This Southern Butter Beans Recipe combines tender and creamy beans with smoky ham for the most flavorful comfort meal.

This recipe for butter beans is an old-fashioned Southern favorite. But it’s easy to see why as it ticks a lot of boxes.

First, it’s easy to make, you just need to be nearby as the beans slowly simmer and soak up all those flavors on the stovetop.
Second, it’s affordable, as it uses basic ingredients and a leftover ham bone. Here’s our delicious Baked Ham recipe if you need one.
Third, it tastes delicious and I know your family will love it as much as mine. The tender but meaty beans combine with the smoky ham flavor to create an unbeatable comfort meal.

What Should I Serve These Butter Beans With?

Now, I recommend serving this easy butter beans recipe as a main alongside rice. However, it also makes a great side dish and tastes just as good served with a slice of hot cornbread or crusty bread to soak up that irresistible gravy. I give you some more ideas down below.

What Are Butter Beans?

And in case you were wondering, butter beans are simply large lima beans – the largest bean in the white bean family. We call them butter beans down South because they become so creamy and buttery once cooked (just you wait and see). So just look for a bag of limas or butter beans at your local grocer, depending on where you live, and you’re ready to make this butter bean recipe!

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb bag of regular dried lima beans or 1 lb bag of baby lima beans/butter beans (I don’t recommend canned beans).
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ham hocks or 1 leftover ham bone, with some meat still on it
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of black pepper and salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Soak the dried beans overnight if you want, but you really don’t have to.

Wash the dried butter beans and then put them in a large pot (there’s no need to dry beans). Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover and let it sit for 1 hour.

After the beans have sat, drain the water and put the beans to the side.

Add the oil to the pot and sauté the ham hocks and onions together, until the onion is clear and tender.

Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes more.

Add the beans and cover with water.

Add pepper and salt–only about 1 teaspoon of salt at first.

Bring to a boil; stir, reduce heat, and cover and simmer the butter beans and ham for about 2 hours.

Keep checking the water level and stirring every once in a while. Add more water if needed.

You want to have just enough water to keep about 1 inch above the ham and butter beans as they cook.

Let the beans cook until they are tender. You can add more salt here, but this is optional. I love the gravy this turns into.

Serve over rice.

Storage

Place your cooked butter beans in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll last up to five days.
You can also freeze this lima bean recipe in an airtight container for up to three months. Just make sure you thaw it in the fridge before reheating either on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

Instead of water, you can use a good vegetable broth. That will add some of the flavors the ham provides.
In addition to using vegetable or chicken broth, you can also add some smoked paprika, which further brings out the ham’s smoky flavor. If you want to kick up the heat further, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
If you don’t have garlic cloves on hand, you can totally use garlic powder (and onion powder as well, if you like). Another option is finely chopped shallots instead of garlic cloves too.
Instead of a ham hock or ham bone, you can opt for a different kind of pork. Fry up some bacon and add the crumbly pieces to the pot (as well as the flavorful bacon grease) about 15 minutes before serving. Alternatively, quickly sear hog jowls or salt pork before adding it to the pot with the dried butter bean mixture.
If you’d like to add more vegetables to this butter bean recipe, add celery, sliced bell pepper, or zucchini when you saute the onion.
You can also use dried, fresh butter beans, or frozen butter beans. I don’t recommend canned beans as they can turn mushy while cooking.
A lot of Southerners also add a bay leaf while their beans are simmering.

FAQs

Can I make this butter beans recipe ahead of time?

Yes, this butter beans recipe will last in the fridge for up to five days, so you couldn’t definitely make it in advance.

What do you serve with butter beans?

If serving as a main, serve your butter beans with rice, mashed potato, or cornbread. However, you can also serve it as a side dish with other Southern favorites, like mac and cheese, hush puppies, fried okra, fresh green beans, and creamed corn. The main course could be fried chicken, meatloaf, or even a pot roast. Talk about a versatile recipe!

Can you make this butter beans recipe vegan?

If you don’t add the ham, this butter beans recipe becomes vegan.

Here are some more of my favorite bean recipes:

Cheesy Beef & Bean Burritos

Frenchs Green Bean Casserole

Red Beans and Rice

Recipe for 3 Bean Salad (one of my personal favorites)