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Southern Style Baby Lima Beans are cooked low and slow with bacon and seasoned to perfection. This country delicacy is melt in your mouth deliciousness!
There is an age-old debate over whether they are Lima Beans or Butter Beans! Technically they are the same bean… But in my neck of the woods, a lima is green, young, tender, and sweet!
A butter bean, however, is the larger, older, and dried version (now this is an opinion y’all)! Both are slap your momma good! And they both are paired wonderfully with some good old buttered cornbread.
These beans can be found fresh in the summertime and you are so lucky if you get your hands on them! For the most part, you find them in your freezer section. Frozen, fresh, young, and tender green limas can be enjoyed year-round! Thank the good LORD above! We love them at my house.
What about you? Do you love them too or have you never had them yet?? If you never have made them, now is the perfect time to give them a try! Either way, I think you will love this recipe!
What you need to make Lima Beans
- Bacon
- Chicken Broth or Water and Bouillon
- Garlic
- Onion Powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Fresh Frozen Baby Lima Beans
How to make Southern Lima Beans
Step 1. It starts with some glorious bacon. Yep, you gotta have bacon to make this delish! I like to cut pieces of bacon with my kitchen scissors. Let them cook up a few minutes to render that delicious fat in the bottom of the pan. Now, if you don’t like the pieces of bacon in the beans, just cook the slices whole and then pull them out after they cook.
Step 2. Add the broth, baby limas, minced garlic, onion powder, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper (if you like a kick). Bring to a boil, then cover with a vented lid (that just means don’t cover completely, leave a little opening), and then reduce to simmer. My stove is about a medium-low. Each one cooks differently, so you know your settings best.
Step 3. Cook for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Then give it a taste and add the salt to taste. If it needs more liquid, add a little water or more broth now. They don’t have to be completely covered or drowning, but you want enough liquid in there so that they stay moist and don’t burn.
Step 4. Then cook another 30 minutes until nice and tender.
Now it is time to enjoy these beauties!!
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Southern Style Baby Lima Beans
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon, sliced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ to ¼ red pepper flakes, (optional)
- 16 ounces frozen baby lima beans
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, slightly saute bacon about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring periodically. If needed add water. You do not need a lot of liquid, but you don’t want them to burn. So add if necessary. Season with salt if desired.
- Cook for another 30 minutes until buttery tender and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
©️Soulfully Made
This is hands down THE best recipe for limas I’ve made! This is the second time I’ve made them. If you’re making 2 (16oz.) pkgs of beans just make sure to double rest of ingredients. The longer you simmer them the better they get! We love the limas at Cracker Barrel but I believe these are as good if not better.
Thank you so much Pam! I so appreciate it!
I tried the southern style baby lima recipe using smoked turkey wings. Came out very good. Thank you
Turkey would add wonderful flavor! Thank you Gladys!
I use to hate the consistency of lima beans until I added your southern touch. Thank you! My family and I truly enjoy this recipe!
I am so thrilled you enjoy them now! Thank you so much!!
ABSOLUTELY LOVE these Lima beans!!!!
Thank you Linsey! And it was good to hear they were a hit at Thanksgiving this year!
So I made a few minor modifications and we love them. I used a whole onion chopped up and sautéed it and garlic in some butter. Then I used some leftover ham instead of bacon. ( I did use frozen Baby Lima Beans) It worked and they were awesome. Thanks for the starting nudge. Yum!
I am so glad you enjoyed and added your favorite flavors!
Loved the Lima beans. I used pancetta and grated garlic and some minced onion. Delicious.
This will be a staple in my meals.
Simple and easy and tasty….thanks
Marie that sounds so good! I love the seasonings you used. Thank you so much and I am so glad you will enjoy this dish again and again.
Ok, I have never tried to cook lima beans even though they’re my husband’s favorite! Found some frozen in my grocery store and made these over the weekend. Soooo simple and delicious! My husband claimed the leftovers, so next time I’ll make a double batch!
Your recipe for lima beans looks amazing! They are perfect dinner meal
They are one of my favorite sides. Although, a slice of cornbread and I could make this a meal.
Lima beans have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Your recipe is fabulous. Perfect and yummy.
Thank you Debi! These are one of my favorite vegetables too!
These turned out so perfectly!! I finally found a lima bean recipe that I truly love!!
Thanks so much Michaela! I could eat Lima’s weekly!
What a delicious dish! We loved this tonight with our grilled chicken!
Thank you Julie! I bet they went perfectly with your delicious chicken!
Definitely giving this recipe a try. I just made green beans with bacon – these sound even heartier and more delicious!
Thank you so much Deb! Both are good southern recipes, I hope you enjoy this as much as the green beans and bacon!
These were a huge hit! They had fresh lima beans at the farmers market and made them for dinner. My husbands announced this recipe is a keeper! Can’t beat that kind of review! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much Michele! Hubby approved is a big win!
I don’t have any bacon. Can I substitute fatback instead?
Absolutely!
I made them last night and they were delicious! I did use canned lima beans, which seemed to work well and were done pretty quickly as they are already cooked. Thanks for sharing!
The canned beans are ok but fresh or frozen better. If you are cooking fresh or frozen in the last few minutes of cooking try putting whole okra in. I use frozen because it is hard sometime to get fresh. Soooo good. I learned that years ago from my mother in law. We were from Savannah, the home of good southern cooking. Enjoy !!! ?
If I use fresh lima beans instead of frozen how long should I cook them?
You may want to add 10 to 15 minutes, as often frozen are blanched.
This one of my husbands favorites and I’ve never known how to prepare them but I’m looking forward to trying this recipe
I hope that he enjoys them! They are my husbands favorites too!
Can you cook in the crockpot?
Heather, Yes. I would try high for 3 to 4 hours or low 6 to 8 hours. I would initially add enough liquid to cover the beans and then add more if needed.
I do them in the crockpot frequently and they are just as delicious!
A favorite comfort food!
I agree! Love comfort food!
We love Lima Beans and this recipe looks delicious.
Thank you! We love them at our house too!
We love baby lima beans and these look PERFECT!
Thank you! WE love them at our house too! I have been craving them lately! I am not sure what that means 😉