tradition with my son. Snappin' beans during the Thanksgiving Day Parade is our little ritual and I love it so much, even as he's growing into a teenager (remember when he was a toddler?! Time has gone!)
Jump to:
Authentic Soul Food Green Beans
What makes these traditional green beans so soulful is just how much flavor and love is in them. Much like a good pot of collard greens, they're nourishing and savory, meant to be a complete meal during hard times, served with cornbread or spoon bread cooked in bacon grease.
They're extra delicious from simmering fresh green beans in that seasoned chicken broth and soaking in that good smoky flavor from the ham hocks, which are smoked pig shanks. You can't get more southern than that, baby. That smoky flavor is a must!
The best part of the recipe, in my opinion, is that these are a 'dump and go' recipe. Everything goes into the crockpot, it simmers until the ham hocks are falling apart and the green beans are buttery, tender, and full of flavor. These are the best green beans you'll ever eat!
A lot of folks love adding tender potatoes right in with their green beans; if that’s you, check out my smothered green beans and potatoes version.
And for anyone who prefers crispy bacon instead of ham hock, my stove-top Texas Roadhouse copycat canned green beans with smoked bacon brings that same Southern flavor as the perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh Green Beans - Your local grocery store should keep fresh green beans loose or in large pre-packaged bags in the refrigerated produce section. I've even seen them come pre-snapped in those bags, but they're more expensive.
- Smoked Meat - traditionally, there's two options: smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey necks and wings. These were often 'undesired' parts of the animal in the mainstream food world until pretty recently, but they're traditional in southern cooking.
- Yellow Onion - dice 'em small so they basically melt in your broth as they give up their flavor.
- Garlic Powder - garlic cloves taste differently when boiled or cooked in liquid than when it's hit with heat or cooked in oil. Garlic powder is already cooked before being powdered, and has that savory flavor we want from garlic.
- Chicken Broth
- Red Wine Vinegar - this gives us a little brightness, some acidity to cut through the rich taste of the smoked meat.
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
Ingredient Swaps
- No fresh green beans? If frozen green beans is all you’ve got, just cut their cooking time way down. Add them in during the last hour or so, once the ham hocks are tender and the broth is flavor-soaked. That way they’ll still pick up the flavor without turning mushy.
- No red wine vinegar? Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar instead. The acidity really brightens up that rich broth.
- No red pepper flakes? Use your favorite hot sauce instead!
- No ham hocks? Other delicious smoked meats work perfectly. Try smoked turkey wings or smoked pork sausage. Andouille would be a great substitute.
My Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans Recipe
Step 1
Everybody into the pool.
Dump everything into your lined slow cooker and give it a stir. Yep, that's all!
Step 2
Be patient...
Now braise for 6-8 hours on low or 8-ish hours on low. Yes, honey, this is a long haul situation.
Step 3
The secret to knowing it's done.
Your green beans are perfectly cooked when they're tender and flavorful (not mushy!) and the ham hocks are fork-tender.
So check in around hour 5 and try to shred a piece of ham hock away; if it pulls off the bone easily, it's ready!
Equipment I Used
The slow cooker liners make clean up nonexistent, I love them!
Chef's Tips for the Best Side Dish
- Snap your green beans instead of cutting them - Bending the stems and snapping them in half lets you assess their freshness and quality. It's not just a lovely tradition but ensures each bean is firm, bright green, and critter-free, guaranteeing the most tender green beans for your meal.
- Keep that pot likker! Don’t pour it out, that’s liquid gold. Spoon some over rice or cornbread, or even use it as the base for another pot of greens or beans later in the week.
- Don't eat pork? Smoked turkey necks and turkey bacon have been a widely used pork substitute for collard greens and green beans. They still give a delicious smoky, meaty flavor and are a big part of southern cooking.
- Don't use canned beans. They will end up overcooking before the ham hocks can get tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
They probably cooked a little too long or got boiled instead of gently simmered. You want a slow bubble, not a rolling boil, which is why I love doing this in the slow cooker. They should be soft and flavorful, not falling apart, so check on your beans around the 5 hour mark.
That’s a popular variation! A lot of folks love the combo of tender green beans and creamy baby gold or red potatoes. My smothered green beans and potatoes recipe is exactly that girl!
Up to 4–5 days in the fridge, tightly covered. The beans soak up more flavor as they sit, so honestly, they’re even better after a night in the fridge. They're the perfect side dish to make ahead!
Ham hock is the shank or ankle of a pig that has been smoked. You can also find it called 'pork knuckle' in certain regions.
Ham hocks have a distinctive meaty flavor and are tough with tons of fat, connective tissue, and (more often than not) have the skin still wrapped around the meat of it tightly.
You can find ham hocks at many local big box supermarkets, but you can also find them at butcher shops and ethnic markets for dirt cheap!
How to Store & Reheat
- Cool completely before storing so they don’t get soggy. Keep the beans and meat with their pot likker in an airtight container up to 5 days. They taste even better the next day.
- For longer storage, freeze the leftover green beans. Add about 2-4 servings each into gallon sized, freezer-safe, zip-top bags. Freeze them as flat as you can, this helps them thaw faster.
- Thaw your beans in the fridge overnight and reheat them on the stove top in a saucepan or in the slow cooker until heated through.
- Reheat low and slow on the stove with a splash of broth, or use the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. The flavors only get richer after reheating.
What to Serve with this Side Dish
- During the Holiday Season - we serve these southern style green beans with classic holiday faire: a roast turkey, sweet potato casserole, creamy mashed potatoes, buttery dinner rolls, and sparkling apple cider sangria.
- With Soul Food - imagine these savory beans on a plate piled high with cornbread, creamy mac and cheese, buttermilk fried chicken, and a side plate of peach cobbler with a glass of lemonade. Heaven on earth!
- At a Cookout - they're a perfect side in the summer along with grilled corn, smoked brisket sandwiches, saucy baked beans, and refreshing watermelon agua fresca.
- For a cozy Sunday Dinner - there's nothing like a cozy pot roast on your fork with tender green beans. Add fresh homemade bread, a yummy salad, and a delicious glass of pumpkin cider!
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Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ yellow onion, small diced
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or hot sauce, to taste
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse, dry, and snap the ends off your fresh green beans, discarding any green beans that are limp, brown, or otherwise not fresh.2 lbs fresh green beans
- Toss in the ham hocks, chicken stock, snapped green beans, garlic powder, onion, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and red vinegar. Stir well. Set your slow cooker to LOW (8+ hours) or HIGH (6-8 hours).2 smoked ham hocks, 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 2 teaspoon granulated garlic, ¼ yellow onion, ½ tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Secure the top of the slow cooker and let the green beans cook until the ham hocks are fork tender and can fall apart. Check around 4-5 hours if cooking on HIGH for their tenderness.
- After the time is done, serve hot. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Make Green Beans Ahead
Preparing your green beans before a big feast like Thanksgiving is a breeze. These green beans stay in your fridge for up to 5 days when stored correctly in an airtight container inside your fridge (not the door). Keep the beans and meat in the potlikker when storing, it keeps them from drying out. To reheat for serving, you can nuke it in the microwave for a few minutes until everything is heated through. You can also put all of it into a large saucepan or small Dutch oven and heat over medium-low until hot.Pro Tips
- Use fresh green beans - do not use frozen green beans or canned green beans. Canned green beans are soft already and frozen green beans' texture is compromised from being frozen. Fresh is best!
- Can't find ham hock? Salt pork or smoked turkey wings work, too!
- Don't eat pork? - Smoked turkey necks and turkey bacon have been a widely used pork substitute for collard greens and green beans. They still give a delicious smoky, meaty flavor and are a big part of southern cooking.
- Snap your green beans instead of cutting them - Bending the stems and snapping them in half lets you assess their freshness and quality. It's not just a lovely tradition but ensures each bean is firm, bright green, and critter-free, guaranteeing the most tender green beans for your meal.
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