Experience the ultimate convenience and flavor with this incredibly easy Instant Pot green bean casserole. Infused with savory bacon and generously topped with golden, crispy fried onions, this recipe is so delicious you’ll want to prepare a double batch! Whether you own an Instant Pot, Crockpot Express, or a Ninja Foodi, this pressure cooker method ensures a perfectly cooked, comforting side dish every time.
If you’re a fan of the versatile Instant Pot (or similar multi-cooker devices), then you absolutely must try this bacon-infused green bean casserole recipe. It’s a stellar addition to our collection of Instant Pot recipes and proves that your pressure cooker isn’t just for main courses.
Ninja Foodi Green Bean Casserole: A Holiday Game-Changer
Green bean casserole is an undeniable staple during the holiday season, gracing tables at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and countless other festive gatherings. Traditionally, this beloved side dish is baked in the oven, a method that can often lead to a frantic juggling act for oven space, especially when preparing a large holiday feast. Last year, faced with a packed oven overflowing with other culinary creations, I decided to experiment with my Ninja Foodi pressure cooker. The result was nothing short of a revelation – a creamy, flavorful green bean casserole that was ready in a fraction of the time and freed up valuable oven real estate.
What makes this particular version of green bean casserole truly exceptional? I believe it boils down to two key elements: the inclusion of rich, savory bacon and the strategic use of frozen green beans instead of their canned counterparts. Frozen green beans retain a superior texture, offering a slight bite that stands up beautifully to the creamy sauce, unlike canned beans which can often become mushy. For those fortunate enough to own a Ninja Foodi with its dual-purpose pressure cooking and air frying capabilities, you’ll discover a significant advantage: you can air fry the crispy onion topping directly in the same pot after pressure cooking, adding an unbeatable crunch without needing another appliance.
If you’re new to the world of pressure cooking, welcome! We offer a wealth of easy one-pot meal recipes designed to simplify your cooking experience. Before diving into this delicious casserole, let’s cover a few fundamental tips that will enhance your pressure cooking journey:
- Make sure to bookmark our comprehensive InstaPot recipes page. We consistently update it with exciting new recipes each week, ensuring you never run out of inspiration.
- For quick reference, print this Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet. It’s an invaluable tool for understanding the ideal cooking durations for various meats, vegetables, and beans in your pressure cooker, taking the guesswork out of meal preparation.
- I highly recommend investing in a quality non-stick inner pot for your pressure cooker. This upgrade significantly minimizes sticking and simplifies cleanup, making your cooking experience much more enjoyable.
- While it’s always good to know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing to prevent burn notices, a non-stick liner inherently reduces the likelihood of food adhering to the bottom, ensuring smoother operation.
For your reference, the model I primarily use for all my recipe creations is a 6-quart Instant Pot, offering ample capacity for family-sized meals and holiday dishes alike.
Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole: The Frozen Bean Advantage
While you certainly *can* adapt this recipe to be vegetarian, the irresistible flavor of bacon truly elevates this dish to another level. Whether you prefer crisp strips, pre-bagged real bacon bits, or even using it as a creative leftover ham recipe, the savory depth it adds is unparalleled. My husband adores this casserole so much that it makes regular appearances on our table throughout the year, not just during the holiday season.
This Instant Pot version is a direct adaptation of my popular oven-baked green bean casserole with bacon. Naturally, since it’s cooked under pressure and not in a traditional oven, you won’t achieve the same intensely crispy top layer that an oven provides. If that signature oven-crisped texture is an absolute must-have for you, then I would recommend sticking to the oven-baked recipe linked above. However, the pressure cooker method delivers a wonderfully tender green bean base bathed in a rich, creamy sauce that’s incredibly satisfying and boasts its own unique charm.
A game-changer for our family has been making our own fried onions from scratch. They are infinitely better than store-bought varieties, offering a fresher, more intense flavor and a truly irresistible crunch. Plus, you can easily make extra to serve on the side, as everyone will undoubtedly rave about them!
Key Ingredients for the Perfect Pressure Cooker Green Bean Casserole
Crafting a truly memorable green bean casserole begins with selecting the right ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and why each component is essential for this Instant Pot rendition:
- Frozen Green Beans: These are your best option for maintaining a desirable texture. Unlike canned beans, frozen green beans hold their shape and offer a pleasant bite, preventing the casserole from becoming overly soft or mushy.
- Mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms add an earthy depth to the sauce. Portobello mushrooms are particularly recommended for their robust flavor and meaty texture, but cremini or button mushrooms work well too.
- Onions (diced): Diced fresh onions provide a foundational layer of savory flavor that caramelizes beautifully during the sautéing process, forming the base of your creamy sauce.
- Butter: Essential for sautéing the aromatics and creating a rich, flavorful roux. You can use a vegan dairy-free alternative if needed for dietary restrictions.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is crucial for thickening the sauce, transforming the liquid into a luscious, gravy-like consistency that perfectly coats the green beans.
- Chicken Broth or Stock: Provides the liquid base for the sauce, infusing it with savory notes. Vegetable broth can be substituted for a vegetarian version.
- Salt and Pepper: Fundamental seasonings that enhance all the other flavors. Adjust to your personal taste.
- Garlic (optional): Minced garlic adds a pungent, aromatic kick that complements the mushrooms and onions wonderfully. Feel free to include it for an extra layer of flavor.
- Half and Half: Opting for half and half over regular milk creates a significantly creamier and richer sauce, giving the casserole that luxurious mouthfeel we all crave. Heavy cream can also be used for an even more decadent result.
- Fried Onions (store-bought or homemade): These iconic crispy onions are the crowning glory of any green bean casserole. Whether you use French’s in a can or opt for the superior flavor of homemade fried onions, they add an essential crunch and savory finish.
Adapting for a Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole
For those with dietary restrictions or who prefer a plant-based option, creating a delicious dairy-free green bean casserole is entirely achievable. Instead of half and half, you can use unsweetened almond milk or, for a richer texture, full-fat coconut milk whisked with a bit of cornstarch. The cornstarch will help achieve that desired creamy consistency. I’ve also had great success finding excellent plant-based vegan butter products at the grocery store that perfectly mimic the taste and texture of traditional butter.
Now, if you’re not a big fan of bacon… well, let’s just say we might have different culinary philosophies! (Just kidding, mostly.) Of course, you can certainly omit the bacon if you choose, though I truly believe its smoky, salty contribution is a vital part of what makes this casserole so exceptional.
When it comes to achieving the best texture in your green bean casserole, the type of green beans you choose makes a significant difference. If your goal is for the vegetables to retain their shape and a pleasant firmness without becoming overly soft, then fresh or frozen green beans are your superior choices. Fresh green beans will maintain the most crispness, followed closely by frozen. Canned green beans, on the other hand, tend to be the softest due to their pre-cooked nature. As a “texture person” myself, I overwhelmingly prefer frozen green beans for their balance of convenience and ideal bite in this pressure cooker recipe.
Green bean casserole is indeed a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish that can be prepared in a slow cooker. However, based on my extensive experience, the “slow cook” function found on many modern pressure cookers (like the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi) often doesn’t perform as effectively as a dedicated slow cooker. The temperatures tend to be inconsistent, and the results can be less than ideal. For optimal slow cooker results, I still recommend using a traditional, “old-fashioned” Crock-Pot. If you opt for slow cooking, follow our specific slow cooker green bean casserole recipe for the best instructions.
Crafting a Superior Sauce: Beyond Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
While many traditional green bean casserole recipes call for canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, this recipe takes a delicious detour. It completely skips the canned variety in favor of a homemade cream of mushroom sauce that is incomparably better. By combining heavy cream, savory seasonings, and fresh mushrooms, you can create a rich, velvety sauce that far surpasses anything from a can. Pressure cookers can sometimes be finicky with very thick soups, so following the precise steps outlined in the recipe below for building this homemade sauce is highly recommended. Once you experience the depth of flavor and freshness, you might just find yourself saying goodbye to canned soup forever. It truly elevates this dish into something extraordinary.
Perfecting Your Pressure Cooker Green Bean Casserole
After your Instant Pot green bean casserole has finished pressure cooking, you have a few options for serving. If you desire that classic golden-brown, crispy topping, simply transfer the casserole to a baking dish and place it under your broiler for a few minutes until the fried onions are perfectly browned and crunchy. Alternatively, you can serve it directly from the pressure cooker. Just ensure you transfer it to a beautiful serving dish or place the entire inner pot on a trivet at your table, as it will be piping hot. For an extra special holiday twist, consider combining this delightful casserole with mashed potatoes to create a comforting green bean mashed potato casserole – a true crowd-pleaser.
Ninja Foodi Owners: How to Achieve a Crispy Top
For those with a Ninja Foodi, achieving that desirable crispy top on your green bean casserole is incredibly simple and convenient, leveraging the appliance’s air crisp function. Here’s how:
- Follow the casserole directions as outlined in the recipe below, ensuring you perform a quick release at the end of the pressure cooking cycle.
- Once the pressure is fully released and the lid is open, generously sprinkle your fried onions over the top of the casserole.
- For an added layer of flavor and richness, you could also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese along with the fried onions.
- Close the Ninja Foodi with its air crisp lid (often called the TenderCrisp lid). Set the air crisp function to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for approximately 3 minutes. This short burst of high heat will lightly brown and crisp the topping.
- If you prefer a deeper golden brown or extra crunch, add additional minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning.
More Irresistible Holiday Side Dishes
Beyond this fantastic Instant Pot green bean casserole, explore these other beloved holiday side dishes that are sure to complete your festive spread:
- Jiffy cream corn casserole: A sweet and savory classic perfect for any gathering.
- Fluffy pressure cooker mashed potatoes: Achieve perfectly creamy mashed potatoes with minimal effort using your pressure cooker.
- Delicious pressure cooker sweet potatoes: A quick and easy way to prepare tender, flavorful sweet potatoes.
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Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole Recipe
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Equipment
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1 pressure cooker (6-quart recommended)
Ingredients
- 4 pcs bacon, diced (optional, or use 1/2 cup bacon bits)
- 1 lb frozen green beans
- 1.5 c French’s fried onions, or homemade crispy fried onions
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (Portobello recommended for best flavor)
- 1/2 c yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced (optional)
- 2 tbsp butter, salted (or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c half and half, or heavy cream (for dairy-free, use almond or coconut milk with cornstarch)
- 1 1/4 c chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
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**If adding fresh bacon:** Lightly spray the inside of your Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) with non-stick spray. Dice the bacon into small pieces. Set your pressure cooker to the “Sauté” function and cook the bacon until it’s lightly browned and crispy. Carefully drain most of the rendered grease, leaving just a tablespoon or two for flavor. (Alternatively, skip this step and use 1/2 cup of pre-cooked bacon bits.) Turn the pot off and deglaze it by adding a splash of broth and scraping any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon to prevent a “burn” notice.
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**If not adding bacon:** Set your pressure cooker to the “Sauté” function. Add the butter and allow it to melt completely. Then, add the diced onion and minced garlic (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften and become translucent.
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Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquids and the moisture has mostly evaporated. Stir in the all-purpose flour, ensuring it’s well combined with the butter and vegetables to create a light roux. Cook for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
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Pour in the chicken broth and half & half (or heavy cream/dairy-free alternative). Stir continuously until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until it has thickened to a gravy-like consistency. This creates a rich and flavorful homemade “cream of mushroom” base.
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Finally, add the frozen green beans to the pot. Stir gently to ensure they are fully coated in the creamy sauce. Once combined, place the lid on your pressure cooker and ensure the vent is sealed (to the “Sealing” position).
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Cook on the “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) function, setting it to High pressure for 5 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick release of the pressure by carefully turning the vent to the “Venting” position until all steam has escaped and the float valve drops.
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To further thicken the casserole if desired, set the pot back to “Sauté” mode. Allow the sauce to gently bubble, letting some of the liquid evaporate and concentrate. If you prefer an even thicker consistency, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a small amount of the hot liquid from the pot in a separate bowl, whisk until smooth, then stir this slurry into the casserole. Continue stirring until it thickens further.
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Remember that the casserole will naturally thicken more as it cools, so be careful not to overdo the cornstarch or flour addition during the sauté step.
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Serve your delicious Instant Pot green bean casserole immediately, generously topped with crispy fried onions!
Video
A video tutorial for this Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole is available on our blog for visual guidance.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
