Southern Soul Food Green Beans with Smoked Turkey
Southern green beans with smoked turkey are simmered with green peppers, onions, garlic, vinegar, and red pepper flakes for a flavorful, hearty dish perfect for holidays or weeknight dinners.
Servings 6 people
Calories 200kcal
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot 5 quarts or bigger works best. In the video, I used a smaller pot, but I recommend sticking with a 5-quart or larger size. I’ve linked a similar brand for convenience.
- Carmel Ceramic Pasta Bowl with Ridges by Gaby Dalkin Crate and Barrel
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 whole turkey legs or any type of smoked turkey meat
- 1 tbsp garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 green bell pepper diced
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 lb green beans
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp vinegar Adjust to your preference...I used red wine but white works fine too
- 1-2 tsp granulated sugar *optional but helps to balance out the flavors. It doesn't make the dish sweet.
- salt and pepper for taste
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter *optional see notes below
Instructions
- To a large pot or dutch oven, place the smoked turkey legs, chopped onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and red pepper flakes. Season with black pepper and salt. Add chicken broth—just enough to barely cover the turkey and vegetables.
- Simmer the Turkey and Vegetables: Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the turkey is tender and the meat begins to fall off the bone.
- Shred the Turkey: Remove the turkey legs from the pot, leaving the cooking liquid and vegetables in the pot. Shred the turkey meat from the bones and return it to the pot, discarding the bones.
- Cook the Green Beans: Add the green beans to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender but not overcooked.
- Season and Finish: Stir in the red wine vinegar, garlic, onion/garlic powder, sugar salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt/pepper, vinegar, sugar garlic etc... Let it simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
Video
Notes
Southern Green Beans with Turkey Recipe Pro-Tips
- Green Beans: To be transparent, I first made this dish with French green beans (shown in the process shots and video) but later remade it with regular green beans (pictured above). Regular green beans are sturdier and hold up better during cooking, which is why I recommend them. That said, both versions were delicious—no shade to French green beans!
- Cooking Time: The smoked turkey takes 1-3 hours to become tender. Once it’s ready, cook the beans for 20-45 minutes, depending on your preferred texture. For firmer beans, go for 20 minutes; for very tender beans, like I prefer, cook closer to 45 minutes to fully absorb the broth's flavors.
- Smoked Turkey: You can use any type of smoked turkey meat for this recipe, such as turkey wings, turkey necks, or turkey legs. Choose your favorite or use what’s available at your store for that smoky, savory flavor.
- Vinegar: If you’re not a fan of vinegar, you can reduce the amount or leave it out altogether. However, the vinegar adds a bright, tangy note that enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
- Sugar: The sugar doesn’t make the dish sweet; it simply balances the savory flavors. If you feel it’s not needed, you can leave it out and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Seasonings: Once the dish is finished, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. This ensures the flavors are perfectly balanced to suit your taste.
- Butter: A tablespoon of butter adds a rich, velvety finish to the dish that really takes it up a notch. It enhances the flavors, giving the green beans a delicious amazing flavor that ties everything together.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal