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 pinto beans get super tender from simmering. Pinto beans are straight-up Southern old-school eating with no frills, just soul. Get into it!
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How to Make Pinto Beans
These step-by-step photos show how to make pinto beans with ham hocks, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Pinto Beans Recipe
1. Start with soaked beans, ham hocks, chicken stock, water, bay leaves, and onion
Add them to a large stock pot and give everything a good stir so the beans are fully submerged.
2. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cover with a lid
Cook until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally, then season with pepper, garlic powder, and salt, stirring well so everything is evenly seasoned.
3. Taste your simmered pinto beans and adjust seasoning if needed
Serve hot, and enjoy!
PRO TIP: Soak your beans, boos! I like to soak mine overnight or at least 8 to 12 hours. It helps cut down the cook time and makes the beans easier to digest. If you forget, and trust me it happens, you can quick soak them by pouring boiling water over the beans and letting them sit for about an hour. They will plump up and be ready to cook! Just know they might need extra time on the stove compared to an overnight soak.
Full Southern Pinto Beans Recipe
Southern Pinto Bean Recipe
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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
How to Store
- Fridge: Let the beans cool to room temp, then transfer them to an airtight container. Make sure the beans are fully submerged in the broth so they don’t dry out! They will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely and freeze in airtight containers with plenty of liquid. They will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: Reheat the beans in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally. If they look thick, splash in a little water or stock to loosen them back up.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Start with good dried beans. Pinto beans last a long time on the shelf, but the fresher they are, the faster they cook, and the more evenly they soften. If your beans have been sitting forever, they may take longer.
- Wash and sort through the beans. You will find twigs, rocks, and debris, and you don’t want to eat them.
- Build flavor from the jump. While old-schoolers like my mama used to use water, I find that you can create a richer broth with homemade chicken stock.
- Choose the right meat. Look for smoked ham hocks in the meat section and make sure they’re actually smoked and meaty.
- Let the beans cook just above a simmer. Low heat helps the beans break down, which gives you a creamier broth.
- Don’t forget to pick the meat! Once everything’s tender, pull that ham hock out, pick the meat off the bone, and stir it back into the pot. That’s good eatin boos!
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Serving Ideas
- 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
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, but it still gets the job done. Just add everything to the crockpot, stir, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the ham is tender and falling apart.
Absolutely. You can use a smoked turkey leg, or add 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke to the pot if you want it vegetarian. I will always say ham hocks give the deepest flavor, but if you have a leftover ham bone, toss it in. Don’t waste good flavor, boos!
Yep! It used the entire package of beans I purchased and makes a large quantity, but can be scaled for smaller amounts.
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I appreciate you sharing this recipe…the only thing different is instead of chicken stock I use a can of coke. It adds to the flavor and takes some of the gas away. My family loves them. Hope if you try, you’ll post your comment. Enjoy.
This recipe sounds wonderful
Fried potato’s and cornbread baked with corn and a little dill weed and I’m 12 years old again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Wow I just know I’m gonna enjoy my pot of beans, got them soaking in the crock pot right now.
I’m an ex-pat of a very southern state and this is a great bean recipe and happy to know I can use smoked turkey.
Suggestion for the hater writing a nasty comment, maybe you should just disappear. Your rudeness is rude and socially unacceptable.
Ruthi, How can you make a comment like that. To Karen:
Ruthi says
December 31, 2020 at 9:41 pm
And ya didn’t learn how to cook them from your Mamma??
My mother died when I was 22 years old. Did I ever ask her. NO. She was supposed to live forever. Don’t think that she might have tried or didn’t have the time. What a nasty comment to send to another member. I have 20 recipes that I would have loved to get from my Mother. That’s not what you think about when they are dying. She never wrote them down, just knew how to do it.
Your one bitter and ugly to what you have to say. If you don’t have some good to say don’t say it. Unless it about the recipe. You don’t need to bring up her mother into it
This is the way my Momma always cooked them and finally I found the RIGHT recipe! Thank you!
And ya didn’t learn how to cook them from your Mamma??
Thank you. This is delicious. I didn’t soak the beans before I cooked them and they are really good. I didn’t have a bay leaf or ham hock but put ham pieces in and it seasoned them well. I will cook these again.
This my go to receipe for pinto beans. For me, the crucial element is the hock. I buy from a local farmers(not smoked) which turn out very tender.
Keep on cooking Grand Baby Cakes!
Is there a substitute for chicken stock.
Yes you can use broth, or vegetable stock/broth as well. or even water but it won’t have as much flavor.
Plain old water! Cook the beans adding water as it cooks down, I cook mine 3hours but I don’t soak mine! When their done in 3 hours your beans have started breaking up and gives you a nice thick broth! If you like them soupy just add more water! All I do is add bacon or ham and salt and pepper to taste!!And some corn bread to the meal and I’m in my comfort place!
When cooking for my vegetarian friends I use “Not-Chick’n Bouillon Cubes” or “Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base” in my cooking water. Both are great, but taste as you go because they are quite salty and it’s easy to overdo it! You may want to add the salt (if needed) after you’ve added the bouillon just to be safe. Obviously, I skip the ham hocks on these occasions! And, since I’m a Louisiana girl, a little cayenne pepper is a requirement.
I just put on a pot of beans and this is the first time I am trying chicken stock. I just use the bullions and added to the rest. I also modified and chopped up a jalapeno to cook with it. Hope they turn out good.
Can this be cooked in a crockpot? If so for how long?
Definitely can be done in the crockpot. You can start at 4 hours he suggests.