Instant Pot Ham and Beans

A classic recipe made easier by cooking it in the pressure cooker, here is Instant Pot Ham and Beans! Use a meaty ham bone, dry beans, and seasonings, to create silky smooth beans that melt in your mouth. Don't forget to serve it with a side of cornbread!

It's always soup season in my book, but the middle of January in the midwest? Especially so. This recipe is a great way to use up a leftover ham bone in a brand new way and really get all of the flavor you can out of it. 

By pressure cooking ham and beans, you save on a lot of time and there is no need to pre soak your beans! This recipe is similar to this Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup, however that one has more broth to it. This electric pressure cooker recipe is thicker, like a stew! 

what are the best beans to use for ham and beans?

Because the cook time is on the longer side, dry beans work great here. 

Most recipes use dry northern beans, but pinto beans, navy beans, or even 15 bean blends would all work great in this recipe. 

ingredients

• meaty ham bone
• oil
• medium onion, diced
• dry great northern beans
• celery
• garlic cloves
• salt
• bay leaf

how to make ham and beans in the Instant Pot

To your Instant Pot, add oil and turn on to the saute function.

Add in diced onions, celery, and garlic, and saute for 4-5 minutes.

Turn off saute function. Add ham bone and dry beans. Pour water over top. Make sure the ham bone and beans are covered by 2 inches.

Secure lid and make sure that it is in the sealing designation.

Set to 60 minutes cook time at high pressure. It will take several minutes to come up to pressure. 

Once done, quick release to depressurize the device. You can also allow the pot to natural release if you prefer.

Carefully remove the ham bone and set to the side to cool. Remove bay leaf, and discard. 

Once the ham bone is cool enough to work with, pull off all the meat you can and add it back to the cooked beans.

Stir well, and salt if needed, and enjoy!

recipe tips

How do you thicken Ham and Beans?

To thicken your ham and beans you have a few options, a longer cooking time or mashing some of the beans. The dish also thickens as it cools.

Adding 10-15 minutes to the initial cook time in the Instant Pot will break down the beans more and thicken the dish up. You can actually cook dry beans in the instant pot in as little as 35 minutes, but they will be much firmer. 70-75 minutes will result in the beans being very soft.

You can also mash up some of the beans to have them incorporate more fully into the broth. A potato masher works well or you could do a few quick pulses with an immersion blender. 

can I make ham and beans without a ham bone?

Yes, you can! The broth will be significantly less flavorful without a ham bone so make sure to use a strong chicken broth to supplement, instead of plain water. You can add cubed ham or dice up some ham yourself to add to it as well. 

variations and substitutions 

• Make these spicy ham and beans by adding a diced jalapeno or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
• Ham hocks can be used in place of a ham bone, just be aware that there will most likely be less meat on the ham hock than on a ham bone. Additionally, ham hocks are quite salty, so you will most likely not need to season with salt. 

how to serve Instant Pot ham and beans

Serve this as a side dish or as a main course. It would be great with slow cooker bbq chicken or creamy cucumber salad.

Pair with air fryer biscuits, cornbread, or cornbread muffins to soak up that creamy bean broth!

more recipes with beans 

• slow cooker ham and bean soup
• instant pot black beans
• tuscan kale soup with white beans and sausage

storage

Store any leftover ham and beans in the fridge for up to week.

This dish also freezes really well. You can freeze the whole amount of it in single serving containers for easy lunches. Either way, it will stay fresh for several months in the freezer. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.