Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Amish Ham and Green Beans (A Farmhouse Supper Worth Coming Home To)

There is a whole category of cooking that does not try to impress anyone and ends up being the most memorable food of the week. This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish ham and green beans belongs entirely to that category. Smoked ham hocks. Fresh green beans. Yellow potatoes. Chicken broth. Four real ingredients, layered into a slow cooker in the morning, and by evening the whole kitchen smells like the kind of farmhouse supper that people sit down to slowly, with no particular hurry to get up again.

This is the classic Pennsylvania Dutch–style pot — ham hocks and vegetables simmered low and slow until everything is impossibly tender, the ham is falling off the bone, and the broth has absorbed all that smoky, savory depth into something that tastes like it has been bubbling on the back of a woodstove all afternoon. It has not. You put it together in about ten minutes and went about your day. That is the whole beautiful secret of it.

It is not fancy. It was never meant to be. It is exactly what a farmhouse supper should be — warm, filling, deeply satisfying, and the kind of meal that makes whoever is eating it feel genuinely taken care of.

Why This Amish Ham and Green Beans Recipe Earns a Regular Spot at the Table

Only 4 ingredients — smoked ham hocks, fresh green beans, yellow potatoes, and chicken broth. Simple, affordable, and wholesome.
Entirely hands-off. Ten minutes of prep in the morning, then the slow cooker does everything for the next 7 to 8 hours. Dinner is ready before you have even thought about what to make.
The broth is the revelation. Over hours of slow cooking, the smoked ham hocks release their collagen and smoky flavor into the chicken broth, transforming it into a clear, deeply savory, intensely satisfying pot liquor that is as much a reason to make this dish as the vegetables themselves.
One pot, minimal cleanup. Everything cooks in the slow cooker insert and ladles directly into bowls. There is almost nothing to wash.
Feeds 6 people generously at a cost that makes almost any other dinner look expensive by comparison.
Leftovers are arguably better the next day, when the flavors have had overnight to meld even further into the broth.

Ingredients

Serves 6

2 to 2½ pounds smoked ham hocks (or meaty ham shanks)
2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed and snapped in half
2 pounds yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

On the ham hocks: Smoked ham hocks are the flavor engine of this dish. The collagen-rich skin and bone slowly release gelatin and smoke into the broth during the long cook, building the deep, complex flavor that makes this pot taste like it has been simmering all day — because it has. If ham hocks are unavailable, a meaty ham shank or a well-fleshed leftover ham bone works beautifully at the same weight. The key is sufficient meat and bone to flavor the entire pot of broth.

On the broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is strongly recommended. Smoked ham hocks carry significant salt, and regular-sodium broth can push the finished dish into uncomfortably salty territory. Low-sodium gives you control — you can always add a pinch of salt at the end, but you cannot take it back.

On the potatoes: Yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold or similar) are ideal here because they hold their shape during the long cook while becoming perfectly creamy and tender inside. Russets tend to fall apart and become mushy over 7 to 8 hours. Red potatoes are a good alternative if yellow are unavailable — cut them to similar size for even cooking.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Layer the Ingredients

Place the smoked ham hocks in a single layer on the bottom of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker. The ham goes on the bottom because it needs the most direct, sustained heat to break down the collagen and release its flavor into the broth. Scatter the quartered yellow potatoes over the ham hocks, then add the trimmed and snapped green beans on top. The layering order is not rigid, but potatoes near the heat source cook more evenly, and green beans layered on top stay a bit more structured.

Step 2: Add the Broth

Pour the chicken broth slowly over everything in the slow cooker. The liquid should mostly cover the potatoes and beans — it is fine if a few pieces peek out above the surface, as they will cook down as the liquid heats and the vegetables release their own moisture. Do not overfill the slow cooker beyond its maximum fill line.

Step 3: Cook Low and Slow

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the ham is very tender and pulls away from the bone easily, the green beans are completely soft, and the potatoes are easily pierced through with a fork. The LOW setting is preferred — the longer, gentler cook extracts more flavor from the ham hocks and produces a richer, more developed broth. Do not lift the lid during cooking.

Step 4: Remove and Shred the Ham

Carefully transfer the ham hocks from the slow cooker to a cutting board or plate — use tongs, as they will be very hot and very tender. Allow them to cool for a few minutes until they are safe to handle, then remove and discard the skin, bones, and any large fatty pieces. Shred or chop the remaining ham meat into chunky, bite-sized pieces. There is usually more good meat on a ham hock than it appears — look inside the folds and around the bone.

Step 5: Return the Ham and Season

Return the shredded ham to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine it with the green beans, potatoes, and broth. Taste the broth at this point and season carefully — depending on how salty your ham hocks were, you may need nothing at all, or just a small pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. The broth should taste rich, smoky, savory, and deeply satisfying.

Step 6: Serve

Ladle the ham, green beans, and potatoes into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of all three along with a generous pour of the clear, savory broth. Serve immediately, straight from the slow cooker, with extra black pepper available at the table.

Pro Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Ham and Green Beans

Choose LOW over HIGH whenever possible. The LOW setting over 7 to 8 hours is what fully breaks down the collagen in the ham hocks into gelatin, giving the broth its characteristic body and depth. The HIGH setting works and produces a good meal — the LOW setting produces something closer to the long-simmered farmhouse original.
Use yellow potatoes, not russets. Russet potatoes are too high in starch for a long slow cooker cook — they absorb liquid rapidly and can turn to mush over 7 to 8 hours. Yellow or red-skinned potatoes hold their shape and become tender without disintegrating.
Do not skip the ham hock bones. The bones and cartilage in the ham hocks release gelatin into the broth during the long cook, giving it a silky body and a richness that chicken broth alone cannot produce. It is the difference between a broth that tastes like soup and one that tastes like the soul of the dish.
Taste the broth before adding any salt. Smoked ham hocks vary considerably in saltiness between brands and cuts. Always taste the finished broth before reaching for the salt shaker — many batches need none at all.
For a thicker, stew-like texture: At the end of cooking, use a fork or potato masher to lightly crush a few of the cooked potato pieces directly in the slow cooker and stir them into the broth. The starchy potato thickens the liquid naturally and turns a clear broth into a heartier, more substantial stew without any added thickener.
Prep the night before for a zero-effort morning. Trim the green beans and cut the potatoes the evening before and store them submerged in cold water in covered containers in the refrigerator. In the morning, drain, layer everything into the slow cooker, pour in the broth, and turn it on before leaving the house. Dinner is truly done before you walk out the door.

Serving Suggestions

This is a complete, filling meal in a bowl, but the right accompaniments make it feel like a proper farmhouse spread:

Crusty bread or cornbread — Essential for soaking up the savory broth at the bottom of the bowl. A thick slice of cornbread alongside this pot is one of the great simple food pairings in American cooking.
Dinner rolls — Soft, buttered dinner rolls served warm alongside are the kind of simple gesture that makes everyone at the table feel looked after.
Sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper — A plate of thick-sliced ripe tomatoes sprinkled with salt and a crack of black pepper is the classic farmhouse side that adds freshness and acidity to balance the richness of the ham broth. Simple, almost no effort, and completely right.
A simple green salad — Crisp greens with a light vinaigrette provide freshness and contrast without competing with the starring broth.
Buttered noodles or mashed potatoes — For stretching the meal to feed a larger crowd or for heartier appetites, serve the ham and broth ladled over a scoop of plain mashed potatoes or a pile of buttered egg noodles in the bottom of each bowl.

Easy Variations to Try

Ham shank or leftover ham bone: If smoked ham hocks are unavailable at your grocery store, a meaty ham shank or a leftover holiday ham bone with plenty of meat still attached works beautifully at the same weight. The flavor profile is nearly identical.
Richer broth: Replace 1 to 2 cups of the chicken broth with a mild vegetable broth, or use the water from briefly parboiling the green beans for a few minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. Both options add additional depth to the finished broth.
Add onion and garlic: Tuck a roughly chopped yellow onion and 3 to 4 smashed garlic cloves into the slow cooker alongside the ham before adding the vegetables. Both cook down completely into the broth and add a layer of aromatic sweetness that brings the whole pot closer to the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch original.
Thicker stew version: Mash several of the cooked potatoes directly into the broth at the end of cooking and stir well. The result is substantially thicker — closer to a stew than a soup — and particularly satisfying on very cold evenings.
Frozen green beans in a pinch: Fresh green beans produce the best texture and flavor, but a 2-pound bag of frozen cut green beans works as a practical substitute when fresh are not available. Add them frozen directly to the slow cooker — no thawing required — and they will cook through beautifully over the long cook time.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Allow the pot to cool slightly, then transfer leftovers — ham, vegetables, and all the broth together — to airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Store for up to 4 days. The broth will likely gel slightly in the refrigerator due to the natural gelatin released from the ham hocks — this is a mark of quality, not a problem. It will return to liquid as soon as it is reheated. Warm gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, with a splash of extra broth or water if needed to loosen. Alternatively, microwave in covered intervals, stirring between each, until steaming hot throughout. This dish actually improves overnight as the flavors continue to develop in the broth.

The Bottom Line

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish ham and green beans is the kind of cooking that reminds you why simplicity in food is not a compromise — it is a philosophy. Four ingredients. One slow cooker. Seven to eight hours of hands-off cooking. And a pot of smoked ham, tender green beans, creamy potatoes, and deeply flavored broth that tastes like someone spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen because they wanted to feed you something really good.

They did not spend the afternoon in the kitchen. They spent ten minutes layering four ingredients into a slow cooker and then went and lived their life. That is the quiet genius of the farmhouse supper, and this recipe captures it completely.

Make it on a cold weekday. Make it on a slow Sunday. Make it when you want dinner to feel like the kind of home-cooked meal worth sitting down to and staying awhile. It will never let you down.

Four ingredients. One slow cooker. A farmhouse supper that tastes like someone cooked it all day — because your slow cooker did.