Southern Style Baby Lima Beans
In the South, we love our home-cooked beans and these Southern style baby lima beans are absolutely delicious! Seasoned with a little salty pork (like bacon, or a ham hock), chicken broth and a few seasonings, you can have this healthy Southern side dish on the dinner table in no time!
This easy recipe uses frozen lima beans because they’re in the grocery store year round and they’re great with a pan of homemade Southern skillet cornbread and a glass of sweet tea! You can use this recipe for fresh lima beans or dried lima beans, too!
These are often called butter beans or “baby butter beans” because they are actually young butter beans! (Butter beans are larger and white in color.)
Why this recipe works
- Simple ingredients: frozen lima beans, chicken broth and simple seasonings: diced yellow onion, minced garlic, onion powder, salt and ground black pepper and just a dash of sugar and a smidgen of butter
- Quick cooking: Frozen beans are par-boiled so there is no need for soaking or using a crockpot, slow cooker or instant pot
How to cook lima beans with bacon
This is an overview of how to cook old fashioned lima beans; for exact details and measurements for the lima bean seasonings, see the recipe card below.
- Rinse and drain frozen beans in a collander and set aside
- Cut bacon slices into small pieces and place in a large stockpot on medium high heat
- Once bacon is crisp, add onions and cook a few minutes; then add chicken broth or chicken stock to deglaze the stockpot or Dutch oven
- Add beans and seasonings; boil for 5 minutes, then turn stovetop heat to medium, cover and allow to cook 30-40 minutes or until tender (every stove is different)
- Add a little butter, (optional) and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve
Substitutions for this easy recipe
- If you don’t have bacon, use leftover ham, or put a smoked ham hock or ham bone in the broth and let it cook with the beans
- No chicken stock ? You can use water and a few tablespoons of chicken bouillon
- No onion? Use 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (or add to taste)
- No minced garlic? Use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (or add to taste)
Recipe Tips
- For best results, keep the seasoning simple: onion, garlic, a little salty pork and a smidgen of sugar (optional, but I highly recommend); no need to add in dried herbs or anything like that. In this case, simple is best.
- If you use dried beans, the cook time will be longer and you may have to add more chicken broth to the stockpot
- Fresh beans will cook in about the same amount of time as frozen green, but you may have to add more broth
Storage and reheating
You can freeze leftover Southern style baby lima beans in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. When ready to reheat, thaw the beans if frozen, then transfer to a saucepan or microwave safe container and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Sometimes frozen lima beans thicken, so you may have to add a little water or chicken broth when reheating.
Serving suggestions
- This delicious Southern side dish goes with just about everything! They pair beautifully as a side dish with your Easter ham, Sunday meatloaf or your Friday fried catfish dinner!
- Serve as a side dish or as an entree over prepared white or seasoned wild rice
- Add leftover beans to your favorite soup for added nutritional value
I hope you find these Southern style baby lima beans a favorite side dish for your family dinner table!
Related recipes
- Southern Purple Hull Peas
- Speckled Butter Beans
- Fried Okra
- Sauteed Yellow Squash and Onions
- Fried Yellow Squash
- Eggplant Casserole
- Southern Liver and Onions
- Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops
Southern Style Baby Lima Beans
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen baby lima beans
- 3 slices bacon
- ½ cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
- 2 cups chicken broth See recipe notes below
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar See recipe notes below
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut bacon into small pieces and place in a large stockpot on medium high heat; cook until crisp3 slices bacon
- Add diced onion to stockpot and cook 5-7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and cook 1 minute½ cup finely diced sweet yellow onion, ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- Add chicken broth to stockpot and scrape up any bacon residue in the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon2 cups chicken broth
- Add lima beans, onion powder and sugar; bring to boil for 5 minutes16 ounces frozen baby lima beans, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 30-40 minutes until beans are tender
- Add salt and pepper to taste; serve using slotted spoonsalt and pepper to taste
