Instant Pot Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon
on Jan 27, 2021, Updated Oct 28, 2023
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This Instant Pot green beans and potatoes recipe is southern comfort food at its finest! Quick, delicious, and easy, it’s my favorite way to use small potatoes from the garden.
Delicious Instant Pot Green Beans with Potatoes & Bacon
I grew up eating southern green beans – fresh green beans slow cooked in chicken broth with bacon. My grandparents were mad gardeners from Arkansas and they passed a lot of recipes down to my mom. My dad was also a mad gardener and I swear, every. single. day in the summer we had bowls of green beans, plates full of sliced tomatoes, wilted lettuce, and the best fried okra ever. Southern-style refined sugar free cornbread also goes very well with this recipe!
For some reason, I never liked cooking the southern style green beans until I learned how easy it is to cook them in the pressure cooker. And then I saw that some people add potatoes??? Mind blown. This is truly my favorite easy summer side dish recipe = it’s quick and easy to make. It’s not messy. And it uses up the little potatoes I’m never quite sure what to do with that I harvest from my garden.
Although my Grandma never cooked these delicious green beans with potatoes, I really like their addition. They make this recipe a little more substantial. Although it works best as a side dish, I think it can also function as a stand alone main course.
Does it matter what kind of green beans or potato to use?
I’ve found any kind of green bean will work. The best ones are fresh from the garden or the farmer’s market, but frozen is fine. Just make sure they aren’t french cut as they will turn to mush in this recipe.
It IS important is the type of potato that is used. Waxy potatoes will hold their shape and absorb the flavor of the broth better than starchy potatoes.
Favorite Waxy Potatoes include:
- French Fingerlings
- New Red Potatoes
- New potatoes you rob from your potato plants in early spring
- Russian Banana Potatoes
If you can’t find a good waxy potato you can go with an all purpose like Yukon Gold. It too will hold it’s shape but I prefer to get them early in the season instead of cutting them up. They tend to break down a little. You do not want to use a starchy potato like a russet. If it makes a fluffy baked potato it is going to break down into mashed potatoes.
Do I need to peel the potatoes?
You also do not need or have to peel the potatoes. Simply give them a good scrub and toss them in the pot. I will say they look prettier kept whole as small potatoes and if they have to be cut up and they have a red or purple skin they will stand out. Warning if you use purple flesh potatoes….they WILL color the green beans.
How long do these green beans last?
We rarely have enough for leftovers but if we did they’ve never made it past lunch the next day. I probably shouldn’t admit that I’ve eaten the leftovers for breakfast?! Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve even slurped up the broth too. I really like it that much.
Recipes that pair well with Pressure Cooker Green Beans & Potatoes
Balsamic Rosemary Instant Pot Pork Roast
Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms & Artichoke Pan Sauce
Southern Style Instant Pot Green Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 pieces bacon, sliced into lardon pieces
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, large potatoes cut into halves or fourths
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into halves or thirds
- 1 cup chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Turn instant pot on sauté and add the bacon once it’s hot. Cook for several minutes, then add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until bacon is crispy and onions are translucent and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.
- There should be plenty of bacon grease left, but if not, add one tablespoon extra bacon grease or butter to the IP. Then add the potatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Then add green beans, salt and pepper
- Put on the lid, making sure the vent is back in the sealed positive. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the instant pot beeps, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid once all pressure has been released. Pour everything in a large serving bowl and enjoy!
Printable Instant Pot Green Beans with Potatoes & Bacon Recipe
Instant Pot Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon
These delicious instant pot green beans with potatoes and bacon are comfort food at its finest! Best in the summer with garden fresh produce, these also work well with frozen beans too.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces bacon, sliced into lardon pieces
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes. If using large potatoes cut into halves or fourths
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into halves or thirds
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon REAL salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Turn instant pot on sauté and add the bacon once it’s hot. Cook for several minutes, then add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until bacon is finished and onions are translucent and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.
- There should be plenty of bacon grease left, but if not, add one tablespoon extra bacon grease or butter to the IP. Then add the potatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Then add green beans, salt and pepper.
- Turn off the sauté, secure the lid, making sure the vent is back in the sealed positive. Cook on manual high for 5 minutes. Once the instant pot beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid once all pressure has been released. Pour everything in a large serving bowl and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure you choose a waxy potato and don't forget to de-string the green beans.
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