Southern Butter Beans Recipe
These creamy, tender butter beans are a staple in Southern kitchens, offering a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal. Whether you remember them from your grandmother's table or are discovering them for the first time, our butter beans recipe is sure to bring a taste of home to your kitchen.
Calories 104kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter beans dried in a bag
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 32 oz. water plus more throughout cooking if needed
- 1-2 teaspoons vinegar or hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco
- Additional salt and pepper if needed see note
Instructions
- To prep the butter beans, rinse the beans in a colander removing any rocks or debri. Reserve.
- In a large pot or dutch oven with a lid, over medium heat cook the 4 pieces of bacon until crisp, remove and reserve the bacon for later. Do not drain the bacon fat.
- Lower the heat to low and add in the fresh garlic, cook just until fragrant.
- Pour in the 32 oz. chicken broth and water, bay leaf, and dried butter beans.
- Season with the black pepper and onion powder.
- Chop the bacon finely and add back into the pot.
- Place the lid on the pot and increase the heat to a low boil.
- Cook the beans for 1 ½ to 2 hours, adding additional water as needed to keep the beans covered with water. Extra water is desirable as it makes a soupy broth for beans.
- Taste the beans for softness, when they are cooked fully and creamy in texture, remove from the heat or turn the heat down to low. Season with the vinegar or hot pepper sauce, and additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
The bacon fat in this recipe provides the salt in the dish, but all brands of bacon enjoy different degrees of saltiness. You may need additional salt to finish the dish.
This recipe was created using American bacon which is heavily salted, while bacon from other cultures is not. Adjust the salt in this recipe to suit your tastes and if you feel your bacon is not salty, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot when you begin boiling the beans.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 618mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g