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Yo, groovy food cats and soulful taste-trippers! Get ready to take a soulful spin down the flavor lane with a recipe that's funkier than a James Brown bassline — we're talkin' about them Southern Butter Beans, straight from the heart of Big Mama's kitchen.
Let the rhythm of simmerin' beans and the melody of seasoned southern love elevate your taste buds to a cosmic jam of comfort and flavor. Get down with the get down with this recipe, and let the good times roll, 'cause we're cookin' up a storm, ya dig? Let's funkdafy things and turn up a stone cold kitchen groove.
This southern butter beans recipe is the perfect comfort food for a chilly autumn evening. The beans are cooked with a smoked turkey leg and a variety of seasonings to give them a rich flavor.
This recipe is a much-elevated version of your traditional Southern-style lima beans or butter beans depending on where you're from. These beans have that comforting smoky flavor and creamy texture. You can fully expect to have comfort foods like a big pot of butter beans on Southern tables during the cooler fall seasons.
The lima beans are slowly simmered in a smoked turkey leg-based broth and drained before things get real interesting! The cooked beans are finished in a smoke-infused butter sauce for a double dose of smoke flavor.
These beans require few ingredients but have amazing flavor and have become one of my favorite bean recipes. Time is the critical technique for getting that deep, rich flavor so go for longer cook time.
Beats and Eats Pairing
I'm a beans guy. I love all kinds of beans in addition to butter beans. But beans can be boring and unimpressive if not cooked properly. You gotta give them real Southern food love! Smoked butter is that thing, that deep don't stop the love. It gives this lima beans recipe a bit more bounce to the ounce.
"More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp is the perfect sonic companion to a plate of soulful Southern lima beans with smoked butter. The funky basslines and energetic rhythms in the song mirror the lively flavors and vibrant textures of this classic Southern dish.
As you groove to the beat, let the rich, creamy lima beans coated in smoked butter provide that musical harmony for your taste buds, creating a culinary experience that's as smooth and soulful as the funky tunes. The combination of Zapp's timeless hit and the comfort of Southern cuisine is a match made in musical and culinary heaven—savor the rhythm and flavor! ???
What Are Butter Beans?
Butter beans are a staple in Southern recipes. Also known as lima beans, they are a type of legume. The name "butter bean" refers to the creamy texture and slightly buttery flavor of these beans.
Lima beans are widely cultivated and consumed around the world, particularly in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are a good source of protein and fiber. The beans are often used in various culinary recipes, including soups, stews, casseroles, salads, and side dishes.
In Southern cuisine in the United States, butter beans are a staple ingredient, often cooked with leftover ham, bacon, or other seasonings to enhance their flavor. They are frequently simmered until tender and creamy, making them a beloved comfort food in many Southern households. Whether canned, frozen, or fresh, butter beans are a versatile and nutritious addition to a wide range of dishes.
Lima beans have great significance in Southern cooking due to their versatility and ability to pair well with various flavors and ingredients. Whether served as a side dish, in soups, stews, or casseroles, they offer a comforting and hearty element to meals. In Southern culture, they embody tradition, family gatherings, and the warmth of home-cooked dishes. Lima beans have stood the test of time, remaining a beloved and essential part of Southern culinary heritage.
Southern Lima Beans Ingredient Notes
- Dry butter beans - get the large size ones not the smaller green baby lima beans
- Smoked Turkey Legs - any smoked meat protein works such as ham hock, thick cut bacon, turkey wings, salt pork or ham bone.
- Paprika - go for smoked sweet version
- Salt - I prefer kosher salt or sea salt
- Black Pepper
- Bay Leaf
- Butter - go with unsalted. There is enough salt in the smoked meat as well as the included kosher salt already mentioned
- Much Water - you'll need enough to cover the beans by ½ inch
- Olive oil - for browning turkey leg.
How To Make The Best Lima Bean Recipe w/ Smoked Butter (Step by Step)
- Soak the dried beans overnight or use quick method by bring beans to a boil in a large pot of water and then allow to sit off-heat in the water for an hour.
- Brown the smoked turkey legs in a large saucepan or dutch oven on medium heat. Add water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Place the beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper into the pot and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Beans should be tender, but not mushy.
- Drain the beans keeping the wet beans in the pot.
- While the beans are cooking prepare the smoked butter. Chop the meat off the remaining turkey leg or use another smoked meat source like Texas brisket. Melt a stick of butter in a skillet then add the chunks of smoked turkey to the skillet and cook on a low simmer.
- Remove the chunks of turkey then pour the smoke-infused butter into the pot of beans. Mix well stirring heavily. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and about a teaspoon of cider vinegar.
- Serve tender beans with freshly ground black pepper, green onions and/or pickled red onion.
What to Serve with Southern-Style Lima Beans
When serving Southern lima beans, a classic and hearty dish, consider pairing them with complementary sides to create a well-rounded and satisfying meal. Here are some popular options:
- Cornbread or biscuits:
- Classic Southern cornbread complements lima beans with its slightly sweet and crumbly texture.
- Rice:
- Steamed white or brown rice is a simple and traditional accompaniment that pairs well with the creamy texture of lima beans.
- Collard Greens:
- Cooked collard greens add a nutritious and flavorful element to the meal, balancing the richness of the lima beans.
- Coleslaw:
- Creamy coleslaw provides a refreshing and crunchy contrast, bringing a light and tangy element to the meal.
- Grilled or Roasted Vegetables:
- Vegetables like roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, or grilled asparagus offer a flavorful and nutritious side option.
- Fried Okra:
- Crispy fried okra is a beloved Southern side that adds a crunchy texture and unique flavor.
- Macaroni and Cheese:
- Creamy mac and cheese is a comforting and indulgent side that complements the heartiness of lima beans.
Tips for Making the Best Butter Beans
If using dried lima beans, soak them in water overnight. This softens the beans and reduces cooking time.
For even more flavor in the smoked butter, add garlic cloves and fresh thyme leaves during cooking. Additional seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper are great flavor adds.
Lima beans are also called butter beans depending on where you're from and where you buy them. Just be sure to buy the larger lime beans. Avoid the green smaller baby limas. The larger the surface area the more smoked butter.
Fill the pot with enough water to cover the beans by at least a quarter inch. Or use a flavorful broth, spices, and herbs to infuse the beans with taste. Common additions include onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, or smoked meats for depth of flavor.
I like using smoked turkey legs - fewer bones and easy to carve. But if you don't have them available to you any smoked meat will do. Turkey parts like wings and tails are great alternatives. Smoked pork like neckbones or ham hocks.
Time is key to this dish. Allow the beans to simmer slowly. If you have time make a broth first with just the smoked turkey and the seasonings and then add the beans after the flavors have come together. Chicken broth can also be added for more flavor. Similarly, with the butter, allow it to simmer slowly with the remaining smoked meat.
Don't overcook the butter beans. You want them cooked fully, but don't cook to the point of the beans disintegrating or breaking down. You want the whole, fully intact for the smoked butter sauce saute step.
Most Southern favorites include bacon. This is especially true of most side dishes. To keep it real Southern you can use bacon fat instead of or in conjunction with the smoked turkey fat.
Serve these Southern lima beans on the dinner table with other Southern-based recipes like collard greens, braised turnips, hot water cornbread, fried okra, and fried chicken.
Pair it with a main course item like pork chops, grilled fish, or any of these popular soul food meat dishes. Include a few sides like Southern green beans or collards and okra salad.
Check out my BBQ Side Dish guide for other dishes that pair well with barbecue main dishes.
You can make butter beans ahead as you would classic butter beans. Complete all steps except for the finishing smoked butter move. You can definitely make the smoked butter ahead of time, but hold off on adding it to the beans until close to serving time.
Southern Lima Beans Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are butter beans the same as lima beans?
Yes, they are just two different names for the same bean. In the South they are butter beans, however in most other parts of the country and world, they are called lima beans.
Can You Cook Lima Beans Without Soaking?
You can I guess, but I don't recommend it. Soaking the beans reduces their cook time tremendously.
Will this lima beans recipe work with frozen or canned beans?
Yes but not to the same extent from a flavor perspective at least with canned. There is just not enough time to get that deep smoky flavor from canned butter beans. However, the beans are still high-quality great tasting. The smoked butter is amazing and is a great finishing sauce.
Fresh butter beans are hard to come by but frozen beans are a bit more common, especially the baby lima beans. Frozen would be my second choice after dried beans.
Are Lima Beans Keto?
Unfortunately like most beans, though they are healthy and nutritious, they do not meet keto requirements. Lima beans are quite high in carbohydrates which rules them out as being keto-friendly. Soy and green beans are really your only options for keto-friendly legumes.
Can I Cook These In A Crockpot?
I'm not much of a crockpot guy or slow cooker, but yes the slow slowwwwww cook is good for just about any type of beans.
Similar Beans Based Recipes
Make This Butter Bean Recipe
Groove on down, food funkateers! You've just tuned in to the soulfull Southern Butter Beans jazzed up with smoked butter. As we wrap up this soul food jam, let's give props to the simmering heat and that funky smoked butter riff that set our taste buds wailing in delight.
Picture this: a pot of creamy, velvety lima beans, jazzed up with that smokin' buttery solo, hitting all the right notes and leaving you with a melody of flavors that'll keep you dancing back for more. So, grab your spoons, get in the groove, and let the funk of these beans carry you to flavor-town. Keep it funky, keep it tasty!
We hope you’ll give this southern butter beans recipe a try. It’s quintessential Southern cuisine - simple, comforting, and super flavorful.
If you do make it, be sure to let us know how you liked it in the comments below. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
You can also keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you like any of the music you find on the site, visit me at Spotify to find curated monthly playlists.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry lima beans
- 3 medium Smoked Turkey Legs or any other smoked meat protein
- ½ tablespoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Stick Butter
- Water enough to cover the beans by ½ inch
Instructions
- Soak the lima beans overnight or use quick method by bring beans to a boil in a pot of water and then allow to sit off-heat in the water for an hour.
- Brown the smoked turkey legs in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Place the beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper into the pot and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Beans should be tender, but not mushy.
- Drain the beans keeping the wet beans in the pot.
- While the beans are cooking prepare the butter. Chop the meat off the remaining turkey leg. Melt a stick of butter in a skillet then add the chunks of smoked turkey to the skillet and cook on a low simmer.
- Remove the chunks of turkey then pour the smoke-infused butter into the pot of beans. Mix well stirring heavily. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and about a teaspoon of cider vinegar.
- Serve with green onions and/or pickled red onions.
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