Originally posted January 13, 2019, updated March 27, 2023

Let’s talk Slow Cooker Country Green Beans with Ham! But, first let me say that I love hosting. And through these years of hosting, I have discovered that the best tip that I can give to people who are about to host a food-centered party is to not overreach with your menu. I’m not going to lie, I have come to learn this the hard way.

In fact, I can recall more than a couple of parties where I had not thoroughly thought out my menu, the time that I had, the oven space that I had, and completely missed the mark. The whole point of a party or get together is to have fun; and it’s never fun when you spend half of the party trying to play catch up and greeting your guests from the kitchen.

So one Thanksgiving, I decided that instead of making a green bean dish for the oven (where I was already short on space), that I would make one in the slow cooker. Through the years, I have tweaked the recipe for this Slow Cooker County Green Beans with Ham recipe and it has become a staple for holidays, parties, and even weeknights.

The best part about about this Slow Cooker Country Green Beans with Ham recipe is that it calls for fresh green beans. I love fresh green beans. You just cannot beat the crunch of fresh green beans. Secondly, these green beans are so incredibly easy to prepare. You’re talking about a few minutes of prep and then all of the magic will be preformed in the slow cooker. Aside from a stir once or twice, this recipe is almost completely hands off which means that you can occupy those hands with a drink and be free to partake in the party.

Ingredients that you will need for the Slow Cooker Country Green Beans with Ham

Fresh Green Beans– if you must substitute, you can replace with (thawed) frozen green beans.

**Ham Hock and/or Ham Steak– I’d recommend using 2 ham hocks or 1 ham hock and 1 ham steak for this recipes depending on your preference. Ham hocks give a delicious, smoky flavor to the beans. However, the ham hocks give off more fat and provide less shredded ham at the end. The ham steak will provide you with more ham at the end without the extra fat, but you need the added flavor of at least one ham hock.

Sweet Onion

Garlic

Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

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Let me show you how to make this Slow Cooker Country Green Beans with Ham 👇🏻

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Begin by washing and trimming 2 Lbs of fresh green beans. Add them to a large slow cooker along with 2 ham hocks (or 1 ham hock and 1 ham steak- see **note above, under ingredients**). Also add 1 diced medium onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Roughly mix everything together and then pour in 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth.

If you opt to use 1 ham hock and 1 ham steak, I’d recommend using around an 8 oz ham steak. To prepare the steak, grill it on a grill pan or in a frying pan and then dice and add to the slow cooker. The ham steak should look like this after you’ve cooked it 👇🏻

Place a lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. If you are able, stir the beans halfway through their cooking time (it is okay if you can’t).

When the beans are cooked, but still crisp-tender, remove the ham hock. Shred any meat from the bone. Return the meat back to the slow cooker and discard the bone. Check the beans for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if necessary. Keep the beans on the “warm” setting until you are ready to serve them.

Enjoy!!

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Looking for other fantastic side dishes? These are worth checking out 👇🏻