Ham Green Beans And Potatoes

Ham green beans and potatoes is a one-pot Southern-style dinner built around smoked ham, fresh green beans, and waxy potatoes simmered in the same broth. The ham gives the vegetables a salty, smoky backbone while the potatoes break down just enough to thicken the liquid. This recipe is written for a standard 5-quart Dutch oven and feeds four people with modest leftovers.

You get a complete meal from a short ingredient list and about 45 minutes of active stove time. The beans stay snappy if you add them after the potatoes have softened, and the ham shoulder stays tender when kept at a low simmer. It is the kind of dish that reheats well and uses pantry staples you likely already keep on hand. If you enjoyed this, our green smoothie bowl is worth trying next. Making this ham green beans and potatoes at home is surprisingly straightforward once you know the key steps.

Why You'll Love These Ham Green Beans And Potatoes

• One pot means fewer dishes and a built-in broth from the ham.
• Waxy potatoes hold their shape instead of turning to mush.
• Smoked ham adds salt and depth without extra seasoning packets.
• Leftovers thicken overnight and taste better the next day.
• The same method works with a slow cooker if you prefer hands-off cooking.

Ingredients You'll Need

• 1 lb smoked ham shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1.5 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed and snapped
• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt, adjusted to taste based on ham saltiness

Ingredient Substitutions

Smoked ham shoulder: Replace with 1 lb of thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces. Bacon renders more fat, so cut the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and expect a porkier, slightly sweeter result. The broth will be richer and a little cloudy, and you should add the green beans 5 minutes earlier since bacon cooks faster than ham shoulder. The ham green beans and potatoes works well for weeknight cooking when time is limited.

Yukon Gold potatoes: Use an equal weight of red potatoes with the skins left on for a firmer bite. Red potatoes hold shape better under long simmering, so the broth stays thinner and you lose some natural thickening. Expect a slightly waxy texture and a lighter color in the finished pot. Storing leftover ham green beans and potatoes correctly keeps it tasting good for days.

Fresh green beans: Swap in 1.25 lbs of frozen cut green beans if fresh are out of season. Add them straight from the freezer during the last 12 minutes so they don't overcook. Frozen beans release more water, which thins the broth by roughly a cup, so reduce added broth by that amount if you want the same consistency.

Low-sodium chicken broth: Use 4 cups of water plus 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning if you have no broth. The flavor will be flatter and less rounded, so bump black pepper to 1.5 teaspoons. Ham carries most of the salt, but the herbs help fill the gap left by the broth.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4 minutes until translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
2. Add the cubed ham shoulder and sear 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the edges show golden and crispy spots. This browning builds a savory base the broth draws from.
3. Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift the browned bits. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the quartered Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Lower the heat to medium-low heat and simmer 25–30 minutes until a knife slides through a potato with slight resistance.
5. Add the trimmed green beans and stir. Keep the simmer at medium-low heat for another 18–20 minutes until beans are tender but still snap when bitten.
6. Taste the broth and adjust salt only if the ham was mild. Remove from heat and rest 5 minutes so the potatoes release starch and the broth thickens slightly before serving.

Pro Tips

Cut the potatoes into equal quarters so they finish cooking at the same time; mismatched sizes leave some chalky and others falling apart. A uniform 1.5-inch piece is the safe target for Yukon Golds in this pot.

Add the green beans after the potatoes have a head start. If they go in with the raw potatoes, the long simmer bleeds their color and turns them olive-drab and soft. Late addition keeps them green and snappy.

For deeper broth, brown the ham in a single layer and resist stirring for the first 3 minutes. That undisturbed contact is what creates the golden and crispy edges; see braising basics for the science behind the sear.

Save the starchy simmer liquid if you plan to freeze portions. It thickens into a gravy-like coat when reheated, and a splash of broth revives it if it gets too tight in the container.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Boiling the pot hard after the ham is in pushes the broth to a cloudy, salty reduction and toughens the meat. Keep it at a medium-low heat once the potatoes go in so the collagen stays tender.

Using russet potatoes sounds fine but they disintegrate here because of the 45-minute total simmer. You end up with a gluey pot instead of distinct chunks, so stick to waxy varieties unless you want mashed texture.

Salting the broth before tasting the ham is the fastest way to an inedible result. Smoked shoulder varies from mildly cured to very salty, so season at the end and treat the 1/2 tsp as a ceiling, not a floor.

Serving Suggestions

Ladle the ham green beans and potatoes into shallow bowls with the broth pooled around the vegetables. A side of green beans almondine works if you want a second vegetable with a brighter, lemony finish.

For a fuller table, pair with stewed potatoes only if you reduce the potato amount here, since both share the same starch. Cornbread or a simple vinegar slaw cuts the salt and balances the richness better than a second potato dish.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the pot to room temperature within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The broth thickens as the potato starch sets, which is normal.

Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 165°F and the broth steams. Freeze portions for up to 2 months in flat freezer bags, but leave an inch of headspace for expansion.

Recipe Variations

Slow Cooker Version

Brown the ham and onion in a skillet first, then move everything to a 6-quart slow cooker with the potatoes and broth. Cook on low for 6 hours, adding the green beans during the final 45 minutes so they stay green. The result is softer potatoes and a milder broth than the stovetop method.

Tomato Braised Option

Stir in one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes with the broth for a sharper, acidic edge. This pairs well with green beans with tomato sauce as a side and shifts the dish from smoky to tangy. Expect a thinner, red-tinted broth that needs no extra salt.

Potato-Heavy Comfort Bowl

Increase Yukon Golds to 3 lbs and drop the ham to 12 ounces for a starch-forward meal. Add a creamed potatoes spoonful on top if you want extra creaminess without changing the base recipe. The beans stay at 1.5 lbs so the pot does not turn into a pure mash.

Hotpot Style

Follow the beef hotpot layering idea by placing potato quarters on the bottom and ham on top so the meat juices drip down. Use a covered pot at medium-low heat and check the center potato at 30 minutes. You get a slightly firmer bottom layer and more concentrated ham flavor in the top beans.