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Home » Main Courses » Beans » Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style

Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style

Published: Oct 17, 2020 · Modified: Jan 18, 2021 by Sally 22 Comments

664 shares

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

A crock pot great northern beans recipe on a comfort food blog might make you a bit suspicious, but don't fret. These beans are all about Southern and all about comfort!

Great northern beans with ham close up in bowl

Dry beans, ham hock, and all the other flavors that are hearty and flavorful will make you and your family happy!

So simple to put together - like any good slow cooker recipe - and yet so flavorful after all-day cooking!

What are Great Northern Beans?

Great northern beans are a large white bean that's similar in taste to Navy beans, but they hold up a bit better than Navy beans during cooking. They are definitely not "northern" or anti-southern, however.

They have a hearty, creamy flavor and serve up nicely with ham, veggies, and other seasonings. For great northern beans, you can easily substitute Navy or cannellini beans.

Beans with ham and carrots overhead shot in bowl

What You'll Need

2 pounds dry great northern beans

6 cups water

1-½ pounds ham or pork hock

salt to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 large carrot, sliced or chopped

1 large celery stalk, sliced or chopped

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

White beans with ham and cornbread

How to Make

Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker.

Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.

Remove ham hock to cool a bit. Remove ham bits and add them back to the slow cooker.

Stir the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve hot with corn bread or biscuits.

Easy peasy! And so delicious!

White beans in a bowl served with corn bread

Tips

I like to soak my beans in water for 12-24 hours so they will cook more quickly and not be as hard to digest (yes, less gas for you and your family!)

After soaking, make sure to rinse the beans well before cooking. Some foam may form at the top of the liquid while cooking. It's good to skim that foam off if you have the time, as this is more gas forming on the surface.

If you don't have a ham or pork hock (which is simply a portion of pork leg bone with some meat on it), you can add in some cooked ham pieces (about 2 cups worth) to flavor the beans.

No need to add broth, as the ham hock will do the job broth would do. Simply adding water is sufficient.

You may not need to add any salt at all. This all depends on how salty your hock is and your preferences. That's why I'll leave it up to you. I didn't need to add any to mine.

I hope you love this Crock Pot Great Northern Beans with ham recipe as much as my family and I do! Don't forget to print and/or pin to Pinterest for making soon! Then let me know in the comments below how yours turned out.

White beans with ham and carrots in bowl

More Bean Recipes to Love:

Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock

Ham and Bean Crockpot Soup (using Leftover Ham)

Southern Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

Great northern beans with ham close up in bowl
Print Recipe
4.91 from 11 votes

Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style with Ham

A crock pot great northern beans recipe on a comfort food blog might make you a bit suspicious, but don't fret. These beans are all about Southern and all about comfort!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time5 hrs
Total Time5 hrs 10 mins
Course: beans, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 805kcal
Author: Savory With Soul

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds great northern beans , dry
  • 6 cups water
  • 1-½ pounds ham hock
  • salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large carrot sliced or chopped
  • 1 large celery stalk sliced or chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker.
  • Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.
  • Remove ham hock to cool a bit. Remove ham bits and add them back to the slow cooker.
  • Stir the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve hot with corn bread or biscuits.

Nutrition

Calories: 805kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 2456mg | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2067IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 10mg

Don't Forget to Pin for Later!

Great Northern Beans Pin

More Beans

  • Lentil Turkey Soup
    Turkey Lentil Soup Recipe (quick & easy)
  • Bowl of Black Eyed Peas with ham
    Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock
  • Southern Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Recipe
    Southern Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
  • Pinto Beans and Ham Hock
    Pinto Beans and Ham Recipe (Slow Cooker)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shannel

    May 06, 2021 at 7:52 pm

    Do I have to pre soak beans?

    Reply
    • Sally

      May 07, 2021 at 4:00 am

      You don't have to pre-soak the beans. However, they are more easily digested if you do (meaning, less gas discomfort). That's the main purpose to pre-soaking. Thanks for your question, Shannel!

      Reply
  2. Dixie

    July 25, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    I hope these turn out I've never cooked or had them. But husband ask for them

    Reply
    • Sally

      July 27, 2021 at 12:44 am

      Let me know, Dixie! Hope you love them!

      Reply
  3. Fred

    January 08, 2022 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    Can you use smoked Turkey tails instead of hawks?

    Reply
    • Sally

      January 09, 2022 at 1:01 am

      Should work well, Fred, although I've never tried them. Let me know!

      Reply
  4. Jessica McInvale

    January 26, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    Can you use bacon instead of ham?

    Reply
    • Sally

      January 27, 2022 at 7:38 pm

      You could, but it would be better if the bacon is cooked before adding (in my opinion). Thanks for your question, Jessica!

      Reply
  5. Bethany

    February 06, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    For the nurturer facts, is that per serving or whole meal? If per serving, is that like 1 cup?

    Reply
    • Sally

      February 08, 2022 at 1:40 am

      Bethany - The nutrition facts are per serving and are an estimate. The serving sizes are quite large - a large bowlful like you see in the picture. Thanks for asking!

      Reply
  6. Bettina Blalock

    March 04, 2022 at 4:30 pm

    I made this recipe and it was delicious!! So easy I can’t even believe. I added some chopped onion too. So warm and creamy and satisfying. . I’ve always made by beans stovetop… adding water, watching for boil overs. This way is super easy and the water just soaks up all that flavor.
    Great with cornbread and greens.
    This is now in my permanent rotation.
    Tina

    Reply
    • Sally

      March 05, 2022 at 1:16 am

      Awesome Tina! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  7. Tobias

    April 19, 2022 at 2:37 pm

    Is it okay to use the ham bone in thus recipe?

    Reply
    • Sally

      April 23, 2022 at 3:47 am

      Yes, the ham hock is a bone with meat on it. You will put the whole thing in to cook and then remove it at the end of the cook time. Remove the meat from the bone, then return the meat to the pot and discard the bone.

      Reply
  8. Brandon Miller

    April 20, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    I do the same except sub the ham for about 2 lbs chopped New York strip. I also cut the large strip of fat from the top of the loin and place it on the top of the pot to flavor the soup. Remove when finished cooking of course. And with chopped onion and minced garlic... Trust me, even the biggest bean hater u can find will eat this.

    Reply
  9. Deb

    September 11, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    I didn't have celery or carrot but have everything else, will it ruin the flavor?

    Reply
  10. Kathy

    December 29, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    5 stars
    Have this in the crockpot right now. Thanks for a recipe using 2 pounds of beans. Everything else I could find only used one pound. I feel like the whole point of making a meal like this is to share it with family, so the larger recipe is great. (my only note is that I needed about 8 cups of water to cover my beans and ham hock)

    Reply
    • Sally

      January 09, 2023 at 1:31 am

      Thank you for your feedback, Kathy!

      Reply
  11. Delores

    January 04, 2023 at 7:08 pm

    Sounds like a yummy meal. Will pieces of pork loin work as well in the beans for flavoring, or will I need to notch it up a bit with some ham or chicken stock?

    Reply
    • Sally

      January 09, 2023 at 12:59 am

      Delores - Thanks for your question! Ham certainly does take the flavors over the top, but you could try it with pork loin as well. The smoky, saltiness of the ham adds lots of flavor. Let me know how yours turns out!

      Reply
  12. Sherri Rodriguez

    January 21, 2023 at 11:18 pm

    4 stars
    Been cooking beans Perry much all my life and your recipe is on point. I’ve used neck bones in place of ham hocks, Turkey tails also like one gentleman asked. That’s the great thing about cooking beans you can tweak it how you want depending on what your taste is!

    Reply
    • Sally

      January 22, 2023 at 12:07 am

      I agree, Sherri!

      Reply

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Sally from Savory With Soul

I'm Sally, and I love great food! Whole foods, specifically, and savory, yummy eats! I love using spices and trying new combinations - in fact, I consider it an art form, as I smell and taste my ...

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