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This Crockpot green beans and potatoes with ham is very quick to put together and is so hearty and delicious.

The flavors meld together perfectly, blending ham with herbs and seasonings that are unique but not weird.
This slow cooker green beans and potatoes is all you need for a hearty meal the whole family will enjoy. The only thing missing is a side of bread if you wish.
I recommend you utilize a ham hock in this recipe, as the bone will produce extra flavor.
However, you can certainly use leftover ham if that's what you have on hand. Simply mix in 2 cups of cooked, cut up ham in place of the ham hock.
Also, it's best to use fresh green beans if you have them, but frozen green beans are a close second.
Don't use canned green beans, however, as they are already cooked and will go to mush by the end of the cook time.
If, however, all you have are canned green beans, then you could add canned, drained green beans during the last 30 minutes of the cook time just to heat them up.
I like this green beans, potatoes, and ham recipe because of the mix of flavors. A touch of cinnamon and cloves goes well with the ham. The thyme goes great with the green beans.
The onion and garlic powders go great with it all. Mixing them all together ends up with a surprisingly awesome blend of flavors.
I hope you feel the same!
What You'll Need:
36 ounces of fresh or frozen green beans (broken in bite-size pieces)
3 cups water
1 pound pork or ham hock (or 2 cups of leftover cooked ham pieces)
4 large thin-skinned potatoes, yellow or red (or a mixture), cut into bite-size chunks
1 Tablespoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon each of garlic and onion powders
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
drizzle of oil
Making Ham, Potatoes & Green Beans in the Crockpot
I like to add the ham hock to the bottom of the crock pot first, then pour in the green beans and potato chunks.
Don't cut the potatoes too large, or they will have a hard time getting done when everything else is ready. I like to go for 1 inch pieces or smaller.
Next, you will add the thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cloves, and cinnamon. Mix together thoroughly, and then drizzle with a bit of oil (1-2 tablespoons) before covering.
I cooked my green beans, ham, and potatoes on high for 4 hours, but you can cook on low for 6-7 hours instead.
This all depends on whether you'll be home or not and how quickly you need it to be done.
Don't overcook, as the green beans will turn to mush. You do want the potatoes to get done, though.
I found that my potatoes were perfect after 4 hours on high, and the green beans had held up nicely.
Once the green beans and potatoes are cooked, you will remove the ham hock and let it cool a bit before dicing up the ham.
Turn the crock pot on the warm setting while cooling and cutting up the ham pieces. Add the ham pieces back in and serve.
Serve with bread of your choice. I recommend serving with my Southern Butter Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits, or Southern Skillet Cornbread.
Crockpot Green Beans and Potatoes with Ham
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork hock (also called ham hock) (or 2 cups cooked ham chunks)
- 36 ounces green beans , fresh or frozen (in bite-size pieces)
- 3 cups water
- 4 large potatoes , yellow or red, skin on, cut in bite-size chunks
- 1 tablespoon thyme , dry
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt , more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- oil , just a drizzle (about 1-2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Add the ham hock (or ham chunks) to the bottom of the crock pot, then pour in the green beans, water, and potato chunks. Don't cut the potatoes too large, or they will have a hard time getting done when everything else is ready. I like to go for 1 inch or smaller.
- Next, you will add the thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cloves, and cinnamon. Mix together thoroughly, and then drizzle with a bit of oil (1-2 tablespoons) before covering.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. This all depends on whether you'll be home or not and how quickly you need it to be done. Don't overcook, as the green beans will turn to mush. You do want the potatoes to get done, though.
- Once the green beans and potatoes are cooked, you will remove the ham hock and let it cool a bit before dicing up the ham. Turn the crockpot on the warm setting while cooling and cutting up the ham pieces. Add the ham pieces back in and serve.
Nutrition
Don't Forget to Pin For Later!
Alexandra
Yum! What a tasty dish - the perfect side. Love the combination and that it is done in the slow cooker!
Sally
Thanks Alexandra! We love it too!
Kylie Archer
Such a perfect weeknight dinner! I love things like this, and the flavours are amazing!
Sally
Thanks Kylie!
Dannii
Now this is my kind of comfort food. Anything with potatoes is good with me.
Sally
I agree Dannii!
Adrianne
This crockpot beans and ham looks like a great easy dinner recipe! Slow Cooker recipes are right up my alley so I can't wait to give your recipe a go, yum!! Will make it one night this week.
Sally
Thanks Adrianne! Hope you love it like we do!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I don't use my crockpot enough and I've never added green beans. I must try that seasoning too.
Sally
Love my crockpot, Jacqueline! Give it a go!
Emily
These green beans and potatoes are so delicious! I love that you can make them in the crockpot, and they pair great with roasted chicken!
Sally
Thanks Emily! Yes, they are delicious!
Sara
What a wonderful hearty dish packed with flavour. This is definately one I will be using this year to use up the rest of my Christmas ham.
Sally
It is delicious! Thanks Sara!
Erin
I just made this recipe using leftover ham from Christmas. Considering it was my first time making this dish, it was pretty darn good. Only gave it four stars bc there should be a note that if you use frozen green beans, you don’t need to add 3 cups water….perhaps 2 or 2 1/2 cups? I’m not one who loves to cook so perhaps the above is obvious for more advanced home chefs. I used frozen green beans so should have decreased the 3 cups water bc it is a bit watery. I’ll have to try this again after we make our Easter ham, so will post an update then. Thank you for the recipe!
Sally
Thanks for the feedback, Erin! I will make a note of the excess water when using frozen beans - good call!
Tracy Newman
This dish was a staple for me growing up (minus the thyme and cinnamon), and it was always served with quite a bit of liquid, almost like a soup. We would add a little apple cider vinegar to our bowl, which took it to the next level.
Sally
Great suggestion, Tracy! Thanks for commenting!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
This is is so flavorful. I love anything with cloves. So delicious!
Sally
Yes, the cloves really add a nice touch of flavor! Thanks Nart!
Dannii
Now this is my kind of comfort food, and even better that it has veggies in it.
Sally
Totally agree, Dannii!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I've been using my slow cooker a lot too recently. This is completely different from anything I've tried in it so far.
Sally
Yes indeed! We love it here, Jacqueline!
lori Sanders
I made this today as a Thanksgiving side dish. I had fresh string been from the garden that I froze over the summer. I substituted Cajun andouille sausage for the ham. WOW!! The flavors are amazing. I cooked it on low and it was done in 5.hours. This is definitely my go to recipe. The cinnamon and cloves take this recipe to 2.0.
Sally
So glad, Lori! Thanks for letting me know! Just to clarify - Did you like the cinnamon and cloves or not? It's not clear to me what you mean by 2.0 (positive or negative).
Cindy
I was hesitant to try this recipe, due to the cinnamon and cloves, but I persevered after reading the comments. However, this was a fail for me. The spices over powered the natural flavors of the ham and green beans. I guess I am too much of a purist when it comes to this dish.
Sally
I'm sorry to hear that, Cindy. Thank you for your feedback!
Patrick
I dont have fresh green beans. Can I substitute for canned?
I just don't want them to become mushy. If canned us ok to use, should I wait to add them?
Sally
Thanks for your question, Patrick. Canned beans aren't recommended, as they will become mushy if used during the whole cook time. If you don't have fresh, frozen is the next best option. If you must use canned, add them during the last 30 minutes of the cook time just to heat them up. Hope they turn out wonderful for you!
Florence
Love this. Thinking of trying it with chicken too.
Sally
Thanks Florence! I think making it with chicken would be delicious!
Cheryl
Please may ask what size crockpot did you use??? Thank You
Sally
Thanks for your question, Cheryl. Mine is a bigger one, but it wasn't completely full. I think mine is a 7 quart.
Pam
I haven't tried this yet. It has gotten good reviews, but a tablespoon of thyme seems like alot being a rather pungent spice - very noticeable if you know what I mean. - Pam
Sally
Pam - thank you for your comment. I did use 1 tablespoon of dry thyme and loved it. However, if you're concerned, start with 1 teaspoon - you can always add more if you like. One teaspoon is one-third of a tablespoon, so you would be cutting it down considerably.
Lauren
Can you add onions to this?
Sally
Yes, Lauren, adding onions would probably make it even more delicious!
Tyara Christopher
Is the potatoes greenbeans and ham supposed to be under water because with 3 cups mine isn't and im not sure what to do
Sally
They do not need to be under the liquid - having the lid on the slow cooker will help to steam everything as it cooks. Hope that helps!