Southern Style Instant Pot Fresh Green Beans
Cooking fresh green beans in the Instant Pot is a great way to enjoy a flavorful side dish in less time.
If you’re a fan of southern style green beans, you’re going to love these Instant Pot fresh green beans!
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Southern style green beans are one of my favorite side dishes.
When they’re cooked low and slow, they become soft and tender, taking on the flavor of everything they’re cooked with, such as onions, salt, pepper, and sometimes even ham or bacon!
Truth be told, for the longest time, I very rarely cooked southern style green beans, because it took a lot of time. I had to remember to put them in the slow cooker so they could simmer all day, and I just didn’t always remember!
But then I learned how to make southern style green beans in the pressure cooker, using frozen green beans, and I was sold.
Then I also started cooking canned green beans in the Instant Pot, doctoring them up so they don’t taste like they’re from a can. I’ve also made Instant Pot green beans and potatoes.
Can you tell I have a love for Instant Pot green bean recipes? 🙂
But many readers have asked me about how to cook Instant Pot fresh green beans, which is how this recipe was born!
These delicious green beans are just like what you’d get at your favorite BBQ restaurant!
They make an easy pressure cooker Thanksgiving side dish or Easter side dish, and they also pair beautifully with copycat Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings or a helping of creamy chicken and rice!
If you want your fresh green beans to be crisp instead of quite soft, check out my recipe for Instant Pot steamed green beans!
Pressure Cooker Fresh Green Beans
I grew up sitting on a front porch snapping green beans in the summer.
If you’re like me, you probably remember doing the same, with a bowl on your lap, snapping off the pointy ends and snapping the long beans in half.
I love to take the time to do these sort of mindless activities–it’s a way to force myself to slow down and enjoy the small things in life.
So grab some fresh green beans from the farmer’s market, your own garden, or the grocery store and enjoy the simple pleasures in life!
These make a great side dish for comfort foods like pinto beans and cornbread or creamy chicken and rice!
How to Pressure Cook Fresh Green Beans in the Instant Pot
It’s really easy to cook fresh green beans in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Fresh green beans
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Butter (optional)
- Ham or bacon (optional)
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
It’s actually really easy to make Instant Pot green beans, even with no steamer basket!
Snap and trim green beans. First you’ll trim/snap the green beans and add them to the insert pot of your pressure cooker.
Add in the seasonings. Next, you’ll add in the onion, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and if desired, a pat of butter and a piece or two of bacon or ham.
Pressure cook. Close the lid and seal the vent. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Afterward, you can either allow a natural release or perform a quick release.
How Long to Pressure Cook Green Beans
How long you pressure cook the green beans really depends on the texture you prefer and what type of beans you’re using.
When I cook frozen green beans in the Instant Pot, I use a slightly longer cook time of 25 minutes. For these fresh green beans, I found 20 minutes to be perfect.
Technically, green beans actually require a much shorter cook time in order to be considered “cooked.”
But since I like the soft and stewed texture of southern style green beans, I cook them longer to get them nice and soft.
Notes and Adaptations:
- This recipe makes about 4 servings. You can easily double or triple the recipe if you’re serving a crowd–just be sure to not exceed the maximum fill line on your model.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste. You can add garlic, more salt and pepper, seasoned salt, garlic pepper, etc.
More Instant Pot Side Dishes:
- Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Instant Pot Acorn Squash
- Delicious Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Au Gratin Potatoes
- Classic Instant Pot Macaroni Salad
- Quick & Easy Instant Pot Potato Salad
Recommended Equipment:
Instant Pot Fresh Green Beans
These southern-style green beans are cooked from fresh in the Instant Pot, so they taste like they've simmered all day!
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed or snapped
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp butter (optional)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- Ham or bacon pieces (optional)
Instructions
- In the insert pot of the Instant Pot, add fresh green beans and onions. Pour in the broth and sprinkle in salt and pepper. Add butter and ham or bacon, if using. Stir to combine.
- Close lid and set the valve to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 20 minutes at high pressure.
- After the cook time is complete, you can perform a quick release of pressure or a natural release.
- Adjust seasonings if needed and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to double this recipe if you need to serve more people.
- Adding in bacon of ham is a great option, if you have some on hand.
- This cook time allows the green beans to get nice and soft, just like they had cooked for hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 537mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Be sure to save this recipe to your side dish board on Pinterest
In your recipe, you list prep time, cook time and additional time. What is the 30 minutes additional time?
Hi Enola! The additional time of 30 minutes takes into account the amount of time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure (before it starts the 20 minute cook time), and also for a natural release of pressure, if you opt for that pressure-release method. Hope that helps! 🙂
Do I need to adjust the cooking time if I triple this? Thanks!
Hi Karin Anne! I would leave the cook time the same. Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve got a batch of green beans that are big and tough because I left them on the plant too long. Do you think this cook time will soften them up, or should I add a few minutes?
That’s a good question, Kristina! I would probably start with this cook time, then test them. If they’re still tough, you can always cook them for a couple more minutes. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Thank you, Chrysti!
Do you use cooked or uncooked bacon?
Hi JH–you can use either! I’ve done it both ways, depending on what I have on hand.