Few dishes say comfort quite like easy ham and beans! This Southern classic turns simple pantry staples into a rich, smoky, soul-warming meal. Whether you’re a fan of Southern cooking or you’re searching for an easy pinto beans recipe, this is one you’ll want to store and save for later. As the ham hocks slowly simmer with the beans, they release deep, savory and smoky flavors into the broth while becoming fall-apart tender. The result is a pot of creamy, perfectly seasoned beans infused with the goodness of ham hocks in every bite.
This recipe has been a staple in country kitchens and beyond. It’s not only filling, but it’s budget-friendly and also perfect when serving a crowd. Whether you’re serving it as a main dish with cornbread or as a hearty side alongside greens and fried chicken, these slow-simmered beans are sure to never disappoint. If you’re searching for a recipe that combines slow cooked beans with ham hocks, this is the one you’ll want to keep. This recipe is perfect whether you’re cooking a stew on a chilly morning or if you’re crafting a recipe to take to a potluck with friends and loved ones. We guarantee your guests will be asking for more.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are many reasons to love this ham and beans recipe:
Smoky and rich: Ham hocks infuse every spoonful with deep, savory goodness
Budget-friendly: Simple ingredients that lead to big flavor with every bite you take
Comfort: If you’re searching for comfort Southern cooking, this recipe has it all
Leftovers: If you’re a fan of leftovers, you’ll want to keep this recipe on rotation. Its deliciousness is maximized when reheated! If you’re a lover of soul food, you definitely want to save this recipe.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Great Northern Beans: You can swap the beans for any type of bean you prefer. However, for a classic ham and beans dish, we do recommend trying it with Great Northern beans!
Onions: You can swap the onions and omit them entirely, depending on your preferences. If you’re not a fan of freshly chopped onions, we still recommend adding onion flavor with onion powder. Minced onion powder is also an option, if you have it available and on-hand.
Celery and carrots: The celery and carrots in this recipe complement the flavor of the onion, which gives this ham and beans dish its classic flavor. However, you can omit or swap these veggies for another veggie of your liking. However, just keep in mind that doing so will alter the flavor of the dish.
Ham hocks: We recommend using ham hocks from a traditional ham dinner in this recipe for full flavor. If you do not have any ham hocks available on-hand, you can also attempt to make this dish with traditional slices of ham or chunks of ham from a full ham. Mixing both ham hocks and additional slices of ham can also add to the flavor of this ham and beans recipe once it’s cooked through.
Tips for Success
If you do not have any ham hocks available, you can also try this recipe with diced ham, smoked turkey legs, or even bacon.
In addition to Great Northern Beans, you can try Navy beans or even black-eyed peas.
If you want to cook this soup in your slow cooker, you can do so for 7-8 hours on low.
If you have a pressure cooker, we suggest cooking this recipe for 35-40 minutes on the appropriate setting.
Storage & Reheating
If you love leftovers, you’ll love that you can store and reheat this soul food recipe. To store and reheat this ham and beans dish, use airtight containers designed for refrigeration and/or freezing. You can store this dish in containers in your refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also store it in the freezer for 3-4 months.
To reheat, remove the containers from your fridge or freezer and allow the ham and beans to come closer to room temperature. This will make the reheating process even easier. Reheat the ham hocks and beans on the stove over medium-low heat until the serving begins to simmer. This will usually take 10 to 15 minutes.
You can also use the microwave to reheat this dish. Simply place your servings into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes, per serving, depending on the power of your microwave.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving this dish on its own, as its packed with heartiness and comfort with every bite. However, if you’re searching for sides that pair well with this ham and beans dish, consider these cheese and green Chile stuffed mushrooms to go along with your stew! We also think this recipe pairs perfectly with Mexican cornbread!
Notes
If you swap your ham hocks for diced ham or smoked turkey, keep in mind this will change the flavor of the stew once it’s finished cooking.
Easy Beans Cooked with Ham Hocks
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Dried Great Northern beans
- 2 Liters water
- 2 Large smoked ham hocks fully cooked/smoked flavor base
- 1 tbsp. Herbes de Provence
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 Medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 Stalks celery sliced
- 2 Medium carrots diced into uniform rounds
- 1 tbsp. Minced garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- The Flash-Hydration Soak: Bring a large pot of plain water to a rolling boil on the stove. Remove the pot from the heat completely, dump the dried Great Northern beans inside, and clamp a tight lid over the top. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 hours, then drain away all the soaking water. Pro Tip: This quick-soak method expands the dried starches evenly from the core outward. This prevents the delicate bean skins from wrinkling or splitting open later when exposed to long simmering times.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the 2 liters of fresh water, the smoked ham hocks, and 1 tablespoon of Herbes de Provence.
- The Gelatin-Extraction Simmer: Bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately turn the burner down to low. Cover the pot and let the ham hocks simmer gently by themselves for exactly 1 hour. Crucial: Ham hocks are packed with tough connective tissue and rich collagen. Simmering them alone first breaks down those stubborn fibers, dissolving the natural gelatin straight into the water to create a silky, body-rich pork stock baseline before the vegetables are added.
- While the hocks simmer, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent. Add the minced garlic during the last 60 seconds of sautéing.
- The Unified Simmer: Lift the lid of your large stockpot and tip the warm sautéed vegetables along with the drained, soaked beans directly into the bubbling ham hock broth. Bring the mixture back to a boil, drop the heat to low, cover, and let it all simmer together for 40 minutes until the beans are completely tender and creamy.
- Use tongs to pull the hot ham hocks out of the pot and place them on a cutting board. Shred the tender meat away from the bone and skin, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and slide the meat right back into the bean pot. Discard the remaining fat and bone.
- Season the thick, savory stew with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into deep bowls and shower with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
