These Simple Southern Lima Beans couldn’t be easier to prepare, and they pair perfectly with hearty Southern meals. Bacon makes any vegetable better, and it only takes one slice to get that salty, smoky flavor. Try serving these with Baked Shrimp and Grits or Stovetop Barbecue Chicken.
Print Simple Southern Lima Beans
Lima beans flavored with bacon are a perfect Southern side dish.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 slices uncooked bacon diced into 1/4” pieces
- 16 ounces frozen lima beans
- kosher salt to taste
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
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Spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook, stirring frequently, until browned.
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Pour in 1 c. water and frozen lima beans. Add more water until beans are just covered. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, until beans are very tender.
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A few minutes before serving, add salt to taste. (I like my beans pretty salty, so I add at least 1/2 tsp. salt.)
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Serve with hot sauce to add to taste if desired.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Vegetable
- Cuisine: Southern
Emily says
I’m a transplanted Southerner and butter beans sounds good to me!! Can I use packaged dried beans for this recipe?
Curt Peacock says
They are the same. Call butter bean in England then of course the south.
Vanessa says
About to make these babies in a minute I’ll be using dried lima beans and fresh bacon from the meat market!!!! I really should not be this excited about food LOL!!!!
Emily says
What was the end result of using dried beans. Do you have cook the beans longer, etc.?
Sherry says
I made these lima beans for dinner – really good. I added a bit more salt and some ground pepper (only because I like it). I will definitely make these again.
SouthernMaster says
Sorry, no. This needs ham base to make it a truly Southern dish.
Andi Gleeson says
Well, I’m a southern and this is how I make my beans :)
tl jones says
it’s interesting.. found a real hybrid stew recipe.. that felt. cajun, creole and … ??.. a mirepoix ..substituting green bell pepper for carrots..lots of garlic [like 8 cloves].. andouille sausage.. shrimp.. chicken and clam broth.. cayenne pepper.. and limas. it was very tasty.. though I’ll be damned to its derivation.
Bill Claussen says
I spent some time in Tennessee and saw “Butter Beans”. What’s the difference??
Andi Gleeson says
Mmmmm butter beans. They are similar, but they are a different kind of bean. I used to love speckled butter beans, which are tan with dark brown spots. You can cook them the same way as lima beans if you can get your hands on them :)
cloey says
I wonder if i can use can lima bean instead of using frozen one. thanks!
Andi says
Hi, Cloey. Yes, you can definitely use canned beans. I would use two drained cans of lima beans, and you can reduce the cooking time to about 10 minutes. I think canned beans are usually salted, so taste them before adding more salt. Thanks for stopping by!
betsy @ desserts required says
My kind of veggie dish…quick, easy and includes BACON! :-)
Andi says
That’s the best kind, right!? Thanks so much for coming over, Betsy!
Buttons says
Mmm…bacon makes everything better! I love lima beans but I’ve hardly ever had them. My mom didn’t make them, only my Bis Abuelita, and they just never made it into my repertoire of recipes. I’ll have to give these a try!
The Weary Chef says
You are so right about bacon making things better, and you don’t even have to feel guilty about one measly slice of bacon! I hope you will give these a try even though lima beans aren’t known to be a kid favorite. You could use the same method for crowder peas, black eyed peas, or butter beans if any of those are available in your area. I’m loving all your comments tonight. Thanks so much for coming over!
Paula says
I love lima beans!! Thanks for joining us at Saturday Dishes ~ Paula
The Weary Chef says
Me too! Thanks for stopping by :)