Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
Use your leftover holiday ham for this Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham. A delicious blend of onions, garlic, and warm spices like cumin and smoked paprika that simmer all day with beans and ham. This soul food classic brings comfort to any table.
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Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
- Easy dump and cook meal
- A great use for leftover ham
- Budget-friendly, only a few simple ingredients
- Comforting flavors
- Packed with protein and fiber
I love meals I can make using leftover items to get the most out of my money spent. With Easter just around the corner, ham is almost always part of the menu.
Ham is great leftover because it can be used to create multiple meals and stretched across recipes. Ham also freezes well so nothing gets wasted–just pop it in the freezer and save it for another day!
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham is a perfect recipe for using leftover ham. The smoky ham flavor infuses the beans and delivers a delicious and comforting pot of beans.
This is a classic dump-and-go recipe– toss everything in the slow cooker, turn it on, and enjoy your day. It’s hearty and filling, budget-friendly, using inexpensive dried beans, and simple pantry staples. It’s also packed with protein and fiber, and requires almost zero effort to throw together. What mom doesn’t love that!
You might also enjoy my quick Ham and Bean Soup with Kale. A stovetop version that can be enjoyed in almost 30-minutes. Or try my Crockpot Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder.
Simple Ingredients
- Beans- We use dried pinto beans. Dried beans offer a true bean flavor when slow cooked and give the broth richness.
- Ham– I use cubed ham from ham steaks but you can also add a ham bone and pull off the excess meat after it slow cooks.
- Chicken broth- Make sure to use a good quality chicken broth or you can use bone broth for added protein.
- Onions and garlic– This offers depth of flavor.
- Spices and seasonings– Smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, black pepper, bay leaves.
Substitutions
- Beans– Other options include great northern beans, navy or white beans. Cannellini beans will also work.
- Meat– Swap out the ham for your favorite smoked sausage or kielbasa. This will offer even more smoky flavor to the beans. Make sure to dice the sausage into bite size pieces.
- Veggies- Add veggies like diced carrots or celery. To incorporate greens, stir in a handful of baby spinach right before serving.
- Other seasonings– Try using thyme or Italian seasoning for an earthy taste. You can also add spice using chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Do I have To Soak The Dried Beans?
Not necessary but it is recommended. Soaking beans not only helps reduce the cooking time but it helps improve, texture, and may help with digestion. There are two different ways to do this.
- Overnight soak– Sort through the beans to make sure there isn’t any small pieces of debris or pebbles. Place in a bowl filled with cold water and allow to soak at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Quick soak– Sort through the beans to remove any debris and rinse under cold water. Add the beans to a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil then turn the heat down to medium low to simmer for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and place a lid on. Allow the beans to set for 1-hour. Drain and rinse, then proceed with your recipe.
One-Simple Step
See full instructions in recipe card below
Step One. Add all the ingredients to a large slow cooker and stir. Place the lid on and set to cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and serve.
Tips
- đź’ˇUse a meaty ham bone. If you have a ham bone, this would be an ideal recipe to use it. This will offer a richer flavor to the beans. If the ham bone still has a substantial amount of meat, you’ll want to pull it off and stir it into the beans after the cooking time.
- đź’ˇDon’t add any salt. You’ll want to wait to add salt until after the cooking time. Ham is naturally salty and often times there is no need to add any.
- đź’ˇGive the beans plenty of time to cook. The beans need several hours to cook and become tender. Start the beans early in the day so you can enjoy at supper time.
- đź’ˇCheck your liquid during the cooking time. You may need to add more liquid during the cooking time as beans do absorb a lot of liquid while they cook. As long as the broth is covering the beans, you’re good to go.
Common Questions
Yes! To make the overall pot of beans more creamy, use a potato masher after the cooking time to mash some of the beans. This will create a creamier, thicker broth. You can also add sour cream or Greek yogurt after the cooking time for a richer, creamier broth.
If your beans have not softened properly after cooking all day this could be that your beans are old or there was too much salt or acid used during the cooking process. Make sure your beans are fresh and wait to add salt and or any acid like vinegar until the beans are cooked.
Yes! Make sure you have a big pot with a fitted lid. Follow the steps bringing the liquid to a medium boil, then reduce the heat to low. Place the lid on and simmer until beans are tender, about 3-4 hours.
Ham and bean soup will last 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or up to 3 months in the freezer in a sealed freezer safe container.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
Equipment
- 1 6 qt or larger slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried pinto beans soaked overnight see recipe notes for soaking methods
- 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, shredded or cubed or use a meaty ham bone
- 3/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- To the slow cooker add beans, ham, onions, garlic, seasonings (minus the salt) bay leaves, and chicken broth. Stir to combine and place the lid on. Cook on low for 9-10 hours or until beans are tender and soft. If using a ham bone, remove from the slow cooker and pull off any excess meat. Stir the meat into the beans and taste for seasonings. 1 lb dried pinto beans, soaked in cold water overnight1 1/2 cups diced or shredded ham3/4 cup onion, diced3 garlic cloves, minced1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika1/2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp dried oregano2 bay leaves6 cups low-sodium chicken brothkosher salt to taste.
Notes
- Use a meaty ham bone. If you have a ham bone, this would be an ideal recipe to use it. This will offer a richer flavor to the beans. If the ham bone still has a substantial amount of meat, you’ll want to pull it off and add it to the beans after the cooking time.
- Don’t add any salt. You’ll want to wait to add salt until after the cooking time. Ham is naturally salty and often times there is no need to add any.
- Give the beans plenty of time to cook. The beans need several hours to cook and become tender. Start the beans early in the day so you can enjoy at supper time.
- Check your liquid during the cooking time. You may need to add more liquid during the cooking time as beans do absorb a lot of liquid while they cook. As long as the broth is covering the beans, you’re good to go.
- Overnight soak– Sort through the beans to make sure there isn’t any small pieces of debris or pebbles. Place in a bowl filled with cold water and allow to soak at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Quick soak– Sort through the beans to remove any debris and rinse under cold water. Add the beans to a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil then turn the heat down to medium low to simmer for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and place a lid on. Allow the beans to set for 1-hour. Drain and rinse, then proceed with your recipe.
- Beans– Other options include great northern beans, navy or white beans. Cannellini beans will also work.
- Meat– Swap out the ham for your favorite smoked sausage or kielbasa. This will offer even more smoky flavor to the beans. Make sure to dice the sausage into bite size pieces.
- Veggies- Add veggies like diced carrots or celery. To incorporate greens, stir in a handful of baby spinach right before serving.
- Other seasonings– Try using thyme or Italian seasoning for an earthy taste. You can also add heat using chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Nutrition
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I soaked the beans all night but failed to get them in the crockpot early enough to cook all day. Do you think the soup will come out right if I only cook it on high for 5 hours?
Hi Karen! You can absolutely cook them on high for 5-6 hours, however, usually the beans are more tender when cooked low and slow. Thank you for your question, I will definitely update this in the post for others interested. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out for you!