The BEST Southern-Style Green Beans Recipe

These Southern-style green beans are made with smoked turkey necks, and potatoes. This is a delicious all-in-one dish you’re gonna love. They’re just as good as my famous Southern Collard Greens and Southern Stove Top Cabbage Recipe! My family would spend hours cooking these bad boys every Thanksgiving eve. They take time but they’re packed with so much flavor that the labor is worth the wait. So make sure you try this recipe, it’s something you have to make at least once.

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This Southern-style green bean recipe is a soul food classic everyone loves, which is why I can’t wait for you all to try it. Those of you who follow me on YouTube probably tried it already, so you know how good they are.

But I recently made a few changes and revised the recipe. Don’t worry, though, because I think this updated version is even better than the original. I like to give my veggies as much flavor as possible, so I threw in some smoked turkey necks and pork bacon to take them up a notch.

My grandma always cooked her fresh collards and green beans with meat to add additional flavor. For this recipe, I decided to use smoked turkey necks because I think the flavor goes best with green beans.

My grandma made green beans and collard greens every Thanksgiving. I remember seeing her snap and wash them before she poured them into a big pot and let them cook for hours. Oh, and let me get this funny fact out of the way…

When I was a kid, I used to call them scream beans. Smh! The things we do and say as children are hilarious and mind-boggling at times. Some folks actually call them string beans, which is another common name for them.

They’re nicknamed string beans because years ago, a fibrous string (vascular tissue) ran along the seam of the bean pod, and folks could see it when the beans were snapped in half. This is not the case anymore, but the fibrous string was the reason for the string bean reference.

Tools:

• Knife: You’ll need a sharp knife to chop off the stringy ends of the green beans.
• Large mixing bowl: A mixing bowl to soak the green beans in.
• Large Pot: We’re making a lot of green beans, so make sure you use a large pot with a lid to get them tender.
• Slotted Spoon: Use a slotted spoon to stir the green beans as they cook and to strain the liquid while serving them.
• Measuring Cups: A measuring cup will help us accurately measure the liquid and vegetables we’ll be using.
• Measuring Spoons: Measuring spoons are great for accurately using the right amount of seasonings.

What you need:

• Vegetables: Green beans, Red Potatoes, Minced Garlic, Onions, and Stewed Crushed Potatoes
• Meat: Smoked Turkey Necks and Pork Bacon
• Liquids: Apple Cider Vinegar, Chicken Broth, and Water
• Seasonings: Laury’s Seasoning Salt, Chicken Bouillon Cubes, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sugar, Black Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper
• Fat: Vegetable oil and Butter

Key Ingredients and Alternatives

The Liquids

• Liquid: Chicken broth adds depth of flavor to green beans. Below are some alternatives if you don’t have any chicken broth on hand.
• Vegetable broth: Vegetable broth would make a great replacement for chicken broth. This is especially a good option for vegetarians who are making this recipe.
• Water and chicken bouillon cubes: The recipe card shows that I use an equal amount of broth and water, which prevents the green beans from being salty. If you don’t have any broth on hand, replace it with water and an extra chicken bouillon cube.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The vinegar is what adds the tarty apple flavor to the green beans you can clearly taste. It’s probably one of the most important ingredients and adds the most flavor to the green beans, or at least the flavor that stands out the most.

Meat options and alternatives

If you’re a vegetarian or just don’t like any meat in your vegetables, that’s fine, as the meat is completely optional. I remember not having any meat one Thanksgiving because I forgot to purchase some from the store and couldn’t find any at the last minute.

So I’ve made green beans without any meat before, and they are still really good. It didn’t taste AS GOOD, in my opinion, it was still good. So yeah, meat is optional; not everyone likes it in their vegetables, while others add a whole lot.

• Pork Bacon: The fatty pork bacon in each bite just makes this dish so much better because pork bacon is packed with so much flavor, and the more flavor, the better. The Pork bacon does this dish a whole lot of justice.
• Smoked Turkey Necks: Smoked meat, especially turkey, makes this dish pop. The smoky flavor it adds to the green beans is irreplaceable, and turkey just tastes good with vegetables, which is why it’s often added to vegetables like Collard Greens and Cabbage.
• Smoked Turkey leg is a good alternative: Smoked turkey legs give this dish pretty much the same flavor as turkey necks. This is just a better option if you’re one of those people who want a whole lot of meat in your green beans or if you can’t find turkey necks. Either or will work.

The Potato Options

So the potatoes are optional so you can omit them from the dish if you want. I wanted this green beans recipe to remind you of a semi-stew if you wish, and I felt that since it is made of meat and vegetables, it would only be right to add some starch.

However, when it comes to potatoes, it’s important to know which ones to use, as potatoes are not all made equal. Different potatoes are best, depending on the recipe and what you’re making.

• Red Potatoes: Red potatoes are a good choice of potato to use because they keep their shape while boiling in broth and water due to their waxy texture and low starch content.
• Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are the best option because they have a great balance of flavor and hold their form while cooking in broth. I like using them because they have a creamy texture, a buttery flavor, and they’re super tender.
• Russet Potatoes: Russet potatoes can be used, but because of their high starch content, they tend to break up easily. If you want the potatoes to keep their form, I would use red or Yukon gold potatoes.

Vegetable add-ins

• Minced garlic: Garlic is another important ingredient when making green beans. You have to have it. The flavor it adds to the green beans is necessary, and even though we only use a little, they won’t taste the same without it.
• Garlic cloves are a good alternative: You can make your own minced garlic by chopping and grinding some garlic cloves, or you can put them in a small bowl with olive oil, warm them up in the microwave until they’re soft, and mash them into garlic paste.
• Onions: I love yellow onions because they are an all-purpose onion. I like to use them mainly because they’re sharp, which mellows out as they cook, and they’re great for caramelizing, which is what we do when we saute them. That just adds depth of flavor to the green beans.
• Crushed tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes were a late addition. I just decided to throw them in the pot because I saw someone do it in a green beans video I saw on Instagram, and I love what they gave the dish. The mild tomato flavor was a good addition.

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Seasonings and alternatives

• Chicken bouillon cubes: Chicken flavor really elevates vegetables, and you’ll notice it when you go without it. It’s the same reason you see so many people adding chicken broth to their vegetables. It just works and makes vegetables taste better.
• Seasoning Salt: Seasoning salt is the best complete seasoning, in my opinion. Use Lawry’s brand if you can because it’s the best. If you do not have any, use adobo, or you can always just use salt. Just make sure you use a lesser amount since it’s stronger.
• Garlic powder: If you don’t have garlic powder, double the amount of minced garlic in this recipe.
• Onion powder and black pepper: These seasonings can’t really be replaced. You can use a little onion soup mix to replace the onion powder or white pepper to replace the black pepper. Just know that these seasonings are essential to maximize the deliciousness of this recipe.
• Heat: Okay, so you have a few options here. If you don’t have Cayenne pepper, you can use crushed red pepper flakes, which I love because they add heat and color. You can also replace it using either slap ya mama seasoning, smoked paprika, or a hint of tobacco.

Why do you add sugar to the green beans?

I get this question so often under my vegetable recipes: “Why add sugar to a savory dish?” Sugar isn’t just for making things sweet; it’s a great ingredient to add to acidic dishes that may be a bit too bitter, like spaghetti sauce or collard greens.

So, no, it won’t make the green beans sweet; it just balances all the acidity and heat in the dish. See it as a water hole or fire extinguisher putting out a fire. Lol!

How to prep Green Beans

Cutting the strings at the ends

Okay, so I always remember my grandma starting off by cutting the strings at the stem ends when she was prepping her green beans. She would line her long green beans up, get a large knife, and cut off the stringy ends.

This can be kind of tedious, so get someone to help you! Lol! Once you remove the ends, just discard them. Most modern green beans sold in your typical grocery stores are “stringless” and only require the stem end to be removed.

If you happen to notice any visible strings running along the bean, use a vegetable peeler to remove them and try to do so gently. Sometimes, you may come across some stringy green beans where this is the case.

Some may ask if you have to remove the strings at the ends. Not if there’s very little. They’re pretty harmless; people just remove them because they’re aesthetically pleasing without the string.

Snap the green beans

Now, I’m sure most of you are familiar with the second step of the prepping process because I’m sure you’ve seen your grandma snapping green beans in the kitchen before. You don’t HAVE TO SNAP them in half, but I recommend doing so for the following reasons.

• They also cook better when they’re smaller because they can be submerged below the juices, which results in them getting tender faster.
• When snapped, they’re easier to manage because you can actually stir and move things around in the pot, and smaller beans create more room.
• I think smaller green beans look better when plated, too. Who wants long green beans crowding and taking up all the space on their plate? LMBO!
• Smaller green beans also make for more green beans and, therefore, more servings. So you especially want to snap them when you’re making them for a gathering of people.
• I personally believe most people prefer their green beans on the smaller side because they’re easier to eat this way.

Washing the green beans

The final step in the prepping process is to clean the green beans. Some people bypass this step and don’t believe in cleaning their meats and vegetables. I do because I think it’s necessary. You can actually see dirt along the green beans sometimes.

A few minutes of soaking and scrubbing your vegetables will not hurt. It will only help remove dirt, kill bugs and bacteria lingering on the vegetables, and ensure they are nice and fresh. Below are some common cleaning options.

• Salt water: Soak the green beans in salt water for 20 minutes, then toss and rub them with clean hands to remove any stubborn dirt. Salt water is the most common way to clean vegetables and meat.
• Vinegar or Baking soda and water: Vinegar, preferably white, baking soda, or a combination of the two, and water are also options and will probably do an even better job cleaning your green beans than salt and water.
• Lemon or lime and water: If you don’t have the ingredients above, lemon or lime are great options as well. This option might brighten the green beans a bit.

How to make Southern green beans

1. Coarsely chop the onions and bacon into medium pieces, then place a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add in the oil, onions, and bacon, and let it cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring periodically.
3. Remove and set aside, then deglaze the pot by adding in the water.
4. Reduce to medium heat, add in the turkey necks, and boil with a lid covering it for 1 hour.
5. Use this time to prep your green beans.
6. After an hour, add in the green beans, potatoes, condiments, seasonings, and butter and stir well.
7. Cover with a lid, leaving a crack on the side, and cook for 1hr 30 to 2 hours.

How to make Green Beans Video

Tips for best results:

• Cook until the liquid is very low: The green beans taste best when there’s a little liquid left in the pot. When the liquid cooks out, the seasonings sit at the bottom with the green beans, maximizing their flavor.

Main dish options:

• Simple Juicy Oven Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe
• Grandma Val’s Easy Classic Meatloaf Recipe
• The BEST Oven-Baked Steak Recipe (Made With Red Potatoes)

Storage and reheating:

• How do you store green beans? Keep them tightly wrapped in a bowl or container with a lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil, and store them in the refrigerator.
• Can you freeze green beans? I’m not a fan of freezing vegetables unless they’re for a day or so, especially cooked vegetables because once they unthaw, they become very limp and unedible.
• How do you reheat green beans? I reheat them in a saucepan, skillet, or pot. I place them over low heat and let them simmer until they’re hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Other vegetable recipes you might like:

• World’s Best Southern Collard Greens Recipe
• World’s Best Fried Cabbage Recipe
• The Best Southern Stove Top Cabbage
• Easy Delicious Sauteed Asparagus Recipe
• Like Boston Market Creamed Spinach Recipe

This recipe is good for Sunday night dinners, family gatherings, and Thanksgiving. It takes a lot of time to prepare, which is why my family only made them for Thanksgiving. Haha!

What I like most about this recipe is you can eat it without any sides. You have your veggies, protein, and carbs all in one dish. What else do you need? That’s just another reason to give this recipe a shot! Lol!

So try it and leave a comment below, letting the readers know how good the recipe is. I know you’re going to love it. And make sure you rate the recipe; that helps a lot!

Subscribe to get notifications via email every time I post a new recipe. And for updates on everything Philly Jay Cooking, follow me on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Enjoy, later!

PBJ~

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The BEST Southern-Style Green Beans Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews

• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 20mins
• Cook Time: 3hrs
• Total Time: 3hr 20mins
• Yield: 6
• Category: Vegetable Sides
• Cuisine: Soul Food

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Description

Southern-style green beans made with smoked turkey necks, and potatoes. A delicious all-in-one dish.

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Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Green Beans
• 1 Lb Smoked Turkey Necks
• 2 Strips of Pork Bacon, sliced
• 1 Lb Small Red Potatoes, chopped
• 1 Cup Onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Cup Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tsps Minced Garlic
• 1 Qt Water
• 1 Qt Chicken Broth
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Chicken Flavor Bouillon Cubes
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tbs Seasoning Salt
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/8 Cayenne Pepper (optional)

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Instructions

1.  Chop the onions into small pieces and chop the bacon into medium-sized pieces.
2. Place a large pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil, bacon, and onions, and fry for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside. 
   *Stir periodically*
4. Reduce the heat to medium, and deglaze the pot with water.
5. Add in the turkey necks, cover with a lid, and boil for 1 hr.
6. Meanwhile, remove any strings from the green beans and snap them in half if you want them smaller.
7. Chop the potatoes in half or of any size you like, then sit them in a bowl of water.
8. After an hour, add the green beans, potatoes, and broth to the pot of turkey necks.
9. Add in all the seasonings, condiments, and ingredients, then stir well.
10. Cook the green beans for 1hr 30 mins to 2 hrs. 
    * They taste better when most of the liquid has cooked down.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6