This is my no-fuss, 6-ingredient slow cooker poor man’s pork feast, the kind of Sunday dinner you toss together in 10 minutes before church or soccer and come home to a house that smells like you’ve been cooking all day. It starts with raw bone-in pork chops and just five everyday pantry items, and somehow tastes like the kind of comforting, stick-to-your-ribs meal our Midwestern grandmas would have made. Everything cooks right in the crock—the pork, a rustic mix of dried beans, and a savory, slightly smoky broth—so you get a full, budget-friendly meal without hovering over the stove.
Spoon the tender pork chops and beans into shallow bowls and ladle plenty of that rich, dark broth over the top. I like to serve this with buttered cornbread or thick slices of crusty bread for dunking, plus something green like a simple side salad or steamed green beans to balance the richness. If you’re feeding extra-hungry people, a pot of white rice or mashed potatoes underneath the pork and beans turns this into an even heartier feast.
6-Ingredient Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Pork FeastServings: 4
Ingredients
4 bone-in pork chops, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds total
1 1/2 cups mixed dried beans or lentils, rinsed (no soaking needed)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt (optional, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional, to taste)
Directions
Lightly spray the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup.
Lay the raw bone-in pork chops in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s okay if they overlap a bit, but try to keep most of the meat touching the bottom so it browns slightly in the heat.
Pour the rinsed dried beans or lentils evenly over and around the pork chops so they nestle down between the pieces of meat. This gives you that rustic look of beans partially covering the pork.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks like a dark, rustic sauce.
Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the pork chops and beans, making sure the beans are mostly submerged in liquid. They don’t have to be fully covered, but add a splash more broth or water if they look too dry.
Sprinkle the salt and black pepper over the top, if using. (You can also wait to add extra salt at the end, especially if your broth is already salty.)
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are tender and the pork chops are very soft and pulling away from the bone.
Once cooked, gently stir around the edges to mix the beans and broth without shredding the pork too much. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
Serve the pork chops whole with a generous spoonful of beans and broth over the top. For an extra homey touch, you can pull the meat off the bones and lightly shred it into the beans right in the crock before serving.
Variations & Tips
To keep this a true 6-ingredient recipe, stick to the main six: pork chops, dried beans, broth, ketchup, Worcestershire, and brown sugar—then use salt and pepper only if needed. For a smokier, more barbecue-style flavor, swap half of the ketchup for your favorite BBQ sauce and reduce the brown sugar slightly. If you don’t have mixed dried beans, use whatever you have on hand: pinto beans, navy beans, or even lentils all work, just keep in mind that very small lentils may cook a bit faster. To stretch this meal for more people, add an extra 1/2 cup of dried beans and up the broth by 1 cup so everything stays nicely submerged. For a slightly lighter version, trim visible fat from the pork chops before cooking and skim any excess fat from the top of the broth at the end. If you like a thicker, stew-like consistency, scoop out a cup of beans at the end, mash them with a fork, and stir them back into the crock to naturally thicken the liquid. Leftovers reheat really well and can be turned into an easy second-night meal by shredding the pork and serving it and the beans over rice or tucked into warm tortillas with a little cheese.
