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Slow Cooker Ham and Beans with Ham Hocks

If you’re a busy mom who needs an easy meal to make when you’re running errands all day, this slow cooker ham and beans with ham hocks recipe is the best way to cook dry soaked pinto beans you’ll ever make.

Slow-Cooker-Ham-and-Beans

We’d all love to have family meals each day. Sometimes that means we need a dinner that cooks by itself all day. That is where this Crockpot ham and beans recipe comes into play. It’s one of our favorite crockpot recipes. (affiliate links present)

Ham Hock and Beans in Slow Cooker

This. Is. Me. I have three girls who are all in school. Did I mention, THREE different schools?? One does drive herself luckily, and I work full time from home. Needless to say we are very busy so Crockpot meals are my go to for eating healthy and eating together as a family at the end of the day.

It used to be hard cooking from scratch, until this “magical pot” came along in my life. Now cooking dry beans in slow cooker is so easy, adding some meat in there takes it from good to amazing.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

  1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
  2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, perfect for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

This year brought about a few new adventures. We moved 1,000 miles away AND my oldest daughter got her driver’s license! Both bring excitement and a bit of anxiety as our focus went to the cars we were driving and making sure they were great in the snow.

Once I got a hang of our new surroundings it was time to find a new source of buying meat in bulk. You see we always have bought half a cow and/or pig from a local farmer and still wanted to continue that. Once we did we got a bunch of different cuts which was great so I could experiment with them.

If you have never used ham hocks or pork shank they have a TON of flavor to them especially if they have been smoked. There really isn’t a need for much seasoning if you use one or two of these babies. It’s also a great Crock pot leftover ham recipe if you want to just throw in what you have after the holidays.

How Long to Cook Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks in Slow Cooker

Don’t rush this, you want everything to be super tender and the meat to fall off the bone. Aim for 8 hours for soaked pinto or if you are using canned beans it is closer to 3 hrs. I like to start from scratch because it is healthier and I can throw it in in the morning so the timing is perfect once dinner arrives.

the typical mom

I will admit, I am a very busy mom but have been focusing lately on taking the time to focus on our family time. Our children are getting older and we are at the point now where we are counting down the number of summers we have left. Using a pressure cooker or slow cook pot like this makes it easier to eat together more often. 

If you are in the same boat I would highly suggest using this more. You can literally throw everything in there in the morning and not touch it all day long.

When you are all back from your busy days it will be there perfectly tender to enjoy. Then you can discuss your day, together. You’ll look back on this and treasure it for sure.

  • We highly value family dinners and try to get it done at least 2-3 times each week.
  • You could start with canned beans if you only had a few hours on hand.
  • Use leftover pressure cooker ham works too that you made the night before for this, ham hocks are even better.

Slow Cooker Recipe for Pinto Beans Soaked

The timing won’t matter whether you use hocks, sliced ham steak or precooked leftover ham inside there. You still need a while to soak and slow cook the pinto beans, though, meaning overnight. You can make it without soaking but it would need to be on high instead and doesn’t turn out as good. Period.

Another option is to make this starting with slow cooker mayocoba beans or Northern beans instead. They all have a pretty mild flavor. You can soak overnight to lessen the time or just rinse and throw them right in.

Slow-Cooker-Ham-and-Beans

Beans and Ham Hocks

When I married my husband we talked about making dinner together a priority. I will admit at the beginning when we had 3 girls with 2 under the age of 2. I was overwhelmed and it didn’t happen often. The older they got the easier it became. But the running around on a daily basis didn’t end.

  • I needed to find a way to cook a healthy delicious meal when I was gone all day long. That is when I really started creating slow cooker recipes!

It. Was. A. Lifesaver!! This made it possible for me to prepare the ingredients, throw everything in, turn it on in the morning. Then I would know when everyone was done with their homework we could just serve it up. I needed that, we needed that, and I felt the difference the more often we had family dinner nights together.

ham hock and beans

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans Ingredients

  1. Ham bone – ham hocks, or use leftover diced ham after the holidays
  2. Bag of beans
    1. dried beans, pinto or Northern beans found at local grocery store
    2. rinsed beans 
  3. Broth – I used beef broth
  4. Onion
    1. carrots and celery could be added too cut into large chunks
  5. Seasonings
  6. Bay leaf is optional

And if you’re having a really busy day we also have instructions to make Instant Pot ham and beans here as well. Both are winners.

How to Cook Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup with Dry Beans

  • If using dry beans put them in a bowl with 4 cups of water and leave them overnight to soak. (can use drained canned beans but I think dry turns out better)
  • Slice or dice your onion.
  • Put your ham hock in the center of your slow cooker. Drain your soaked beans and pour those around your ham hock.
  • Separate pieces of cut onion and sprinkle around ham hock on top of beans.
  • Sprinkle minced garlic and seasonings around, on top of onions. Then pour your chicken broth into your crockpot and close your lid.
  • Set on low for 6 – 8 hours for dry soaked beans (until they’re tender)
  • After 6 hours (7 if you want beans softer), remove bones from ham hock and shred ham in pot (it will fall apart when you use tongs on it.
    • I do not recommend cooking on high for this at all. They need time to get tender.
  • Stir and serve!

To make this into more of a soup recipe you would just add more broth and there you go. This would be an easy transition to make . Use the same ingredients as listed below. You might want to add some sliced vegetables like carrots and celery halfway thru for this to make it heartier.

with canned beans

Pinto was used here but Great Northern beans is great too. If you instead use drained canned beans it will only take 2-3 hours, I don’t recommend hours on high. White beans take less time than darker varieties. If you don’t add meat at all I would add salt and pepper to give it more flavor.

how to make fast

Want to make this quicker? Use your pressure cooker like our 15 bean soup in Instant Pot, or put canned beans in a Dutch Oven and cook 1 hour on medium high covered until tender!

I personally like using dry beans to adjust with a seasoning packet or the right amount salt for us. It is another choice though. In this post is a video showing you how to make this easy recipe with leftover ham.

A white bowl filled with a hearty slow cooker ham and beans, featuring chunks of meat, diced celery, and white beans, garnished with chopped green onions. A blue and white patterned cloth is in the background.

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Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!

Looking for more easy family recipes and tips? LIKE The Typical Mom Facebook page because we share all our new creations there every single day. And follow me on Pinterest for more inspirations! 😉

***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉

the typical mom
Slow-Cooker-Ham-and-Beans
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5 from 8 votes

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans

Easy slow cooker ham and beans with ham hocks recipe in a Crockpot gets a thumbs up from us all. With soaked dry pinto beans it is a hearty healthy meal.
Course Entree, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword beans, crockpot, ham, homemade, pinto beans, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 127kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If using dry beans put them in a bowl with 4 cups of water and leave them overnight to soak. (can use drained canned beans but I think dry turns out better)
  • Slice or dice your onion.
  • Put your ham hock in the center of your slow cooker. Drain your soaked beans and pour those around your ham hock.
  • Separate pieces of cut onion and sprinkle around ham hock on top of beans.
  • Sprinkle minced garlic and seasonings around, on top of onions. Then pour your broth into your crockpot and close your lid.
  • Set on low for 6 – 8 hours for dry soaked beans (until they're tender) or 2-3 hours for drained canned beans (depending on how soft you want them).
  • After 6 hours (7 if you want beans softer), remove bones from ham hock and shred ham in pot (it will fall apart when you use tongs on it.
  • Stir and serve!

Video

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Amount Per Serving (3 oz)
Calories 127 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 785mg34%
Potassium 259mg7%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 280IU6%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 29mg3%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Beans 2
5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)
Recipe Rating




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Jill

Saturday 4th of November 2023

I appreciate that you're a very busy mom and your recipes are geared towards that particular demographic, but even retired widows with grown children who live on the other side of the ocean can enjoy this hearty recipe. Since I live and eat alone, I can make several meals from one recipe and freeze the leftovers to enjoy on other days.

Cindy

Wednesday 8th of November 2023

@Jill, my husband now being empty nesters inþoo freeze the meals in appropriate zip locks so we can eat it later

The Typical Mom

Saturday 4th of November 2023

glad I could help

Alison Corey

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

This slow cooker ham and beans recipe has made my life so much easier as a busy mom. It's a comfort food dream come true, and the ham hock adds that perfect flavor.

Anjali

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

I love crockpot recipes and I knew this one would be a winner with my family! Will make it again soon!

Dannii

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

I have been looking for more slow cooker recipes to see us through the season and this was incredible. Definitely going to become a regular.

Gianne

Monday 25th of September 2023

I love how easy this is and I can clean up the house, and do my work while this one cooks up.

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