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–+ servings
a white bowl with handles filled with ham and beans and topped with a slice of bread.
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5 from 4 ratings

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans

This easy slow cooker ham and beans recipe is incredibly tasty and hearty! This is a fantastic "set it and forget it" meal that repurposes leftover ham and is packed with loads of tender veggies and a flavorful broth.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 8 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ham and beans crockpot, slow cooker ham and beans
Servings: 12
Author: Sarah Cook

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried navy beans {Great northern or cannellini also work fine}
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 ham hock {or leftover ham bone}
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped into large pieces {~3 medium carrots}
  • 1 cup celery, chopped {~1 medium stalk}
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup onion, chopped {~1/2 of a medium onion}
  • 1 tsp dried parsley {or 1 tbsp fresh}
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme {or 3 stems of fresh}
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Parmesan rind {optional}
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with 4 inches of water. The beans will increase in volume as they soak, so choose a bowl that is suitable for the volume expansion.
    1 lb dried navy beans
  • Soak at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
  • After they have finished soaking, drain the beans and discard the water before adding the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Place the beans and the other ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
    2 cups low sodium chicken stock, 3 cups water, 1 ham hock, 2 cups carrots, chopped into large pieces, 1 cup celery, chopped, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 3/4 cup onion, chopped, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, Parmesan rind
  • Set the slow cooker to low and cook everything for 6 hours.
  • Remove the ham bone or ham hock from the slow cooker.
  • Remove any meat from the bone/hock and add it back to the slow cooker.
  • Stir to combine and serve.

Notes

  1. If you don’t use a leftover ham bone/hock, use all chicken stock instead of water. It will help boost the flavor that will be missing from the recipe.
  2. I recommend low-sodium chicken stock and not salting the dish until after it has finished cooking. Ham/ham hocks/ham bones are already fairly salty.
  3. If you want to convert this to a soup recipe, increase the broth/stock by 2-3 cups at the start of the cooking process.
  4. Nutrition values are an estimate only

Instant Pot Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, lock the lid into place, and set the steam release handle to “Sealing”.
  2. Press Manual>High Pressure>40 minutes.
  3. When it has finished cooking, allow for a full natural release. This can take up to 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3603IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg