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SLOW COOKER SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS

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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.

closeup of green beans with chunks of ham and onion

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.

overhead view of green beans in white bowl with chunks of ham and onion

The great thing about serving green beans on Keto is everyone loves them, even the kids!

WHAT’S IN SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS

  • Fresh green beans
  • Smoked ham hocks
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • 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 , then add in all the ingredients except the green beans and ham hocks.

chicken broth and chopped onion in cropckpot

ham hocks, chicken broth and chopped onion in crockpot

fresh green beans in crockpot

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. 

cooked green beans and ham hocks in crockpot

closeup of cooked green beans and chunks of ham

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.

green beans in collander

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  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 , you can use any of your favorite store-bought chicken broth or stock. I always keep on hand this avor is the closest to homemade I’ve found.
closeup of green beans in white bowl with crockpot in background

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  in the fridge until ready to serve, or up to a couple of days.

overhead view of cooked green beans with chunks of ham in white bowl

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:

overhead view of cooked green beans with chunks of ham in white bowl
Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans Pin