My Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes are a southern comfort food. Bursting with bacon flavor, this easy side dish cooks up right in your pressure cooker in no time at all.
Summarize & Save This Recipe
When I was growing up, one of my grandmother’s staple sides to go with just about any southern food dinner was green beans and potatoes. I took her recipe and brought it to the Instant Pot.
Why My Recipe
- Fast comfort: Classic “all-day” flavor in under 30 minutes.
- One-pot easy: Sauté, pressure cook, and serve right from the pot.
- Smoky + savory: Bacon drippings season the broth and veggies perfectly.
- Great texture: Creamy potatoes with crisp-tender beans—no mush.
- Year-round staple: Fresh beans in summer, still fantastic in colder months.
- Crowd-pleaser: Pairs with everything from grilled chicken to pot roast.
David
I love that when I make these green beans and potatoes in the Instant Pot it really brings a deeper flavor. The pressure cooking allows the potatoes to soak up more of the broth and seasonings which gives them a deeper flavor when you bite into the tender potatoes.
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Ingredient Notes
- Bacon (cut small): Renders fat for sautéing and adds smoky depth; crisp the pieces first, then use the drippings to flavor everything else. Save some crumbles for finishing.
- Chicken stock: Deglazes the pot and becomes a light, savory cooking liquid that steams potatoes and beans to perfection. Low-sodium keeps you in control.
- Red potatoes (quartered): Hold their shape and turn creamy inside. Cut similar sizes for even cooking; leave skins on for color and texture.
- Fresh green beans (trimmed): Stand up to pressure cooking without going limp. Trim just the ends and keep longer pieces for that classic look.
- Parsley (dried): Gentle, herby finish that brightens the pot. Swap in fresh parsley at the end if you have it.
If you never had southern style green beans, allow me to share a little secret with you. Southern style green beans are never crunchy. If you hand a southern a crunchy green bean they will look at you like you have two heads. Southern style green beans are always soft and tender but not mushy.
Fresh vs Frozen Green Beans
Fresh green beans win on snap and flavor. They keep a crisp-tender bite in the Instant Pot, and the skins stay glossy instead of puckered. Look for beans that are bright green, smooth, and squeak a little when you rub them, those are young and sweet. Fresh beans can handle the full pressure time in your recipe without turning mushy, so they’re my pick when the side dish is the star.
Frozen green beans are your weeknight backup singer, and they do the job. They’re blanched before freezing, so they cook faster and release a bit more water. You don’t need to thaw them first; just break up any clumps and toss them in. Reduce the pressure time by about 1 minute to protect the texture, and expect a slightly softer bite than fresh.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Reheat
- Fridge: Airtight container up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of stock or water.
- Freeze: Potatoes can change texture after freezing; best enjoyed fresh or from the fridge.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Here are some more fabulous Instant Pot recipes that I feel you love making, and add to your recipe rolodex!
- Instant Pot Lime Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup
- Instant Pot Sous Vide Parmesan Potatoes Hack
- Easy Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts
- Instant Pot Peach Iced Tea
- The Easiest Instant Pot Hummus to Make
- The Easiest Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 pounds red potatoes quartered
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans ends removed
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Saute and place bacon inside. Cook bacon until crisp, then remove bacon from Instant Pot leaving grease in the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off Instant Pot and add chicken stock. Using a spatula, deglaze pot by scraping off stuck-on bacon pieces from bottom of pot.
- Add potatoes and green beans. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and coat ingredients with stock and bacon grease.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and seal vent. Set pot to pressure cook for 6 minutes.
- When cooking time is up, do a quick release and remove lid. Add bacon and stir to combine.
Notes
David's Cooking Tips
- You can swap out ham shanks, or diced ham, or ham hocks if you like, though that will change the flavor slightly.
- Don’t like chunks of meat in your green beans? Use one teaspoon of bacon grease to give the meat flavor without having pieces of meat.
- If you want more of a smoky flavor with this recipe, add a teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes?
Can I use a Different Meat Instead of Bacon?
Absolutely, you can! Ham, Ham hocks, smoked turkey wings or neck bones, all make a great addition to these green beans and potatoes instead of bacon…if you want to use something different. I’ve even used smoked sausage or andouille sausage instead of bacon when I really wanted to change the flavors up a bit.
My family loves these green potatoes and potatoes no matter which protein choice I used; however, we are bacon people, so I try to stick with that.
What kind of potatoes can I use?
Well in this case any type of potato will work in this recipe. There are some differences in potatoes for texture and taste for me, I really prefer the creamy texture of red potatoes. Here are some other potato suggestions that will work well in this recipe.
- Yukon Gold
- New
- Fingerlings
- Russet
