Lima beans with ham, also known as butter beans, are classic Southern comfort food that can be served as a main dish or as a side. Dried Lima beans are slow cooked and flavored with ham for the ultimate creamy, stick to your bones meal.
This may not be a pretty dish but it is real country style food - inexpensive and filling. Honestly my Grandma would probably shake her head if she saw how much ham I used, but you can use as little or as much as you like. This is a great way to use up leftover ham. If you're a Southern girl like me, I promise one bite of this dish will take you right back to your Grandma's kitchen.
Pair this with my Southern style cornbread or these copycat Jiffy corn muffins for a complete meal (don't forget the sweet tea!).
Ingredient Notes
This delicious butter bean recipe is made with simple ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. It is both gluten free and dairy free as written.
- Lima Beans - You can choose from any of the varieties of lima beans for this recipe. My family always grew our own, so we had green baby lima beans. My store only carries white beans. Because of their longer cooking time dried lima beans work best, they will absorb more of the broth and ham flavor than if you chose to use frozen beans. I've used baby lima beans here, but you can get an even creamier result by using large lima beans.
- Cooked Ham - This is a great recipe for using up leftover holiday ham or ham hocks. If you don't have any leftover ham on hand, just buy a pound of thick cut ham at your local deli or grocery store.
- Gluten Free Chicken Broth - If you're following a gluten free diet, make sure to buy a chicken broth or chicken stock that is marked gluten free since this is an ingredient that frequently contains hidden gluten. I prefer Pacific Foods brand.
- Vegan Butter - A couple tablespoons of butter is added at the end of cooking to enhance the flavor and creaminess of the beans. I used Country Crock plant butter to make this recipe dairy free. If you don't follow a dairy free diet, just use regular dairy butter in the same measure.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- No Time to Soak - If you can't soak your beans ahead of time, you'll need an additional 30-60 minutes cook time to soften the beans.
- Quick Soak Method for Beans - Add the beans to a pot with 2 inches of water covering. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
- Bean Swap - Use large lima beans instead of baby lima beans. The cook time should be approximately the same.
- Not Dairy Free - Use regular butter in place of vegan butter.
- Use Frozen Lima Beans - I really don't recommend this swap. If you absolutely must, you will want to reduce the liquid (I don't have a measurement) as well as the cook time. Frozen lima beans cook much faster and are prone to falling apart.
- No Ham - If you don't have ham available, you can use bacon instead. Cut the bacon into pieces and fry it first, then saute the onions in the bacon grease. You won't need any oil with this method. It's very similar to my green beans and potatoes recipe.
How to Make Southern Lima Beans with Ham
The hands on time for this recipe is pretty minimal, with most of the work happening during the long cook time. I always soak my beans overnight, but recommend a minimum of 2 hours of soak time to soften the beans.
I like to use my 4.5 quart enamel cast iron Dutch oven pot for this recipe. If you don't own a Dutch oven, you can use a large pot with a tight fitting lid.
STEP 1: Pick out any bad beans or pebbles. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with water. The water should be deep enough that there is at least an inch of water higher than the beans. Set aside to soak for 2+ hours or overnight.
STEP 2: When you're ready to cook the beans. Add the olive oil to a large pot
or Dutch oven over medium heat. Then add in the diced onions. Cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Add in the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook while stirring constantly for one minute.
STEP 4: Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the top. In addition, add the diced ham, chicken broth, water and bay leaf. Stir everything well and bring it to a simmer.
Once it's simmering, reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the beans are soft. You should stir the pot occasionally during the cook time to prevent sticking.
Stir in the butter immediately before serving.
Expert Tip
The starch from the beans breaking down is what causes the liquid to thicken and become creamy. If you don't notice any beans breaking up towards the end of cooking, you can mash some against the side of the pot to speed things along.
Storage
Allow the beans to cool down to room temperature before storing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The beans will thicken significantly during storage. If desired you can add a little broth or water to loosen them up when reheating.
More recipes to use leftover ham:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Lima Beans with Ham
Equipment
- Dutch Oven recommended but not required
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried Lima Beans see note below
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 pound Ham diced (can also use ham hock)
- 4 Cups Gluten Free Chicken Broth
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
Instructions
- Pick any damaged beans and pebbles from the beans. Add them to a large bowl and cover them with water, adding enough that there is at least 1 inch of water over the beans. Soak for 2 hours up to overnight.1 pound Dried Lima Beans
- When you're ready to cook the beans, add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Then add in the diced onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 7-10 minutes.1 Cup Yellow Onion
- Add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute.3 cloves Garlic, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Drain the beans and rinse them with clean water.
- Add in the lima beans, ham, chicken broth, water and bay leaf. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the beans are soft. Remove the cover after 60 minutes to allow some of the liquid to cook off. You should stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking.1 pound Ham, 4 Cups Gluten Free Chicken Broth, 4 Cups Water, 1 Bay Leaf
- If you don't notice any beans breaking up towards the end cooking, you can mash some against the side of the pot or remove some to mash in a bowl. The mashed beans will thicken up the liquid in the beans.
- Finally, stir in the butter and serve (preferably with a big slice of cornbread).2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
Notes
- I used baby lima beans, but large lima beans become a little more creamy after cooking.
- Soak the beans overnight to soften them as well as reduce digestive issues. If you don't remember to soak your beans, you will need to cook the beans for at least 2-2 ½ hours.
- If you don't have ham or ham hock, you can use bacon as a replacement. Instead of using olive oil, fry the bacon first then cook the onions in bacon grease. Add the bacon back to the pot when you add in the beans.
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
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