These fresh and tender crock pot green beans cooked Southern style are loaded with so much flavor, they take veggies to a whole new level!
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Growing up in an Italian family, Southern cuisine was something I knew little about until I moved to the South when I was an adult.
I fell in love with all the amazingly rich and diverse flavors of Southern cooking. And these crock pot green beans are at the top of my list of favorite Southern style veggies.
This recipe starts with smoked ham hocks which lends AH-MAZING flavor to the beans. If you've never heard of or tried ham hock, boy you've been missing out.
Readily available at most grocery stores, smoked ham hock, or knuckle as it is sometimes called, cooks until the meat falls off the bone, then it's shredded and added back to the green beans.
The great thing about serving green beans on Keto is everyone loves them, even the kids!
If you're family loves them as much as mine, these Green Beans Almondine and Bacon Wrapped Green Beans recipes are also sure to be a hit!
What's in Southern Green Beans
- Fresh green beans
- Smoked ham hocks
- Chicken broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Bacon grease
- Ground pepper
- Salt
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Keto Green Beans
Wash your green beans and trim the ends off.
Spray the insert of your slow cooker with nonstick spray, then add in all the ingredients except the green beans and ham hocks.
Stir until well combined, then add in the ham hocks.
Add in the green beans over the top.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Taste them to see if they need salt and if so, add some in.
Remove the ham hocks, pull off any meat and stir them back into the slow cooker, then discard the rest.
Are Green Beans Keto? Are Green Beans Carb Heavy?
While you've heard it said that beans on Keto are a no-no, green beans are an exception. They contain much fewer carbs than most beans, like pinto or white northern beans.
In fact, a whole cup of green beans has approximately 10 grams of carbs. Because there are 4 grams of fiber, that takes the net carbs down to only 6 net grams of carbs.
Tips and Variations for the Best Slow Cooker Green Beans
- Types of ham: While smoked ham hock is perfect with Keto green beans, you can also use country style ham or even leftover smoked ham from the holidays. You can also use crispy cooked bacon crumbled up and mixed in with the beans.
- Frozen green beans: If fresh green beans are not available at the market, you can certainly use frozen. The cooking time will be about the same and you don't have to adjust any other the other ingredients.
- Making them stove top: Don't have a crock pot? No worries. You can make this Keto green bean recipe in a Dutch oven, stove top. Keep an eye on them as they cook and add more chicken broth as needed. They will cook quicker stove top so watch for them to cook just until tender.
- Freezing leftovers: If you have leftovers, you can freeze them for up to a couple of months. To make sure they don't break up too much, you'll want to freeze them in the liquid they are cooked in. The liquid will surround the beans and protect them.
- Substitute for chicken broth: If you don't have homemade chicken broth, you can use any of your favorite store-bought chicken broth or stock. I always keep on hand this Kettle and Fire Chicken Bone Broth. It's flavor is the closest to homemade I've found.
Can I Make Southern Green Beans in Advance?
That is the beauty of slow cooker green beans. You can put them in the crock pot and allow them to cook slowly while you're cooking other things.
If you need them a day or two in advance, just cook them and then allow them to cool and put them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve, or up to a couple of days.
What Can I Serve with Keto Slow Cooker Green Beans?
I think the better question would be what CAN'T you serve with these juicy green beans? They are such a versatile side dish, they will go perfectly with most any low carb entrée. Here are just a few of my favorites I hope will give you some inspiration:
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- Instant Roasted Chicken
- Keto Blackened Salmon
More Keto Side Dishes
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts
- Creamed Spinach
- Grilled Broccolini
- Green Beans Almondine
- Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
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Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans
- 2 small smoked ham hocks, about 1 pound total
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- salt to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Wash your green beans and trim the ends off.
- Spray the insert of your slow cooker with nonstick spray, then add in all the ingredients except the green beans and ham hocks.
- Stir until well combined, then add in the green beans and ham hocks.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Taste them to see if they need salt and if so, add some in. Remove the ham hocks, pull off any meat and stir them back into the slow cooker, then discard the rest.
Recipe Notes
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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Renee
Put this in the crockpot last night for Thanksgiving today. It turned out so good, this will be my goto from now on for green beans. Thank you so much I’ve been hunting a recipe like this!
Keto Cooking Christian
They are so easy to cook this way. I am glad they were a hit.
Carrie A
Can't believe how good they turned out, and was SO easy!
Keto Cooking Christian
Wonderful, I'm glad to hear it!
Lynda K
Sure sounds tasty!
Keto Cooking Christian
Thank you. They are really delicious and super easy!