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    Home / Side Dish / Butter Beans

    Butter Beans

    Creamy butter beans simmered slowly with smoked meat and onion until tender and flavorful.

    ⏱ 10 minPrep time
    🔥 60 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 Side DishCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Butter beans with bacon and butter

    Creamy butter beans simmered slowly with smoked meat and onion until tender and flavorful.

    Southern butter beans, done slow

    Big, buttery lima beans cooked low and slow with smoked pork until silky — a soul food side that steals the show.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Soak the beans overnight; drain and rinse.
    2. Cook the salt pork in a large pot until some fat renders; add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
    3. Add the garlic, bay leaf, pepper, beans, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
    4. Season with salt and simmer 30-45 minutes more, until the beans are creamy and the pot liquor is thick.
    5. Stir in the butter and serve hot with cornbread.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Butter beans should be creamy, not mushy — check them often near the end. The seasoned pot liquor is delicious over rice.

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    Recipe details

    Prep10 min
    Cook60 min
    Servings6
    CategorySide Dish
    PublishedAugust 16, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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