Hearty, slow-cooked navy beans simmered with a smoky ham hock and softened vegetables for a thick, savory stew finished with a touch of brown sugar and mustard.
All-Day Slow Cooker Ham & Navy Beans for Cozy Sundays
A set-it-and-forget-it stew where smoky ham hock and tender navy beans simmer into a thick, spoonable comfort food brightened by a kiss of brown sugar and Dijon.
There’s something magical about a pot that cooks while you go about your day: this slow-cooker ham and beans turns humble pantry staples into a bowl that feels like a Sunday ritual. Navy beans become creamy but still hold their shape, the ham hock lends deep, smoky richness, and softened carrots, celery, and onion give the whole dish a homey, satisfying texture.
A quick sauté of the onion, carrot, and celery before they hit the slow cooker adds a subtle sweetness and keeps the vegetables from staying raw-tasting after eight hours. The low-sodium chicken broth gives you control so the ham’s saltiness can be balanced with a little brown sugar and a bright hit of Dijon mustard—together they create that classic sweet-tangy counterpoint that makes each spoonful sing. Bay leaves and thyme tuck into the background with warm, herbaceous notes.
For best results, sort and rinse the dried beans and either soak overnight or use the quick-soak method; this helps them cook evenly in the slow cooker. Toward the end of cooking, pull out the ham hock, shred the meat back into the beans, and mash a few beans against the side of the pot to naturally thicken the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning—sometimes a splash more mustard or a pinch more brown sugar is all it needs.
Serve with thick slices of crusty bread or buttery cornbread for sopping up the broth. It’s an ideal make-ahead supper—the flavors deepen after a night in the fridge—and it freezes beautifully, so consider doubling the batch for easy weeknight dinners or a potluck centerpiece that everyone will ask about.
Ingredients
How to Make Sunday Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
- Sort and rinse the dried beans, removing any small stones or debris; then cover with water by 2 inches and soak overnight, or quick-soak by bringing to a boil for 2 minutes, removing from heat, and letting sit 1 hour; drain and rinse.
- Peel and dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, and thinly slice the celery; mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 5–7 minutes; add the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, then remove from heat.
- Place the drained beans in the slow cooker and add the sautéed vegetables, smoked ham hock, low-sodium chicken broth, bay leaves, dried thyme, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the beans are very tender and the ham is falling from the bone.
- Carefully remove the ham hock to a cutting board; when cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bone and discard the bone and any thick skin; return the shredded ham to the slow cooker and stir.
- For a thicker broth, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the slow cooker with a spoon or use an immersion blender for a few pulses to reach your desired consistency; simmer 10–15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Taste and adjust seasoning—add a pinch of salt only if needed (ham and broth are already salty). Stir in chopped parsley and serve hot with crusty bread or cornbread if desired.
Recipe Card
Sunday Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Hearty, slow-cooked navy beans simmered with a smoky ham hock and softened vegetables for a thick, savory stew finished with a touch of brown sugar and mustard.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 8 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sort and rinse the dried beans, removing any small stones or debris; then cover with water by 2 inches and soak overnight, or quick-soak by bringing to a boil for 2 minutes, removing from heat, and letting sit 1 hour; drain and rinse.
- Peel and dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, and thinly slice the celery; mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 5–7 minutes; add the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, then remove from heat.
- Place the drained beans in the slow cooker and add the sautéed vegetables, smoked ham hock, low-sodium chicken broth, bay leaves, dried thyme, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the beans are very tender and the ham is falling from the bone.
- Carefully remove the ham hock to a cutting board; when cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bone and discard the bone and any thick skin; return the shredded ham to the slow cooker and stir.
- For a thicker broth, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the slow cooker with a spoon or use an immersion blender for a few pulses to reach your desired consistency; simmer 10–15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Taste and adjust seasoning—add a pinch of salt only if needed (ham and broth are already salty). Stir in chopped parsley and serve hot with crusty bread or cornbread if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 76
- Saturated Fat
- 4
- Sodium
- 650
- Fiber
- 18
- Unsaturated Fat
- 11
- Protein
- 34
- Fat
- 16
- Cholesterol
- 55
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 570
- Sugar
- 6