These Instant Pot Green Beans are made with 4 ingredients, including bacon! They're the Southern-style recipe that my family has been making for generations just in a fraction of the time. Serve them as a delicious side dish with many different main courses.
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As much as I like homemade canned green beans, there's nothing like fresh green beans slowly cooked with bacon or ham hock on the stovetop. But sometimes, there's just not enough time in the day to simmer the green beans for 30 minutes to an hour...until now! My Instant Pot Green Beans with bacon take only 10 minutes to prep and then the pressure cooker does the rest of the work for you.
These have become a weekly staple in our house because of how easy they are to make - even my kids know how to make them! Serve with a wedge of cornbread and my easy meatloaf and I'll call it dinner.
Shortcuts
- Cut the beans a day or two in advance. If you like the ends of your beans trimmed, then buy pre-trimmed beans from the store.
- Cook the bacon in advance, just be sure to reserve the drippings for cooking.
Kathleen's Tip: I'm as Southern as they come, but like you, I'm also super busy! By cooking fresh green beans in the Instant Pot, I don't have to sacrifice that slow-cooked flavor and I save time and space to make the rest of dinner.
Ingredients
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Bacon: Infuses every bite with smoky and rich meaty flavor.
- Fresh green beans: The star ingredient of the recipe.
- Chicken broth: Adds richness and helps to cook the beans perfectly.
- Garlic powder: Gives a kiss of garlic to the beans. You can also use garlic salt and omit the salt if you'd like.
- Salt and pepper: Don't forget to season!
How to make Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Stack the bacon slices on top of each other on a cutting board and cut crosswise in to narrow pieces.
- Cook the bacon in the Instant Pot insert pan on the Saute mode for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. I cook mine on the LOW or MEDIUM setting of Saute.
- Meanwhile, wash the green beans and remove any bad spots on the beans.
- Cut or snap off the ends of the beans where they were attached to the plant. Trimming the pointed end off is optional. I choose to leave it on because it's less work and more fiber! Cut the beans into 1- to 2-inch pieces or leave them whole, if you like.
- Drain the bacon drippings from the insert pot or leave 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot, depending on your preference. The bacon will continue to release some fat while cooking. I like to leave in 1 tablespoon and reserve any remaining drippings in the fridge for other uses.
- Add the beans, broth, salt, pepper and garlic powder to the bacon in the pan. Make sure the sealing ring is inserted in the lid. Place the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing (not venting) if your Instant Pot doesn't have it on sealing automatically.
- Pressure Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come up to pressure, cook the 6 minutes, then let it Natural Release 10 minutes.
- Quick release by pushing the pressure valve to venting or on some models pressing the valve down.
- Caution: Be careful and do not get your face close to the release valve. If you have cabinets over your counters, you might want to hold a kitchen towel over the back half of the Instant Pot to divert the steam from hitting the bottom of your cabinets.
Pro Tips
- If you like the texture of your green beans softer, then add 2 to 3 more minutes to the cooking time or let them naturally release the whole time instead of just 10 minutes.
- Leave a tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pressure cooker for extra rich flavor. This will add lots of smokiness to every bite, so I highly recommend it!
- Make sure your bacon is cold for easier cutting. This helps so much with making clean cuts.
- Be careful when releasing the pressure valve on the Instant Pot. You want to lean back and keep your face way from the valve. If you have cabinets over your counters, place a towel over the steam valve to divert it from hitting the bottom of your cabinets.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add sliced onion if you'd like. Another delicious addition. Cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes after you cook the bacon in it's drippings.
- Stir in some spice. Add red chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne for heat.
- Make them on the stovetop. Yes, if you don't have an Instant Pot or prefer making them on the stovetop, I also have a recipe for Fresh Green Beans with Bacon made in a pot on the stovetop.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Green Beans
Where do I even begin? In true Southern fashion, these fresh green beans with bacon and a staple side dish for so many meals. Here are some easy dishes to pair:
Storage
Store any leftover pressure cooker green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
You can also freeze the cooked green beans!
If you want to make them ahead of time, go for it! Just reheat before serving.
FAQ's
I like to cook mine on high pressure for 6 minutes. You can cook them longer for a more tender bite. In total with the pressure release, they take about 25 minutes.
Add the steamer basket to the bottom with water. Cook on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes. Quick release to stop the cooking.
At least 1 cup of liquid, whether it's water or stock.
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Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon
SAVE THIS RECIPE
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon
- 2 pounds fresh green beans
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt (or omit garlic powder and use garlic salt)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Stack the bacon slices on top of each other on a cutting board and cut crosswise in to narrow pieces.
- Cook the bacon in the Instant Pot insert pan on the Saute mode for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. I cook mine on the LOW or MEDIUM setting of Saute.
- Meanwhile, wash the green beans and remove any bad spots on the beans.
- Cut or snap off the ends of the beans where they were attached to the plant. Trimming the pointed end off is optional. I choose to leave it on because it's less work and more fiber! Cut the beans into 1- to 2-inch pieces or leave them whole, if you like.
- Drain the bacon drippings from the insert pot or leave 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot, depending on your preference. The bacon will continue to release some fat while cooking. I like to leave in 1 tablespoon and reserve any remaining drippings in the fridge for other uses.
- Add the beans, broth, salt, pepper and garlic powder to the bacon in the pan. Make sure the sealing ring is inserted in the lid. Place the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to sealing (not venting) if your Instant Pot doesn't have it on sealing automatically.
- Pressure Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come up to pressure, cook the 6 minutes, then let it Natural Release 10 minutes. Quick release by pushing the pressure valve to venting or on some models pressing the valve down. Tip: Be careful and do not get your face close to the release valve. If you have cabinets over your counters, you might want to hold a kitchen towel over the back half of the Instant Pot to divert the steam from hitting the bottom of your cabinets.
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