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If you are a person who loves Southern cooking, you will love this easy and simple recipe for Slow Cooker Pinto Beans with Ham Hock. In the South, or at least in my house, we refer to them as brown beans. Either way, they are delicious!

When I was a kid, my momma always had a pot of flavorful beans going on the stove. Whether they were white beans, brown beans, red beans, lima beans, or green beans. That woman never had dinner without some kind of bean to serve. Beans and ham were, also, some of the best MRE meals people could have in a war.

I never ate them because I do not like beans. At all. Unless they are in something like my Black Bean Brownies or my Everything Bagel Hummus. Those are my favorite beans because they do not resemble beans at all.

Then, I married a man who loves any bean. So I had to make it my mission to learn how to cook them so he could have a great comfort food meal. I think I have done pretty well learning, so I thought I would share with you too just in case you need an easy pinto bean recipe. My secret is slow-cooking the beans. This slow cooker recipe is one for the books!

There are many different ways to make these beans. If you do not have a slow cooker, you can do this same method in a large pot on the stovetop or a pressure cooker.

How to Make This Crock Pot Pinto Beans Recipe

This recipe could not be easier to make.

To start with, you need a 16-ounce bag of dry pinto beans from the store. Keep in mind that dry beans need to be sorted, and washed before cooking. You need to do this because occasionally you will have rotten ugly beans in your bag and you will need to remove them. These are the same beans you would also use for refried beans.

I do an overnight soak in the fridge. Fill a large bowl with water and dump the beans in. Cover and let it rest overnight. This softens them and cuts down on the cooking time tremendously. You do not have to do this though. You can do the quick soak method or go straight from the bag to the slow cooker.

If you are short of time and want to speed things up, you can opt for canned beans. I take the can of beans then place it in a medium saucepan and add some chicken broth to it. If I have bacon on hand, I cut that up and add to it. Place it on low and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes and then serve it with some cornbread.

Pour your beans into the crockpot.

Next, you are going to get a smoked ham hock (or ham shank) with the ham bone on it and nestle it right into the dried beans. Smoked ham hocks can usually be found in the grocery store where the bacon and sausage are located. If you have leftover ham, then that works just fine too. You can find my favorite ham recipe here.

My local grocery store offers a two-pack for around $4. They are super cheap and add a ton of smoky flavor to your beans.

Once you get the ham hock nestled, add one teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder. Then, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper.

Cover the beans with 8 to 10 cups water or chicken stock. There should be about 2 inches of water above the beans. The cooking time should be low for 8 hours or high for about 5 hours. You may need to add more water to your beans if you don't soak them in a water bath overnight.

You could also add some bacon grease to the slow cooker.

Once you have tender beans, remove the ham hock from the beans. Take the fatty portion off and shred the meat with a fork. Put the meat back in and mix it with the beans. Give it a taste and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve the best crockpot pinto beans topped with cheddar cheese with a side of my Classic Skillet Cornbread and top with pickled chilies for the perfect weeknight dinner idea. You can use this as a side dish if you want, but my husband loves to just eat it as his main dish sometimes. It is even better the next day. The next time you need a quick meal, this is the one you need to make! It is the best way to make beans in my opinion.

To keep the leftover pinto beans fresh, store them in an airtight container in the fridge once they cool down to room temperature. This easy recipe is a great way to serve a hearty meal when your money is tight. This is the best pinto beans recipe you will find out there!

Take the leftovers and drain them. Smash them and use them the next day in some bean burritos!

Looking for other bean recipes? Check these out

• Green Bean Bundles
• Slow Cooker Green Beans
• Southern Style White Beans and Ham (made using Great Northern beans)
• Blistered Green Beans