Crock Pot Pinto Beans are slow-cooked until pinto beans are tender. Loaded with chunks of juicy tender ham steak. Serve yourself a heaping bowl of crock pot pinto beans with sweet honey cornbread for an easy comforting meal.
Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot is the easiest way to make fork-tender pinto beans every single time. The fastest way to cook Pinto Beans is in an Instant Pot, but honestly, the slow cooker beats out the instant pot and traditional stovetop.
I grew up on this pinto beans and ham recipe and it is comfort food for the soul. My mother would make a huge pot and there were always leftovers the next day. She called it a poor man’s dinner because it was and still is a cheap dinner to make.
If you love pinto beans and ham you have to try my Slow Cooker White Beans and Sausage recipe.
This Pinto Beans Crock Pot Recipe is so simple. You dump in all the ingredients, set it, and forget it. The beans and ham are fork-tender after cooking on high for 5 hours. The aroma will make your mouth water.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Pinto Beans
- Dry Pinto Beans
- Ham Steak
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Pepper
- Chicken Broth
How to Cook Pinto Beans in a Crock Pot
Yep, you read the recipe below right? I don’t soak my beans overnight. I rinse the pinto beans and dump them straight into the slow cooker.
Instead of water, I use chicken broth. It gives the beans a great flavor. If you can get your broth to taste good. Your beans will taste good.
This simple Pinto Beans Recipe in a Slow Cooker is hassle-free and tastes amazing.
Ham versus Ham Hocks for Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Traditionally Ham Hocks were tossed into the pot of Pinto Beans for flavor from the bone. There is hardly any meat on the ham hooks and I wanted a meaty pot of pinto beans.
You can change the recipe and add ham hocks instead of chopped ham steak. But if you are like me and love tender chunks of ham in your pinto beans. Ham steak is the way to go. There are bone-in ham steaks or boneless ham steaks you can buy. I use the bone-in ham steaks for my pot beans.
What to Serve with Pinto Beans
Pinto Beans and Ham are usually my main course. However, sometimes I have served them as a side dish.
- When serving Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Ham as the main course serve cornbread as a side.
- When I serve it as a side dish it is on a Southern Style Veggie Plate. I serve it alongside fried cabbage, collards, sweet potatoes, green beans, and fried okra.
How to Save Leftover Crock Pot Pinto Beans
- Transfer leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you have enough space in your refrigerator and your crock comes out of the heating unit you can place it directly in your refrigerator. Just allow the crock pot to cool before putting it in the refrigerator.
- Transfer into a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans Recipe
Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Ham. Pinto Beans slow cook for 5 hours and are perfectly flavored and tender.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ham steak , cubed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 48 ounces chicken broth, add more if needed to cover beans and ham.
Instructions
- Place beans in your crock pot or slow cooker.
- Add onion, garlic, ham, cumin, oregano, and black pepper.
- Add the chicken broth. Add more if needed to cover the beans and ham.
- Cook on high for 5 hours. Beans will be tender. Cook longer if needed.
Notes
1. We make chicken broth using Better than Bouillon Chicken Base.
2. Serve crock pot pinto beans with sweet cornbread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 16gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g
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