The Best Succotash
Succotash is a side dish that is packed full of tasty, crunchy vegetables (and bacon!) with a fantastic flavor and texture that just can’t beat!
A SIMPLE, VEGGIE FILLED SIDE DISH
Talk about a flavor explosion; this Succotash recipe is the perfect side to any meal and really shines with fresh veggies in the summer. Even some of my non-vegetable lovers really like this one. The smokiness from the bacon and paprika really gives it a a unique touch. The best part of this recipe is you can really customize it to what you enjoy or have on hand.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
Succotash is a traditional American vegetable side dish. It primarily consists of sweet corn and lima beans. It’s a perfect way to enjoy all those summer vegetables and it pairs well with grilled chicken or fish. There are a lot of variations to succotash depending on where you are from and how your Mom made it but that is the general idea.
Include what you like and ditch what you don’t. The same goes for things that you have trouble finding. If you can’t find it, don’t stress, just use what you can find and enjoy.
Feel free to play around with this and get some other flavors going. This version is very simple, but you can try other ideas like creole seasoning, lemon pepper, ranch seasoning and it would be incredible with Old Bay if you’re serving it with fish.
Serve your homemade Succotash however you like it! It can be served either warm or cold, it does not matter. Both ways will be delicious.
We like to serve this at pretty much any summer barbecue. It goes perfect with anything that you put on the grill, like Grilled Ribs, Grilled BBQ Chicken, hamburgers, Grilled Brats, Hot Dog Burnt Ends, Grilled Pork Chops etc. It is the perfect side dish for Fried Catfish or a good ole Crock Pot Shrimp Boil too!
it all depends on how you are serving it (warm or cold). If you think you will have leftovers, I suggest adding the tomatoes to each portion instead of mixing them all in, for reheating purposes if serving warm. So, when you go to reheat, the tomatoes will not get warm, however it is still very yummy – but just keep that in mind.
If serving cold, you don’t have to do anything but open your container and enjoy!
Keep leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days, freeze for up to 3 months.
I like to reheat leftovers on the stove top or in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- frozen lima beans– you can use canned, drained lima beans (you don’t need to boil them first). I prefer the color of the frozen ones, they’re a prettier, brighter green, but canned ones would absolutely work. You can also use fresh (you can boil them just like the frozen). Or you can use dried lima beans (just soak them overnight.)
- bacon – You can also use leftover ham, ham hocks, etc in place of the bacon, but you will need to use some extra butter or oil to sauté the veggies in, so keep that in mind.
- small sweet onion and green bell pepper – if you don’t like on or the other, just leave them out. This recipe is very forgiving so you can add what you like without losing flavor (although I think the onion is adding a lot of flavor here.)
- fresh okra– cut into 1/2 inch pieces with the stems removed. You can leave this out if you don’t like it or can’t find it. You could also use frozen. Just let it defrost then dry it with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- smoked paprika – if you don’t like smoky flavor, you can use regular paprika or swap it out for another seasoning you prefer.
- fresh corn – I really think this recipe is best with fresh corn but you could use canned (fully drained) or frozen (allow it to defrost fully then pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- cloves garlic– you really need to use fresh garlic, jarred garlic just won’t have the same amount of flavor here and it can add like a tangy flavor which isn’t as ideal as fresh.
- grape tomatoes – cherry tomatoes or regular beefsteak tomatoes can also be used. The cherry and grape tomatoes seem to hold up better and don’t fall apart as easily as a diced beefsteak tomato.
HOW TO MAKE SUCCOTASH
In a large Dutch oven, boil the lima beans until tender, 15-20 minutes, drain, and set aside. Wipe out the pot and add the bacon, cook until crispy over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, and drain, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Set the cooked bacon aside for garnish.
Add the onion, bell pepper, okra, salt, pepper, and paprika, stir into the bacon grease and cook until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and lima beans, stir them in, and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the butter and garlic, mix to combine, and cook until the garlic is fragrant 30 seconds. Take off the heat, and stir in the tomatoes.
Garnish with the crispy bacon and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Marinated Green Bean Salad
- Marinated Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Carrot Salad
- Crock Pot Vegetable Soup
- Summer Corn Salad
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Fried Squash
- Grilled Corn
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Okra
The Best Succotash
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag frozen lima beans
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small sweet onion, small diced
- 1 green bell pepper, small diced
- 1 cup sliced fresh okra (stems removed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 ears of corn, kernels removed
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, boil 12 ounce bag frozen lima beans (boil the beans, not the bag) until tender, 15-20 minutes, drain, and set aside.
- Wipe out the pot and add 6 slices bacon, chopped until crispy over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, and drain, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Set the cooked bacon aside for garnish.
- Add 1 small sweet onion, small diced, 1 green bell pepper, small diced, 1 cup sliced fresh okra, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, stir into the bacon grease and cook until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 4 ears of corn, kernels removed and lima beans, stir them in, and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 4 Tablespoons salted butter and 2 cloves garlic, minced, mix to combine, and cook until the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Take off the heat, and stir in 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half. Garnish with the crispy bacon and serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
