American
Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Soaked navy beans cook with onion and fully cooked ham until the beans are creamy all the way through. It is a simple pot that makes a full dinner with cornbread on the side.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 7 hr
- Total
- 7 hr 15 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Soaked dried beans cost less than canned and hold their shape.
- Cooked ham seasons the pot without a long spice list.
- The beans tell you when they are done better than the clock does.
- Leftovers thicken overnight into a sturdy lunch.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Rinse the dried beans and discard any stones. Cover them with the 8 cups of water and soak in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
- 2
Use fully cooked ham. If the ham was frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator first. Do not start the slow cooker with frozen ham.
- 3
Put the drained beans, ham, onion, carrots, garlic, the 6 cups of cooking water, bay leaves, and pepper in the slow cooker. Hold the salt until the end so the beans soften.
- 4
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
- 5
The beans are done when they are completely tender, creamy in the center, and no chalky cores remain. If they are still firm, cook longer and check again. Discard the bay leaves.
- 6
Stir in the salt and vinegar. Taste and add more salt only if the ham did not season the pot enough. The broth should be spoonable, not watery.
Pro tips
- Old beans take longer. If they are still firm at 7 hours, give them another hour on low.
- Salt at the end. Early salt can keep the skins tough.
- A splash of vinegar at the finish brightens a long-cooked pot.
Easy substitutions
- Navy beans
- Great Northern beans, soaked the same way.
- Diced ham
- A meaty fully cooked ham steak, diced. Still thaw it first if frozen.
- Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard stirred in at the end.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Warm on the stove over medium-low with a splash of water until the ham and beans are hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 294
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 12 g
Budget friendly · Slow Cooker
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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