My mama made this pinto beans recipe all the time because it was easy, flavorful and cheap boos! The smoked ham hock adds flavor to the broth while the beans get super tender from simmering. This is straight up Southern old school eating with no frills, just soul.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Pinto Beans Ingredients
- Pinto beans: Make sure you wash and sort through the dried beans. You will find twigs, rocks, and debris, and you don’t want to eat them.
- Chicken stock: While old schoolers like my mama used to just use water, I find that you can create a richer broth by using chicken stock.
- Onion: White, yellow, or sweet onion will work.
- Smoked ham hock: You can find these in the meat section at most grocery stores. Very important: make sure they are smoked and super meaty! If you aren’t a fan, just substitute with a smoked turkey leg, which is equally as good. If you don’t want meat at all, you can use 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke.
- Herbs and spices: All you need are bay leaves, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to season these perfectly.
How to make Pinto Beans
Southern Pinto Bean Recipe
Dried pinto beans slow cooked on the stove top with chicken broth, a big ol' ham hock, and seasonings. Serve with some cornbread, and call it dinner.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (11 ounce) package pinto beans picked through and soaked in lots of water overnight
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 quart water
- 1 onion halved or roughly chopped
- 2 halves smoked ham hock (about ¾ pound total)
- 2 bay leaves optional
- 1 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder plus more to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the soaked beans, chicken stock, water, onion, ham hocks, and bay leaves (if using) to a large stock pot.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nice and tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Season with pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Serve.
Notes
This recipe used the entire package of beans I purchased and makes a large quantity, but can be scaled for smaller amounts.
Also you can replace the ham hocks in this recipe with smoked turkey instead.
Cook just above a simmer for a creamier texture. This amount of heat causes some of the beans to break down, adding more body to the liquid and giving the dish more creaminess.
Don’t forget the meat on the ham hocks. After cooking you can pick the meat from the bones to stir into the beans for you and your guests to enjoy the full flavor.
Sort your beans. You’re looking for any beans that are shriveled, super dark, or otherwise appear off. You should also be on the lookout for any small rocks or other inedible debris that might have found its way into the bag.
Soak your beans. It’s important for more even cooking and also better for digestion.
Storage: Cool the beans to room temp then transfer them to an airtight container to pop in the fridge. They should last about 4 days in the fridge if stored properly. To reheat, I prefer thawing them in the fridge overnight and then putting them in a saucepan to heat over medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!
Recipe Tips
- Cook just above a simmer for a creamier texture. Keeping that heat low adds more body to the liquid that results in creaminess as the beans break down.
- Newer Beans are Best: Beans are shelf stable but the longer they sit around the longer they take to cook.
- Don’t forget to pick the meat: After cooking, you can pick the meat from the bones and stir into the beans. That’s good eatin boos!
- Sort your beans: Keep those beans pristine boos by removing any shriveled, dark, or weird looking beans. Also get rid of inedible debris that might have found its way into the bag.
- Soak your beans. It’s important for more even cooking and also better for digestion.
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
- Vegetarian: You can skip the ham hock and swap in vegetable stock instead. I also like to increase my spices and add a little smoked paprika and liquid smoke to punch up the flavor.
- No broth? Water is all good to use.
- Use ham bones instead of hocks. I find the hocks are more flavorful and smoky but if you have a leftover ham bone, don’t let it go to waste and use it to flavor your pinto beans.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
What to Serve With Southern Pinto Beans
- Cornbread: Ain’t nothing like sopping up your beans with some hot water cornbread or even sweet potato cornbread for a sweet twist.
- Rice: I love ladling homemade pinto beans over simple steamed rice or for even more flavor, Mexican rice or Jollof rice.
- Classic Southern Mains: Make some old school chicken gizzards or fried chicken or some delish smothered pork chops. And don’t forget a pot of mustard greens to get some down-home veggies in the mix.
- Southern dessert: Finish everything off with some peach cobbler or cream cheese pound cake.
Recipe help
How long to soak pinto beans?
I personally prefer soaking mine overnight or for at least 8-12 hours. This will shorten the cook time and make them easier to digest. Of course if you forget (been there, done that plenty), you can quick soak them.
Is there a faster way to soak beans?
If you forget to soak them overnight, you can use the quick soak method. Just pour boiling water over your beans and let them sit for an hour. The beans will absorb some of the liquid and plump up as they sit. Just note they may need to cook slightly longer than beans soaked overnight.
Can I make pinto beans in the crockpot?
Yep for sure boos. My mama took this shortcut plenty of times. I won’t lie, you will lose a bit of flavor and creaminess with this method however. To make southern-style pinto beans in a crock pot, add all of the ingredients to the pot and stir until fully combined. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the ham is tender and falling apart.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email
You can also do this with unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker. 20 minutes at pressure, 5 minute cool down, then run some water over the top untill pressure is released.
Let it rest for 15 minutes at least.
This is great information! Thank you for sharing!
Sorry, what do you mean by ‘run some water over the top’? The lid of the instant pot? That scares the heck out of me 🙂
How long do you soak the beans? Do you add anything yo the soaking water?
Usually you will soak beans overnight or use a quick soak method. A reader wrote a comment here suggesting the following: You can also do this with unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker. 20 minutes at pressure, 5 minute cool down, then run some water over the top untill pressure is released.
Let it rest for 15 minutes at least.
Another tip to thicken the beans is to cook hard the last 30 minutes. Add a pinch of baking soda and a tablespoon of sugar. Nice rich thick gravy. Yum.
Nice tip! Thank you for sharing!
My question is will the ham hocks be done if you start them with the beans.
My family usually starts the ham hocks first and we let them get tender in the boiling water for a long period of time (about an hour in boiling water) before adding the beans but this is Aaron’s method. Feel free to do what works best for you.
Add 2 tsp of liquid smoke to enhance flavor.
I have a question about after soaking beans. I normally rinse them well and then add fresh water and start the cooking process. I like to add onions, garlic, cumin, New Mexico green chili and of course the ham hock. It makes them very flavorable
On rinsing the beans, What do you normally do? Also I’ve heard rinsing them in baking soda also gets the “gas” out?
Yes I have rinsed with baking soda in the past and also with just fresh water and both methods work fine. I love the idea of adding the green chili along with cumin. Will try next time for a change.
Hey, Granny here: rinsing them in baking soda will not do a thing, except clean the outside of the bean! With soaking, beans take inside water, which makes them swell, for which the skins have to soften, releasing the chemicals that cause you gas and bloating back into the soak water. SOAK them with a pinch (1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp) baking soda stirred into water will not only hasten that process and shorten the soak time, it also makes a more tender bean. NEVER use your soak water to cook your beans: the gassy-making chemical is in that water!
Fried tsters with onions in’em, and some sliced tomatoes, and some hot sauce for the beans.
Save a corner of your gullet for cornbread and milk after the beans. That’s livin’.
Sounds fantastic Jack!
Can you make this in an instant pot??
Yes I see that someone made some suggestions on how to make these in a pressure cooker below. You can also do this with unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker. 20 minutes at pressure, 5 minute cool down, then run some water over the top untill pressure is released.
Let it rest for 15 minutes at least.
I knew I moved my bay laurel inside for a good reason!
I’ve never thought of adding bay leaves into “One of the greatest Southern”
dishes known. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Absolutely!!! Let me know how it turns out for you.
If you add the garlic powder to the water you soak the beans in it takes the beans to another level!
Sounds amazing!!
Do you add more when you cook it?
Exactly. Why not add the garlic powder at the beginning to impart more flavor? It will cut down on the amount of salt needed at the end because of the natural flavor
You can certainly do that but this is Aaron’s method, and they turn out delicious.
Can’t wait to try this! Five years ago, I learned to add 1/4 tsp salt to the soak water. It makes for a shorter soak time and a better flavor. Was taught not to add salt until the end of cooking or my beans would be hard. Ever since I’ve soaked beans in salt water, they are better oh so goood.