Best Ever Pinto Beans

Name: Best Ever Pinto Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Recipes, American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 1 lb Pinto Beans; 1 tsp Salt; 1 whole Sliced Deli Smoked Ham; 1 whole Tomato Sauce; 6 cups Water

Side Dish 🥗Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Soul Food 🇺🇸Southern Recipes 🇺🇸American Comfort-Food

Best Ever Pinto Beans simmer low and slow with a smoky ham hock for deep, savory richness, while tomato sauce and a touch of brown sugar round the pot with gentle tang and sweetness. The beans turn tender and velvety, perfect for ladling into bowls alongside cornbread or rice for a cozy family supper or weekend gathering.

Prep10 mins
Cook3 hrs
Serves6
DifficultyEasy

1

Place pinto beans in a large bowl and cover with water.
2

Soak the beans for 4 hours, changing the water every 30 to 45 minutes.
3

Drain.
4

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot.
5

Add pinto beans, ham hock, and salt to the pot.
6

Add more water if needed to cover the beans and ham hock by at least 1 inch.
7

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are just tender, 2 to 3 hours.
8

Remove the ham hock from the beans.
9

Remove the meat from the bone, chop the meat, and stir it into the beans.
10

Stir the tomato sauce and brown sugar into the beans.
11

Simmer until the beans are tender and the flavors are blended, about 1 hour.