I used to be a green bean snob, fresh and barely cooked or nothing at all. Then I stopped at a cafeteria-style BBQ place outside of Houston and saw green beans loaded with bacon and sausage. Keto Southern style green beans are how I recreated that dish at home.
This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.
This is not a copycat of any one restaurant version, it is a recipe I built slowly over time until it tasted right. I make a big batch in the slow cooker, since these green beans hold up well and I end up eating them for more than one meal in the same week.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my Privacy Policy.
Jump-start your keto success! Grab a copy of my 4-week Easy Keto Menu Plan or check out my other cookbooks to help you along.
Join our Facebook group for friendly keto support, and for videos on how to make these recipes, subscribe to my YouTube channel!
Chef Jenn’s Take on Southern Style Green Beans
Canned green beans are the reason a lot of people think they do not like green beans. They cook up dull and soft, and a slow cooker recipe with frozen beans tends to head in the same direction over a long cook time.
I use fresh green beans here for that reason. They hold up through a couple hours in the slow cooker without turning to mush the way frozen ones can. That said, a reader made this on the stovetop with frozen beans from her garden and reported good results, which tracks, since a shorter cook time gives them less chance to break down completely.
The bigger point is that the beans are not really the star here. It is the bacon and smoked sausage cooking down with the tomatoes and stock that gets this close to the dish that hooked me at a cafeteria-style BBQ place outside of Houston. Skip either one and it stops tasting like that.
What You’ll Love About Southern Style Green Beans
- The slow cooker does the work, so this is mostly a dump-and-wait recipe once the beans are trimmed.
- Tastes like something from a Southern BBQ counter, bacon, sausage, and beans cooked down together, not a plain vegetable side.
- Makes a big batch, so I’m usually eating this for more than one meal through the week.
Ingredients
- Green beans – Fresh, not frozen. Fresh beans hold their texture better through the long cook time.
- Bacon – Regular sliced bacon, chopped. Thick-cut works too if that’s what’s on hand.
- Smoked sausage – Fully cooked, sliced. Any smoked sausage you’d use in a gumbo or jambalaya works here.
- Diced tomatoes – Canned, with the juice. No sugar added varieties keep this cleaner.
- Onion – Sliced. Yellow or white both work.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves, smashed. Skip the jarred kind for this one.
- Chicken stock – Low sodium or no salt added, so you control the seasoning yourself.
How to Make Southern Style Green Beans
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Rinse the green beans and trim the woody stem end from each one. This is the most time-consuming part, the rest is mostly hands-off. Add the trimmed beans to the slow cooker along with the diced tomatoes and their juice, sliced onion, smashed garlic, chopped bacon, and sliced smoked sausage.
Pour in the chicken stock and give everything a good stir so the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and cook on high for about 2.5 hours, stirring once or twice partway through so the flavors combine evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste once the beans are tender, then serve.
Make It A Meal
I serve this alongside Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin more often than almost anything else, since anything off the grill works well with these beans. For a heartier plate, King Ranch Casserole rounds things out nicely.
If you want something with a little more kick on the same table, Al Pastor Carnitas brings a different flavor direction that still works well with a Southern-style side.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. This freezes well for up to 3 months, packaged with the cooking liquid. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, and expect a slight texture change after freezing, which is normal for a vegetable dish.
Frequently ASked Questions
This recipe runs about 6 net carbs per 3/4 cup serving. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Fresh beans hold their texture best over the long slow cooker time this recipe uses. That said, one reader has had good results using frozen green beans cooked on the stovetop instead, where the shorter cook time seems to help.
Yes, smoked pork chops or a smoked ham hock both work in place of the bacon and sausage if that’s what you have on hand.
Not as written, but a chopped jalapeno stirred in with the other ingredients is an easy way to add heat if you want it.
Add Preferred SourceSouthern Style Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans washed and trimmed
- 1 cup diced tomatoes and juice
- 1/2 cup onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 slices bacon chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 links cooked smoked sausage sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 cup chicken stock use no salt or low salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim and rinse the beans. Put them into the crockpot/slow cooker.
- Add 1 cup diced tomatoes along with the juice, 1 cup of sliced onion (about one medium onion), 2 cloves of smashed garlic, 4 slices of roughly chopped bacon, 2 links of smoked sausage chopped into 1/4-inch slices, and one cup of chicken stock.
- Give it a good stir, put the lid on it and set it to high. Cook on high for 2.5 hours, then enjoy! Stir once or twice during cooking to combine the flavors.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Use fresh green beans, not frozen, if you’re cooking the full 2.5 hours in the slow cooker. Frozen beans are more likely to break down over that long a cook time.
- Trim the stem end only. Leaving the beans whole otherwise keeps them from turning stringy or falling apart during the long cook.
- Taste and season at the end, not the start. The bacon and sausage both add salt as they cook, so it’s easy to over-season early.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
I love green beans, and these look fantastic! The sausage look really nice.
These are my daughter’s absolute favorite! The only way I can get her to eat green beans, lol.
My kids gobble them up, too!
I love the addition of sausage to make these greens extra flavour! Thanks for sharing such a versatile and family friendly recipe!
Yes! A good smoked sausage really amps up the flavor. Happy eating!
There’s nothing like a delicious Souther Green Bean recipe! This looks so amazing and that smoked sausage is everything!
I love the bacon and sausage in these. They make the classic dish even more yummy. 🙂
Decided to make this last minute tonight so cooked on my stovetop in a stainless steel frypan. Used my frozen beans from last years garden and it was delicious. Definitely another keeper, thanks Jenn!
Oh! I’ll have to try that! A great alternative to when I’m short on time! Yay! Thanks!
I like to use smoked neck bones for this. Usually I omit the tomatoes. I grew up with a Southern Mama that never cooked a vegetable without pork, even if it was just a spoon of bacon drippings. I am getting ready to make my New Year’s collards, using basically the same recipe. I will sprinkle hot vinegar on them. Yummy!
Sounds delicious! Smoked neck bones are great but aren’t available as widely as hocks. Love the idea of hot vinegar! Enjoy! ~Jenn