Barbequed Green Beans with Ham

Check out this delightful BBQ Green Beans recipe, designed to be simple and delicious. It is an easy side dish, suitable for cookouts, potlucks, holiday meals, or whenever you have freshly-picked beans to spare. These tender beans, infused with smoky ham, sweet onions, and a tangy sauce, are guaranteed to be loved by everyone who tries them.

This page may contain affiliate links; please see my disclosure for policy details.  I earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Have you ever wondered what to add to green beans for more flavor? The answer is to cook the beans in a sweet and tangy barbeque sauce, smokey ham, onions, and garlic.  Give these beans a little time in the oven to caramelize the barbeque sauce for a tasty dish that pairs with steak, roast chicken, pork, and fish.  

You can easily make substitutions to the recipe; instead of ham, add bacon or smoked sausage. I have used both, and they are equally delicious.  But I am a ham lover, so ham it is for today’s recipe.

I’m not from the South, but when I served these beans and ham to my Alabama friend, she called them smothered green beans. No matter what you call these beans, this is a simple recipe for a great side dish.

• This Copy Cat Green Bean Casserole is a classic side dish with fresh green beans.
• If you like your green beans on the cold side, try this Green Bean Salad that’s full of Mediterranean flavors.
• Another favorite veggie that makes a great side dish is this Baked Sweet Potato Slices with Apples and Cranberries. It’s sweet and savory!
• And if you want different sweet potato recipes, here are twelve tasty recipes.

What kind of green beans to use for this recipe

• I used fresh Blue Lake Green Beans from the garden for this recipe. Look for fresh beans at the farmer’s market or local grocery store.   
• Canned green beans are also delicious and do not need to be steamed.
• Can you use frozen green beans?  Honestly, I have never eaten a frozen green bean, so I don’t know if they would work.
• The wide flat green beans, which are called Italian Green Beans, can also be used in this dish.

Try these recipes to serve with green beans.

• Try serving these homemade Bread and Butter Pickles next to a dish of these beans; they are crunchy, sweet, and easy to make.
• Serve a big wedge of this Cheesy Homemade Cornbread with the green beans; they go together. Honestly, this could be a meal itself. 
• Pair this green bean recipe with Turkey and Stuffing Rolls are delicious for a Thanksgiving meal.
• This homestyle Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe is deliciously savory and tender.
• Serve these green beans with the Tater Tot Casserole for a hearty meal.

BBQ Green Bean Ingredients & Substitutions

• Green Beans – Fresh is ideal, but I have also used can green beans.
• Ham – This is a great way to use leftover ham, and you can also use bacon or sausage. Otherwise, I just buy a slice of ham.
• Onion and garlic – If you don’t have fresh, you can use onion powder and garlic powder for flavor.
• Barbeque sauce – Use your favorite.

How To Cook BBQ’ed Green Bean

Step 1.  Wash the green beans and remove the stems. If they are long, I like to cut or snap them in half.

Step 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, the ham, onions, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the ham has browned and the onions have softened. Remove to a bowl.

Step 3. Add the green beans, water, butter, kosher salt, and black pepper to the skillet, cover, and steam for about 7 – 10 minutes. You want the beans to stay nice and green and just at the crisp-tender stage, not overly tender to the point they turn drab olive green and are mush. (However, this is how my grandma cooked her beans, and she liked them that way.) Just saying, cook them your way!

Step 4. Once the green beans are tender, drain any water left in the skillet, then add the cooked ham and stir in the bbq sauce. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5. Here, you have two options: You can continue cooking the beans over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and coated them, or my preferred way is to put them in a 350-degree F. oven for about 15 minutes to finish cooking them and carmelizing the barbeque sauce. Either way works. 

You can serve these beans straight from the skillet or make individual servings. Either way, you will love this tangy green bean casserole.

My favorite equipment

Make These Recipes Next

First Published: Aug 9, 2012… Last Updated: Aug 7, 2023.

 Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say, Hello, or just let me know what you are baking these days; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Contact me here, and I’ll be happy to help!

About Jere’

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.