This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s HamBeens though all opinions are mine alone.
This recipe for the best Slow Cooker Ham and Beans is creamy and delicious. Great for leftover ham, just add veggies broth and seasonings.
Bean soups are one of the best things to make in the crockpot, when we have leftover ham we make ham and beans, 15 bean soup or black-eyed peas.
Are you a Ham and Bean soup fan? My family sure is. There is a little diner we go to that has Ham and Beans on the menu daily and I have to get it every time we go. You won’t believe how easy it is to make restaurant-quality ham and beans at home easily by throwing everything in your slow cooker and WITHOUT soaking the beans.
I use Hurst’s HamBeens Great Northern Beans with Ham Flavor. These beans are great quality, you can see that in my video below. The beans cook up big and tender.
This package of Great Northern Beans and many other bean mixes from Hurst’s Hambeens come with a ham flavor packet. It’s a little powdery mix that tastes like smokey ham.
One thing I have not mentioned yet on the blog about this little flavor packet is that it is vegetarian, so if you are not wanting real ham in your soups but want the flavor, you can get it! You can find where to buy these bean mixes here. I have found the most variety at Walmart in my area.
How to make Slow Cooker Ham and Beans:
You will need these ingredients:
- 1 bag Hurst’s Hambeen’s Great Northern Beans with Ham Flavor
- Diced Ham
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Dried thyme
- Chicken broth
- Pepper
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Sort through the beans and discard any debris. Place the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water. Add the beans to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the diced ham, carrots, onion, celery, dried thyme and pepper with the beans in the slow cooker. Pour over the chicken broth. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the cooking time is up add the ham flavor packet, stir. Add salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Do I need to soak the beans?
No! this recipe works great without soaking. Be sure to cook on HIGH, and keep the lid on the entire time.
Can I use a ham hock?
- Yes! You can use 1-2 ham hocks or shanks instead of diced ham.
- Remove the ham hock after cooked and remove any meat, add to the slow cooker.
- Degrease the soup by laying a paper towel over it and removing.
Can I use chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth?
- Yes! I use 4-5 chicken bouillon cubes when I forget to buy chicken broth.
- Just unwrap and throw them in with water (8 cups), they will dissolve and dissipate in the soup.
How can I make this into a freezer meal?
- Place raw veggies, diced ham, dried thyme and pepper into a ziplock bag. Don’t add the beans or chicken broth, leave those in your pantry until you are ready to use your frozen meal.
- Freeze the veggies, ham and seasonings for up to a month.
- When ready to cook, add the contents of the freezer bag, beans, and pour in 8 cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker. Wait to add the ham packet.
- Cook as the normal recipe states, add ham flavor packet at end of cooking time.
More dried bean recipes here on The Magical Slow Cooker:
- Slow Cooker Cajun 15 bean Soup with Leftover Turkey
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Ham
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Bacon
Christmas is just around the corner and I know a lot of us will have leftover ham and this recipe is perfect for that. Be sure to save this recipe for later and enjoy a big pot of Ham and Bean Soup with your family. If you love this recipe you can find more like it over at Hurst’s HamBeens.
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 20 oz. pkg. Hurst’s Hambeens Great Northern Beans with Ham flavoring (save the ham flavor packet for the end of the cooking time)
- 2 cups diced ham leftover ham works great
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste
Instructions:
- Place the beans in a colander and sort out any debris, rinse beans in cold water and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the ham, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and chicken broth, stir. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- When the cooking time is done, add the ham flavor packet and stir. Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Yes! Use 1-2 ham hocks or shanks instead of diced ham.
- Shred the meat at the end of the cooking time, add to the soup.
- Degrease the soup by laying a paper towel over the soup and lifting quickly.
- Yes! Use 4-5 chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth (and 8 cups of water).
- Unwrap and throw in, they will dissolve and dissipate on their own.
- Place raw veggies, diced ham, dried thyme and pepper into a ziplock bag. Don’t add the beans or chicken broth, leave those in your pantry until ready to use. Freeze the veggies, ham and seasonings for up to a month.
- When ready to cook, add the contents of the freezer bag, beans, and pour in 8 cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker. Wait to add the ham packet.
- Cook as the normal recipe states, add ham flavor packet at end of cooking time.
Nutrition:
This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s HamBeens though all opinions are mine alone.
I couldn’t find the HamBeens with flavor packet in my area, so I purchased dried Great Northern by Goya and a Ham Steak. With a few of my own modifications this was delish!
My slow cooker also has a Saute/Sear function (Roasting function, too). In lieu of the ham flavoring packet mentioned in the recipe, I set my slow cooker to sear at 300° and browned both sides of the ham steak, while it browned, I chopped onions, carrots & celery, then removed ham and set aside. I then added vegetables to the slow cooker with just a small drizzle of olive oil and sautéed until crisp-tender. I then added the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the slow cooker to add all the fond flavoring to the soup. I added the rest of the ingredients, except salt, as per the recipe and kept the slow cooker on sauté, while I diced up the ham steak. I then added the diced ham WITH BONE to the soup, re-set the slow cooker to Slow Cook HIGH, and set the time for 7 hours. This method required absolutely no salt and was delish!
For a fun modification, add a little bit of ketchup to your bowl, for a Sweet & Sour Ham & Bean Soup!
Now that we have some delish bean recipes, how ’bout that cornbread ? Any one care to share ? Thank You and Happy New Year !!!
Can Pinto beans be used in this recipe if one does not have Northern beans? If it can what would be the amount of pinto beans to use and would I need to soak the pinto beans first? Would I use all of the other ingredients with the pinto beans or just with northern beans?
Hi Carolyn.
Yes! You can use this recipe with pinto beans. No need to soak as long as you cook them on high for 7 hours. I do have this recipe that is similar: https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-pinto-bean-and-bacon-soup/
Sarah do you use all the same ingredients for the Pinto beans that it calls for the Northern beans
I’ve never cooked dry beans without soaking the beans first. Can I still soak the beans and then cook in crock pot?
Yes, will work fine.
can you use canned beans?
I don’t really know but I am going to try that because that’s what I have in my pantry. I think I will add them about 4-5 hours in. It sometimes take me a minute to get them all out so I’m going to put them into a bowl first. That way I won’t have to have the lid off but for a few seconds. Wish me luck.
How sodium is in the flavoring packet?
Here is the nutritional info for the beans that is more exact than my calculations. https://hurstbeans.com/products/hursts-great-northern-ham-beens
I store most of my food , rice, macaroni , beans in containers that seal tight.. so ounces doesn’t work when I make meals.. I need cups measurement instead of ounces..
One pound of dry beans in about 2 cups, so you will most likely need 2.5 cups of beans for this recipe.
Do you soak the beans first?
No. If you cook them on high they don’t need soaking
I have been unable to find the Hurst Hambeens. However I found the Goya ham seasoning. I understand that it is a 20 oz package, but how much of that is dried beans? Or how many cups of beans should I use? Thanks in advance for your help
Hi Rose, pretty much all of the 20 oz. is the beans. You can you a full 20 ounces of beans wort no problems.
Great recipe! We liked it except the thyme was a bit much. I will use half the amount next time.
These recipes look really good. Can’t wait to try them all!
For a widower you save my day. your recipes are so good and easy for me to make. I been writing all your recipes down cause I don’t have a printer but I am getting your book.
I make this but use dried lima beans. I also add about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with everything else. The sugar cuts any bitterness the beans may have. It doesn’t make the soup taste sweet. I saw this hint on the internet a long time ago and have been adding it to the slow cooker ever since.
Cant get hambeans here in Spain what can i use instead ?
I use smoked ham shanks. Great taste.
Can most slow cooked recipes be pressure cooked on soup or stew settings and add more favor as well as cutting the cooking time to about an hour?
Yes, I believe so!
Where can I find the Ham Flavor packet?
It’s included in the mix.
If you can’t find this brand of beans you could add the Goya ham seasoning packet to a pack of plain dried beans. The Goya products are located around the Mexican and Asian food in my local grocery store.
To me, the Goya ham packets are far superior to what comes in any brand of dried beans you purchase. I always try to buy the Hurst beans when I can find them. Usually at Publix.
Recently, I have used the Goya ham packets but, I was disappointed .It does give the ham flavor I was expecting.
You can use Goya ham flavoring packet for the ham seasoning without the meat. In our grocery store it is aroind the Mexican and Asian foods. I live in a small town. Jope this helps.
That looks delicious would love to try make it but where would I buy the Beans we don’t have a Walmart we live in Carlisle Cumbria United Kingdom I do so love your recipes
Hello Sheila,
My name is Linda and I live in Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA. I read your comment and wanted to tell you that you can use any kind of dried beans no matter the brand. I have made this recipe several times with just regular brand pintos and it came out great even without the seasoning packet. The hardest part about cooking this recipe is not peeking at it for the 7 hours it cooks. Smells fantastic and tastes just as good!
Pinto beans and ham are great. I add my own pinto bean seasoning. About 1 tbl. It comes pre-packaged or you can make your own.
I want to make my own seasonng for ham and pinto beans can u tell me what to use
If you can’t find the beans, I’d be willing to pick some up and ship them to you.
where did the little blue pots shown in some pictures come from – cute!
on the bean and ham recipe i have a 4qt crock pot how would I cut this down maybe 1/2 bag of beans and cut back on other items?
I think that would work great!
Where did you buy the ham and beans?
I find mine at walmart you can see where you can get them here: https://hurstbeans.com/store-locator