Country Green Beans, Potatoes and Ham in the Instant Pot
Country-style green beans in the pressure cooker with potatoes and smoky ham. Slow cooked flavor in under an hour in the Instant Pot. These tender green beans, potatoes and ham in a wickedly delicious broth are to die for good and perfect for Sunday supper.
Boy, did August get away from me and the blog, but I'm back! No excuses, just busy and enjoying those dog days of summer. I started working the season at a local farm, just behind my neighborhood. They are known for their tomatoes, but they also have a peach orchard, blackberries and right now, the apple orchard is open and busy.
The stand is stocked with our fruits and vegetables as well as other locally grown produce. I have been inspired by the farm fresh produce and all the customers who share their favorite cooking tips and canning recipes. This recipe for Country Green Beans, Potatoes and Ham in the Instant Pot was inspired from working the farm stand this summer.
I started overhearing customers talking about making a pot of green beans and potatoes and asked how they were making it. All the answers included green beans, potatoes and ham, in the crockpot or simmered for a long time on the stovetop.
I heard the owner of the farm I work at makes a mean rendition of country-style green beans. Tom explained to me how he makes them, in very precise detail. I took his advice and then proceeded to make country-style green beans in my pressure cooker.
It took several tries to get these green beans just right, each time I played around a little with the seasonings and timing. Each batch was delicious and was gobbled up, especially by Meathead. I'm still learning how to pressure cook ~ researching and adjusting ~ biggest learning curve for me is the whole timing thing. But I'm getting the hang of it.
I used fresh, seasonal green beans and red potatoes from the farm, and chicken stock and seasonings. And the most important part? The ham!! I use ham shanks to flavor the broth (or pot liquor) and green beans. They have a nice smoky flavor and there is just enough meat to cut off the bone when done cooking.
That said, you could also use a ham hock (smokier and more fatty, less meat) or a meaty ham bone or piece of ham. A lot of southern-style green bean recipes use bacon, which I'm sure is delicious, but I really like ham in this dish, both for flavor and the meaty pieces.
I have been making these country-style green beans almost weekly for the past month, usually for Sunday supper. No complaints from Meathead, in fact he's starting to expect a big bowl of country green beans every weekend, with cornbread to soak up all the 'pot likker'. It's pretty easy to make him happy with this one, it's a keeper ~ Kelly🍴🐦
Oh, speaking of being inspired by working the farm stand, you might like this Blackberry Peach Cobbler or Blackberry Crisp I made from the fruit I picked, or my Fire Roasted Salsa I made from the best tomatoes in the Midwest!
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Country Green Beans, Potatoes and Ham in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 small, meaty ham shank pieces
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1¼ - 1½ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
- 8 small red or yellow new potatoes, peeled, cut in halves or quarters (or 3 medium/large potatoes, peeled, cut into small chunks)
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
Instructions
- Place chicken stock in pressure cooker and add seasonings, stir to combine. Place ham shanks in seasoned broth, seal pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully open pressure cooker. Add the chopped onion and then scatter half the potatoes over mixture, followed by half the green beans. Place half the pat of butter on top. Add remaining potatoes, followed by remaining green beans and pat of butter on top. Seal and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Release pressure manually and carefully open pressure cooker. Spoon green beans and potatoes into serving bowl while removing ham shank pieces/bones to cutting board. Cut/shred meat off the ham bones and add to green beans and potatoes. Spoon or pour cooking broth over green beans and potatoes and serve. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- I like to use ham shanks in this recipe. Use 3 small, meaty pieces. You could also use a ham hock or piece of ham.
- I like adding just a smidge of liquid smoke for added flavor but you can certainly omit it.
- And lastly, you can play around with the amounts of green beans and potatoes, just don't overfill the pressure cooker.
Could I use an uncooked fresh ham for this recipe?
I'm not familiar with uncooked fresh hams so I'm not sure.
We made this tonight and loved it!!!! One of my new favorite instant pot recipes.
Yay!! My husband asks me to make this all the time!
Our go-to recipe for ham, potatoes & string beans.
Glad you like it, we love it, too!
Best batch of Green beans I have ever made. I used the crockpot instead. Washed and cooked the Smoked ham hocks for one hour first before putting in the onions, potatoes and fresh green beans. Used Lawry’s seasoned salt and some crushed pepper. I love it.
Yay!! It's so good, love you adapted it to a slow cooker!
Could I use a ham steak ? With bone and just cube it ???
Could I use home grown green beans that have been blanched and frozen? Or would they be too mushy? Hubby likes them pretty soft. They were blanched for probably 2 minutes.
I think you can, especially if you like them on the ofter side. Home grown will be great !! Go for it!
1 Of our adopted kids gave me a bowl at his house. Loved it. He just gave me a double bowls worth with onions. Hell yes. I asked for this recipe and; Here we are. Yummers
It's good stuff!! Yummers, indeed!
COuld i use frozen green beans?
This was excellent the only different item I did was cooked my green beans separate on the oven used canned string beans, sprinkled all seasons Italian dressing and butter on them and baked for 15 minutes at 350. I did not have a bone just left over ham and just cut in up and added with cut up potatoes with the listed seasonings and did not use the liquid smoke. Overall it was so so good and easy easy.
I'm still new to the Instant Pot craze, since my kids gifted me at Christmas with my very own red beauty. I love ham and green beans and potatoes, so I thought I'd give your recipe a try.
WOW!! You've made me a believer! The broth was delicious and the fresh green beans were
perfectly cooked and not mushy. I will double the broth next time, as we didn't have as much as we would've liked. Thanks for sharing this recipe and the tips and techniques you included as well.
I'm so glad you tried it and liked it. What a great way to break in the Instant Pot. Thanks so much for letting me know how it went. It's my husband's favorite and I'm making it this weekend.
Made this tonight, it was delicious. My husband asked if I saved the recipe, so I can make again. Next time I think I'll double it, everyone was getting seconds.
It's my husband's favorite, he loves it and asks for it all the time.
How would I adjust for fully cooked ham?
I would just follow recipe as written, ham is usually already cooked. It flavors the broth.
can I use canned green beans? do I adjust the cooking time?
I don’t think so, not in the pressure cooker, they’ll be way too mushy.
@Kelly, My Mom used to make this regularly. Its a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe and she always used canned or frozen green beans. They were a little over cooked by still great.
We love this recipe with cornbread for dinner, thanks for sharing your memories!
made this while camping it was great on a cold rainy night diffently a do again
I bet it was good on a cold night, glad you liked it!
I live in NE Pennsylvania and this is a very common dish. The first time I had it when I moved here I thought it was just awful. Canned beans and canned potatoes with a little ham cooked in water. I saw the possibilities though. I especially like the red pepper flakes, really gives it some umph. FYI because I keep forgetting to adjust quantities for my mini instant pot I didn't have enough room. So I pulled my one large ham shank out at the end of the first cycle, pulled the meat off and put it in n the bottom of the pot and then layered the veggies on top. Worked perfectly. Also, used boxed chicken bone broth which isn't as good as homemade but more flavorful than just boxed stock. Will be making again thanks!
Thanks for letting me know how this worked for you! I use store bought-chicken broth whenever I'm out of homemade and it's perfectly fine. I'm so glad you liked it. And I agree, it's so much better than the canned green bean versions.