Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
No Comments Feb 04, 2024
Updated Aug 20, 2024
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This delicious Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham recipe features a heaping of beans and ham slow cooked with sauteed onions all in a generous amount of chicken broth and flavorful seasonings. You’ll be ready to pair these beans with a main dish of your choice in as little as 5 hours, making it an ideal choice for dinner tonight.
Beans and ham tastes amazing by themselves, but also make a nice comforting meal when paired with meals like Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Mayo or Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pot Roast.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Pinto Beans and Ham in Crock Pot Recipe
Pinto beans are typically one of the easiest meals to cook. At most, the biggest concern is making them flavorful, which is where the seasonings come into play. Ham hocks are often the first choice, but if you’re looking to whip up a tasty batch of southern pinto beans, then you’ll want to use much more than smoked ham hocks or a ham bone.
Depending on when you’re cooking these, you can use leftover ham from Thanksgiving or Christmas. I also like to use ham that’s already been diced when I’m short on time. This is a foolproof and easy recipe that uses onion, broth, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder for a southern style pinto beans recipe everyone is sure to enjoy.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pinto Beans: For this recipe, there’s no need to presoak. You’ll give them a good rinse and end with nice and tender beans.
- Cooking Oil: You can use vegetable oil or canola oil for sauteeing the onion.
- Onion: For the best flavor, I recommend using a large yellow sweet onion.
- Chicken Broth: This helps add even more flavor to the pinto beans during the slow cooking process.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder are added in before the cook time starts. Salt is added to taste after cooking time is up.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add the cooking oil. Add the thick onion slices.
Step Two – Cook each side until browned. Don’t burn, but the darker you brown them, the more flavor they will have.
Step Three – Pour the unsoaked beans into the crock pot.
Step Four – Add the onion on top of the beans along with ham and the seasonings (except salt).
Step Five – Pour over the chicken broth.
Step Six – Cover and cook pinto beans on HIGH for 5-6 hours or until the beans are tender. When the cooking time is up, stir and taste if salt is needed. The ham may be enough salt for the recipe.
How to Serve
- This is a simple recipe that can be served as-is along with a nice-sized piece of sweet cornbread.
- In southern cooking fashion, these beans can also be paired with fried chicken, smoked turkey wings, or another main dish of your choice. It also goes well with other side dishes like green beans and carrots.
- Make this side dish a hearty meal by adding a topping of diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, or cilantro lime rice.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Crock pot pinto beans taste amazing with any meat scraps (especially flavorful ham hocks), so if you have one on hand, throw it in.
You most certainly can. In addition to the sauteed onion, some people like to add green bell pepper.
If you love pinto beans but want to add a different flavor, try adding a bit of liquid smoke and smoked sausage. You’ll have a side dish packed with smoky flavor. You can also add minced garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to give it a bit of a kick.
Yes. In addition to dry pinto beans, you can try this bean recipe with lima beans, white beans, nad great northern beans.
Pour any leftover ham and beans into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Easily swap the chicken broth for chicken stock, beef broth, or vegetable stock.
To get the best pinto beans, you don’t have to soak them overnight. While some argue that soaked beans cook quicker, it’s also been said that they are more flavorful having not been soaked. Cooking beans is really easy and this is an easy recipe to follow.
More Slow Cooker Bean Recipes
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Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced into thick rounds
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, (vegetable oil or canola oil)
- 1 lb. dried pinto beans, (no need to presoak)
- 2 cups diced ham
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- 7 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste, (add after cooking time is up)
Instructions
- Sort out any dirt clumps and rocks from the beans and discard. Rinse the beans and add to the slow cooker.
- In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add the cooking oil. Add the thick onion slices and cook on each side until browned. Don't burn, but the darker you brown them, the more flavor they will have.
- Add the onion on top of the beans along ham with the seasonings (except salt).
- Pour over the chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the beans are tender.
- When the cooking time is up, stir and taste if salt is needed. The ham may be enough salt for the recipe.
Sarah’s Notes
- Crock pot pinto beans taste amazing with any meat scraps (especially flavorful ham hocks), so if you have one on hand, throw it in.
- To get the best pinto beans, you don’t have to soak them overnight. While some argue that soaked beans cook quicker, it’s also been said that they are more flavorful having not been soaked. Cooking beans is really easy and this is an easy recipe to follow.
- Pour any leftover ham and beans into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
