These easy Instant Pot Southern Green Beans are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas because they do not take up space on the stove or in the oven. They are steamed in chicken broth and sautéed in bacon grease for extra flavor.
These Instant Pot green beans are my favorite basic green bean side, but this Fresh Green Bean Casserole is great if you want something a little more involved.
If you are looking for more holiday side dishes, try my Brown Sugar Honey Carrots Recipe, Creamy Homemade Mac and Cheese Sauce, or The Best Balsamic Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot Instant Pot side dish
- Not mushy (al dente)
- Loaded with flavor from the garlic, onions, and bacon
- Only 6 ingredients including salt
- Perfect to pair with any protein
- Great holiday side dish
- Ready in less than 15 minutes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken Broth: Swap for water.
- White Onion: Substitute sweet or yellow onion.
- Salt: I like a lot of salt so I add 1/2 of a teaspoon, but some find the bacon adds enough salt to the green beans and prefer less.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How To Make Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
Quick Overview
- Steam.
- Sauté bacon, onions, and garlic.
- Add green beans to bacon.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Place the steamer basket or rack/trivet into the Instant Pot. Add the green beans on top of it and pour in the chicken broth.
Step 2: Select Pressure Cook (manual) and High Pressure. Set to 0 minutes (or longer see notes). Once the pot has come to pressure and shuts off, quick release (valve switched to venting) immediately and remove the lid.
TIP – Use a rack or basket so the green beans do not get soggy.
Step 3: Remove the green beans and set aside. Select Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to brown, stirring frequently. Once it begins to brown, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
Step 4: Using a spoon, remove about 2-3 Tablespoons of the bacon grease. This will be almost all of it.
TIP – Keep an eye on the bacon and onion. It will cook quickly.
Step 5: Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Turn the pot off completely.
Step 6: While the pot is still warm, add the green beans in and toss well.
TIP – If the pot is too cold, turn on Sauté mode again to warm the green beans more.
Expert Tips
- If you double this recipe, you do not need to double the chicken broth. The broth will still create enough steam to bring the pot to pressure and steam the green beans.
- Use kitchen shears to cut the bacon. I love using my shears to dice the bacon. It is so much easier and faster than using a knife and cutting board.
- Use fresh garlic. I do not recommend using jarred minced garlic. It does not have nearly as much flavor.
- If you prefer your green beans softer, set the timer to 1-2 minutes. I prefer mine al dente so I set it to 0.
- Release the pressure from the pot immediately. If you let the pot naturally release or leave the lid on after the timer has gone off, the green beans will over cook.
- Don’t forget to remove some of the grease. After the onions and bacon have cooked, you want to remove most of the grease from the pot. The small remainder will be plenty to coat the green beans. You want the flavor from the bacon grease but you do not want the green beans to be oily.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. I like my green beans al dente so I cook on high for 0 minutes which means the pot comes to pressure and immediately turns off. This is enough time to cook the green beans. They can easily over cook so I do not recommend more than 1 minute.
They take about 5 minutes because the pot has to come to pressure first. Cook on manual high pressure for 0-1 minutes. Quick release (valve switched to venting) immediately and remove the lid.
More Side Dish Recipes
Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 ounces green beans trimmed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4-5 pieces bacon diced
- 1/2 cup diced white onion*
- 4-5 cloves garlic grated or minced finely
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
Instructions
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- Place the steamer basket or rack/trivet into the Instant Pot. Add the green beans on top of it and pour in the chicken broth.
- Select Pressure Cook (manual) and High Pressure. Set to 0 minutes (or longer see notes). Once the pot has come to pressure and shuts off, quick release (valve switched to venting) immediately and remove the lid.
- Remove the green beans and set aside. Select Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Add the bacon and cook until it begins to brown, stirring frequently. Once it begins to brown, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
- Using a spoon, remove about 2-3 Tablespoons of the bacon grease. This will be almost all of it.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Turn the pot off completely.
- While the pot is still warm, add the green beans in and toss well.
I love these beans. I’m a huge green bean fan and these do not disappoint. The flavors of the onions and broth and bacon bring out the tasty goodness of beans.
I am always looking for new and delicious side dishes to make, and this is a new favourite! The beans are so tasty and the addition of bacon is perfect.
These Instant Pot southern green beans look absolutely amazing! Love how quick and easy they are to make, yet packed with that classic southern flavor. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try! Thanks for sharing!
Loved the combo of the green beans with chicken broth and bacon grease. Such a great idea and they turned out super flavorful.
These green beans are perfectly cooked and just like my grandma made them, only she used the old-fashioned pressure cooker. Will give these beans a try in the IP.
These are great whether for an easy dinner side or the holidays!
I love green beans… and green beans in the Instant Pot? Winner! Definitely fixing these ASAP!