Nothing hits like a big pot of creamy Southern Butter Beans. They are cheap and filling, and the leftovers taste even better. My big mama would cook some with ham hocks but we made a few swaps so everyone could enjoy these. Here, they are slowly cooked until they are tender and saucy. When you want old-school comfort vibes and a lot of soul, serve this with some honey cornbread and collard greens boos.
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Butter Beans Ingredients
- Butter Beans: Also known as large dried lima beans. They are large, flat, creamy-colored beans with a buttery texture when cooked. If you want to skip soaking, grab some canned butter beans or frozen. Just adjust your cooking time since canned are already cooked and require less time.
- Oil: Pick any neutral oil like vegetable or canola. Olive oil also works.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine here.
- Onion: You can grab shallots for a milder flavor that’s similar.
- Spices: A little black pepper for mild heat, plus garlic powder and salt.
- Herbs: Dried parsley, thyme and bay leaves are giving freshness and convenience. If you’ve got fresh herbs, you can use 1 tbsp of fresh herbs for every teaspoon of dried herbs in this recipe.
- Liquid Smoke: Gives us the smoky flavor without meat. If ya ain’t got this, sprinkle in a little smoked paprika.
- Sugar: Grab some maple syrup or honey if sugar ain’t around.
- Chicken Broth Cubes: Adds more flavor. You can also use vegetable or beef instead.
How to Cook Butter Beans
Step 1: Soak and Sauté That Aromatics
- Start the process of making your butter beans the night before. Soak them for 8 hours or overnight in a large bowl covered with water. This is gonna make them tender and help your tummy digest them better too!
- Set a large pot over medium-high heat and melt that golden combo of oil and butter. Toss in your chopped onions, black pepper, and garlic powder, and sauté them until they’re fragrant and softened up – about 3 minutes.
Step 2: Get Those Beans Flavored Up
- Now, pour in water, chicken broth cubes, soaked lima beans, a dash of hickory liquid smoke , sugar, dried parsley, dried thyme, sea salt, and don’t forget the bay leaves.
- Crank up the heat and bring it to a boil, which should take about 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 3: Simmer and Finish Them Up
- Lower the heat to a simmer, pop a lid on, and let it do its thing for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. You’re looking for thick, creamy, dreamy beans.
- Fish out those bay leaves—they’ve done their job. Give your seasoning a second glance, adding pepper or sea salt to make everything pop, if needed. Swirl in the remaining butter for an extra velvety finish. Let the beans chill for 10 minutes to reach peak lushness.
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Southern Butter Beans Recipe
These butter beans are simmered in vegetable broth and liquid smoke for that authentic smokey flavor you get from a traditional pot of butter beans.
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Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz butter beans 1 lb or large lima beans
- 1 tbsp oil neutral oil like vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp butter divided
- 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 chicken bouillion
- 1/2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 dried bay leaves optional
Instructions
- First you will want to soak your beans for 8 hours or overnight. This helps the beans cook faster as well as release enzyme inhibitors on the beans allowing you to digest them better.
- Place a large pot over medium high heat. Add oil, 1 tablespoon of butter, chopped onions, black pepper, and garlic powder. Saute’ onions for about 3 minutes until they are soft and translucent.
- Next, add water, chicken bouillion, soaked butter beans, hickory liquid smoke, sugar, dried parsley, dried thyme, salt, and bay leaves to your large pot.
- Bring your pot to a boil (should take around 5 to 6 minutes). Then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until your lima beans are thick and creamy. After an hour, begin to check and see if more liquid is needed. You don't want your beans to be dry.
- Once done, remove bay leaves, and adjust seasoning to your liking (adding additional pepper or salt to taste) and the remaining butter. Allow your beans to sit and cool for about 10 minutes. This will help it thicken even more. Serve em up.
Notes
How to Store Butter Beans
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- Fridge: Make sure the butter beans have cooled to room temp then add them to an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag before you pop in the fridge. They will last for 3-4 days.
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- Freezer: These also freeze great. Add to a freezer-safe container or sealable plastic bag making sure you removed as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Add the date. They should store great for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when you want to serve again.
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- Re-heating: Add to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until completely warmed through. Stir to ensure the heat is even throughout. Add more liquid if necessary. You can also pop in the microwave for faster heating. Just heat in 1 minute increments covered with a damp paper towel stirring from time to time.
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
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Recipe Tips
- Rinse Your Beans: Make sure you give them a nice rinse so you can remove any dirt or debris before you get to cooking them up.
- Forgot to soak overnight? You can just add an additional 45 minutes to your cooking time to soften these babies up.
- Low and Slow: In order to get that creamy buttery texture, simmer these beans on a lower heat. You will definitely be rewarded for your patience.
- Check Your Liquids: This is where you may have to deviate from the recipe. Keep an eye on your liquid level. If it looks dry, splash in more water. If it’s still too watery, simmer with the top off to reduce it faster.
- Extra Creaminess: If you want your beans even creamier, you can mash some up in the pot to cream it all together and have various textures going on.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan: Replace the butter with vegan butter like Earth Balance and use a vegetable broth cube. Then serve them up making the entire meal vegan with roasted sweet potatoes, and fried oyster mushroom recipe or vegan fried chicken.
- Dip It: Puree the cooked butter beans and turn into a delish creamy bean dip. Serve with some crackers, pitas or garlic bread.
- Soup It Up: You can blend these beans up and add a bit more broth to create a hearty and creamy soup.
- Meat it Up baby: Go Southern old-school and add in some smoked ham hock, neck bones or smoked turkey wings. It’s gonna add an abundance of flavor. You will need to cook it for a while in boiling water to break it down so the meat is tender.
Recipe Help
How long should I soak my dried butter beans?
It’s best to soak them overnight for at least 8 hours. They will soften up and reduce your cooking time this way. This will also make them easier to digest when you eat them. When soaking large lima beans, they will expand and start to split a little. The skin of the beans will “wrinkle” a bit. That is totally normal so don’t trip out.
What’s the difference between butter beans and lima beans?
Butter beans and lima beans are basically the same boos. The terms are interchangeable because they both belong to the same species. Butter beans are just slightly larger and flatter, and a bit more rich, buttery and creamy in flavor and texture.
What pot is best to use to make this Southern butter beans recipe?
Make sure you grab a heavy-bottomed pot or a large dutch oven so the beans cook evenly without burning.
Why are my butter beans so mushy?
This can happen if your heat is too high or you cook them too long. Keep that pot of butter beans on a nice simmer and keep an eye on them towards the end of cooking. Test their doneness by gently pressing between your fingers or tasting a few beans and check the texture.
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Thank you for the recipe Jocelyn! I never in my wildest dreams knew that I could make these, have always bought them in a can. Your recipe knocks it out of the park. These are gonna be dangerous for me
You’re so welcome, Jo!
My family loved this butter bean recipe. Thank you for sharing!
So happy to hear that! Thank you for making it!
Can I substitute canned butter beans?
You can, the cooking time will go down quite a bit otherwise you’ll end up with really mushy beans.
Delicious! And the broth was even better the next day Thank you!
Thank you so much Leslie
ABsolutely delicious! The spices were perfect. I was tempted to leave out the liquid smoke because I didn’t have any, but decided to buy some so I could follow the recipe faithfully. I’m so glad I did because it was so good. Will make again. Thank you for a really good vegetarian meal.
Awe, you’re too kind, Nona! Thank you for making my butter beans!
This looks wonderful! I would love to cook it in the instant pot. Have you ever done that?
I have not made this recipe in an Instant pot, but if you try it you’ll have to let me know how it went!
This dish was delicious!!! I usually tamper with recipes but all the proportions are already perfect. I did add in a bag of frozen chopped kale near the end of cooking to get our vegetables in for our meal. I’m bookmarking this recipe to make it many more times in the future!
This looks delicious! How long will they last in the fridge? Can I freeze?
TY for letting me know.
You can absolutely freeze. We add to bags and freeze all the time.
I made these yesterday and they were fantastic! I served them over a bed of greens and made my own lemon + olive oil dressing and it was everything warm and cozy. Thanks!!