Southern Pinto Bean Recipe

A big bowl of pinto beans with a spoon ready to eat

4.40 from 204 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Soak Time12

Total Time13 40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: soul food, south, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 79kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

Dutch Oven

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