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Easy Southern Succotash

This Easy Southern Succotash is a down home vegetable filled side dish packed with freshness and flavor. It features lima beans, fresh corn, and cherry tomatoes sautéed in bacon drippings with fragrant seasonings along with sweet Vidalia onion and red bell pepper. Succotash doesn’t have to be served as a side dish, it can become the centerpiece of the meal when spooned over a piece of hot buttered cornbread or rice, making a hearty and budget friendly dish come to life.

Easy Southern Succotash

Easy Southern Succotash Recipe

Succotash is one of those simple dishes often associated with garden season in the South. While it’s roots aren’t inherently Southern, variations featuring okra make it ours to enjoy. I’ve read that during the Great Depression succotash became popular as it was tummy filling and inexpensive to make. Funny enough, I love it for those very same reasons today. Typically, those who grow their own produce would begin this dish with home grown lima beans putting their gardening bounty to good use. For those of us who don’t grow our own, frozen lima beans work like a charm. How to make Southern Succotash: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Lima Beans – Cook the Lima beans in salted water per the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • Bacon – In a large skillet cook the bacon slices over medium-high until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain then chop.
  • Vegetables – In the bacon drippings cook the onion and red pepper over medium-high heat until translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.
  • Combine – Add the Lima beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, vinegar, tarragon, seasoned salt, black pepper, and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the corn is tender.
  • Butter – Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
  • Mix-in chopped bacon and chives, serve immediately.
Easy Southern Succotash

How to Make the BEST Southern Succotash Recipe

As with every dish, this succotash has evolved in my kitchen through the years and this is how I prepare it for my family. I’m delighted to share it straight from my kitchen to yours.

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Southern Style Succotash: Lima beans, red bell pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, sweet onion (i.e. Vidalia onion or similar), bacon, apple cider vinegar, granulated garlic, seasoned salt, fresh tarragon, chives, black pepper and butter.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: Large skillet, measuring cups and spoons, large spoon or silicone spatula and sharp knife and chopping board.
  • Easy Succotash Variations: It’s not unusual here in the South for there to be variations of succotash using other shelled beans or the addition of different types of bell pepper and vegetables such as fresh okra. Every recipe has slight adaptations based on the cook’s preference or what you have on hand.
  • Should you like to add okra to the mix, you can use 1 cup of frozen or fresh okra.
  • To add a little heat to the mix, add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. You can also serve hot sauce on the side so each person can adapt to their taste.
  • If you prefer, fresh dill could be used in place of tarragon but I personally love the flavor tarragon gives.
  • Store Southern Succotash chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in single servings in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat.
Easy Southern Succotash

More Southern Side Dishes to Make

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Easy Southern Succotash

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: easy-southern-succotash
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz bag frozen Lima beans
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 medium sweet Vidalia onion diced
  • 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen corn thawed
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt More or less to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Cook the Lima beans in salted water per the package directions. Drain and set aside. (Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid)
  • In a large skillet cook the bacon slices over medium-high until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain then chop. Reserve 3 Tbsp drippings freeze the rest.
  • In the drippings cook the onion and red pepper over medium-high for 2 minutes or until translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.
  • To the skillet add the Lima beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, vinegar, tarragon, seasoned salt, black pepper, and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the corn is tender.
  • Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
  • Mix-in chopped bacon and chives, serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 801mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1031IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

18 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made it for dinner tonight. Followed the recipe. It was delicious! …will definitely make it again! I think this recipe would be a great side with Carolina pork barbecue. 😊

  2. 5 stars
    My husband asked for this dish so I saw your recipe and decided to make it. Needless to say, it was a real success.

    The only changes I made were to the seasonings. Instead of one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar I added three more. I did add some parsley about 2 tablespoons full. We both loved it and this will become a great side dish.

  3. This looks and sounds delicious, Melissa!!! Could this be made the day before and served at room/outdoor temperature for a picnic lunch? I would reserve the bacon to be added before serving (for crispiness and to accommodate vegetarians).

    Also, we are feeding a few vegan/vegetarians in the group and would want to replace the bacon drippings and butter. Any suggestions? Thank you, Melissa!! Can’t wait to try it . . .

    1. Hi Mary Beth, this could be made in advance and warmed before serving. It doesn’t have to be piping hot, no. Absolutely, fry the bacon and serve it on the side and cook the succotash with butter, it will be delicious. Enjoy!

      1. Fantastic, Melissa—thank you!! Yummmmmmm . . . Intent on introducing Northerners to the fine art of succotash. Your version is sure to please!!

  4. 5 stars
    My husband asked for a succotash recipe and I had never made one but really love this recipe!! I substituted red pepper instead of tomatoes, omitted the onion, and added jalapenos but it was perfect!! We are a picky household 🙂 Will definitely make again.

  5. Pretty much followed your receipt except. Instead of cherry tomatoes, I diced up 2 large ones from my garden. Also used 4 ears of fresh corn & 2 cans of Lima beans. Since corn was raw I added that into to pot right behind onions, sautéed then 15 minutes to cook, then added Lima, tomatoes & other ingredients. Simmered 15 minutes low heat with cover on. Came out great.

  6. Melissa, I am making this for dinner guests tonight……I would like to make it earlier in the day and reheat it. Do you think it would still be tasty?

  7. Hi, i’m born, raised and live in the Netherlands, Europe but if i was born in America it should have been in the southern part of it! I’m sure of it cos i really, really loooooove your recipes! They’re always a hit on my diner table. I really love southern fonds but unfortunatelly not all ingredients are available here. And that’s not easy to get the right flavour of things. But that has nothing to do with your recipes.
    So from a wet and windy Netherland, thank you for your delicious recipes.

    1. Hi Marja, consider yourself an adopted Southerner. I’m thrilled you’re finding some dishes to enjoy and I might add that I’ve visited Amsterdam myself several times and LOVE it. Thanks so much for stopping by my kitchen visit anytime.

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