Black Folks Southern Green Beans In The Instant Pot
This post may contain affiliate partner links. View our privacy statement HERE.
Ah, the beauty of fresh green beans.
I just love green beans! They’re so beautiful and delicious.
But Black folks Southern green beans are not just another bland green vegetable.
And with Instant Pot, they’re ready in only 2 mins with no compromise to the irresistible Southern soul food flavors!
Instant Pot quick (2-minute) Black folks Southern-style green beans
Whether you’re looking for something quick and easy for dinner tonight or just something healthy and delicious – Instant Pot green beans are the perfect vegetable side dish!
Green beans, in general, are very easy to prepare. Still, they can take longer to cook when it’s traditional Southern soul food with lots of flavors infused into them. But not when you use the Instant Pot cooking method, which is ideal for those of us (working women) who need magical meals in minutes!
Black folks Southern green beans are a dish you’ll look forward to – and not just another bland green vegetable! These Instant Pot green beans are ready in only 2 minutes without compromising the scrumptious soul food flavors!
What are Black folks Southern green beans?
You may know Black folks Southern green beans as a dish that’s cooked long and slow until the green beans are melt-in-your-mouth tender! Often flavored with a ham hock, turkey leg, or lots of bacon.
Black folks Southern green beans are the same soul food flavor-infused green beans that that you know (not the bland ones!). But now Instant Pot quick and easy to make with no compromise to the authentic Southern soul food flavor.
What do you add to green beans for that Black folks Southern flavor?
To make Black folks Southern green beans, it’s all about the flavors! Butter, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper are all you need to make your green beans taste like they stewed in a large pot on the stove at grandma’s house all day!
Now you can make the same Southern soul food green beans recipe as grandma – but quicker with an Instant Pot!
What ingredients do you need to make Black folks Southern-style green beans?
Despite being a nutritious and delicious vegetable, seasoning for green beans may often be ignored in the kitchen if you’re not from the South.
They’re often just boiled and served with butter or salt and pepper.
But there are so many other ways to enjoy them!
This Black folks Southern green beans recipe is a side dish infused with lots of flavoring from chicken stock (substitute vegetable broth to make this recipe vegan and vegetarian).
Also, butter (or vegan butter), scallions, fresh thyme sprigs, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
How do you cook Black folks Southern green beans in the Instant Pot?
The best way to cook Black folks Southern green beans is in the Instant Pot!
But why use an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker to prepare green beans?
Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker with several other functions: slow cooking, pressure cooking, sautéing, and more!
Instant Pot cooks the green beans using an electric heating element, which helps to provide consistent temperatures for cooking with low or high heat.
The shorter cooking times lend to better preservation of vitamins and minerals while intensifying the soulful flavors of the beans. Yum!
It makes things like Southern green beans easy to cook.
Long gone are the days of only slow cooking this iconic southern dish to achieve the comforting, buttery-rich flavors!
What’s more, Instant Pot allows for much healthier eating because it also eliminates any oil to cook and has no preservatives.
Perfect if you’re following a vegan or low-fat diet!
How long do you cook soul food green beans in an Instant Pot?
Southern green beans can be prepared in 2 minutes (Wowza!) – fully cooked and infused with lots of flavor!
Don’t tell grandma, but you won’t even need the heavy pork ingredients or the ham hock’s long cook times. And no more draining the bacon grease!
Does leaving out the bacon ruin the taste?
For this Instant Pot recipe of Black folks Southern-style green beans without the meat, simply use the recipe’s ingredients. You won’t miss the bacon favor – or the clean-up of the bacon drippings!
Could you make this recipe in a crockpot or slow cooker?
This same Southern green beans recipe can be made using a crockpot, slow cooker, or even the Instant Pot slow cook setting.
Of course, you can always dump the ingredients and walk away with the slow cook setting. But the cooking time would be longer than simply pressure cooking in the Instant Pot for 2 minutes.
Important: Don’t forget to add ½ a cup of water, broth, or stock to the Instant Pot for any cooking variation.
What type of green beans do you use?
Will this recipe work with frozen green beans instead of fresh?
Yes, this Black folks Southern green bean recipe will work with fresh or frozen green beans in the Instant Pot.
Though fresh is often best, frozen ones are a great option if that’s what you have on hand.
Instant Pot can cook green beans in the same amount of time from the frozen state. In addition, it does not require pre-soaking or any other preparation besides putting them into the pot!
I’ve cooked with all types of string beans, and this recipe is still the same!
Can you make it with canned green beans?
Yes, canned green beans will work the same for this recipe, too!
How many green beans do you use in this recipe?
This recipe calls for 1 pound of green beans, whether fresh, frozen, or canned.
Kitchen equipment for Black folks Southern green beans
Shop my kitchenware!
Instant Pot Duo Nova | The Pioneer Woman Instant Pot | Williams-Sonoma plates | Amazon rainbow hologram cutlery | Amazon small spatula |
Black folks Southern green beans recipe
Ingredients for Black folks Southern green beans
- 1 pound of green beans (fresh or frozen)
- ½ a cup of chicken stock (use vegetable broth for vegan and vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (*Use a butter swap like this one HERE to make this recipe Vegan-friendly!)
- 1 scallion chopped
- ½ teaspoon of dry thyme
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions for Black folks Southern green beans in the Instant Pot
- Add chicken stock, green beans, butter, scallions, fresh thyme, and seasonings (dry thyme, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper) in the Instant Pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 2 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- When the cooking time is finished, serve Southern green beans right away and enjoy!
What do you serve with Black folks green beans?
Soul food Southern green beans are such a versatile side dish. You can serve them with almost anything!
Fried chicken, air fryer chicken, buttermilk fried chicken, rice, BBQ, Black folks cornbread dressing, or Black folks baked mac and cheese.
Green beans are the perfect accompaniment to fish, beef, chicken, and casseroles like creamed corn casserole, Black folks chicken and dressing, and Puerto Rican pastelón too!
Potatoes are also well served with green beans. They’re a match made in heaven when you add a few small white or red potatoes to your Instant Pot of green beans.
Can you freeze green beans and store them in the freezer?
Yes, you can freeze cooked green beans. Place them into an airtight freezer storage bag in the freezer.
You’ll save yourself time by making large batches of green beans at once using an Instant Pot instead of boiling each serving on the stovetop.
In addition, you can store green beans in the freezer. Then, you simply microwave them or place them in the Instant Pot on the ‘keep warm’ setting when you want some fresh green bean goodness!
How long can you store Black folks seasoned green beans in the fridge?
You can store cooked and seasoned green beans in the refrigerator for about five days before you need to toss or move them to the freezer.
Black folks Southern green beans recipe in the Instant Pot FAQ’s
Whether you’re a seasoned Instant Pot lover or new to the world of pressure cooking, there are a few questions about this recipe that are frequently asked:
Is it possible to steam green beans in an Instant Pot without a steamer basket?
Absolutely! You can make steamed green beans in the Instant Pot without a steamer basket.
Simply close the lid and press the ‘steam’ setting or pressure cook with water or broth and your food in the stainless steel inner pot.
Check out more Instant Pot accessories HERE.
What kind of Instant Pot do you use?
Any of the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker models will work for this sauteed southern green beans recipe. This includes the original Instant Pot Duo, Duo Nova, or the multi-cooker Pro.
You can easily compare Instant Pot appliances HERE!
What size Instant Pot is needed for this recipe?
An Instant Pot that can hold one pound of green beans is what you need. This means you can successfully use any electric pressure cooker, from the small 3-quart to the X-large 10-quart – or any size in between!
If you have an 8-quart Instant Pot, do you need to change the cook time?
There’s no adjustment to the cooking time needed as long as you’re cooking with the same quantity of ingredients, no matter the Instant Pot size.
If you double this recipe, do you double the liquid?
Yes, for this recipe, doubling the recipe will require doubling the liquid.
You can use the dynamic recipe card below to adjust the serving size for the proportionate amount of ingredients for making more or less of this recipe!
Will the cooking time need to be modified if you double the recipe?
When you’re scaling a recipe, it’s important to note that cook times may vary. But not necessarily by double.
If you’re preparing larger or smaller portions, it’s likely to alter the original recipe cooking time.
So allow for more time if making a larger portion. A good guide is to check the green beans at 10 minutes to see if they’re done. You don’t want to overcook or burn them.
What do you think of this Black folks Southern green beans recipe?
If you’re looking for a nutritious and delicious side dish that can go with just about any meal, give this Instant Pot quick Southern green beans recipe a try!
Leave a 5-star rating and a comment below, and share your finished recipe pictures HERE in the Facebook group!
Like this post? Pin the below picture to your “Soul Food Recipes” Pinterest Board!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans fresh or frozen
- ½ cup chicken stock (use vegetable broth for vegan and vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (*Use a butter swap like this one HERE to make this recipe Vegan-friendly!)
- 1 scallion chopped
- ½ teaspoon thyme dry spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Add chicken stock, green beans, butter, scallions, fresh thyme, and seasonings (dry thyme, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper) in the Instant Pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 2 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- When the cooking time is finished, serve Southern green beans right away and enjoy!
Notes
I would love to try this using a pan! I will update you on how it turned out!
Same ingredients will yield the same southern delicious flavors even in a pan!