Whenever I want a simple, hearty, and inexpensive side dish to pair with just about any meal, I make this easy Succotash recipe. This colorful mix of corn, lima beans, and tomatoes has a natural subtle sweetness balanced with savory broth, herbs, and a creamy butter finish. It’s one of those combinations that’s so simple, but I can never stop shoveling it into my mouth, forkful after forkful, whenever I make it.
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“Yuuuuum. So simple, so good. Made exactly as recipe called for and served with baked potatoes. Will definitely make again. Thanks Beth 👍”
Mara
Easy Recipe for Succotash
Succotash originated with the Narragansett people in what is now the New England region of the U.S., who called it sahquttahhash (“broken corn kernels”). Over the centuries, the dish has taken many forms and has become part of classic Southern cuisine in the U.S.
At its core, succotash is all about corn and lima beans cooked with other veggies, herbs, and sometimes a bit of fatty meat. My version keeps it simple and budget-friendly, with corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and onions simmered together in a little chicken broth and finished with creamy butter. The vegetables soak up plenty of savory flavor from the broth, then the butter ties everything together. It all cooks in one skillet in about 30 minutes, and the frozen corn and lima beans keep the prep super easy. No shucking or shelling here, thank you very much! This also means I can make it year-round without waiting for summer produce.
I also purposefully keep bacon and extra vegetables optional to keep the ingredient list short, but bell pepper, okra, squash, garlic, or bacon can easily be added if you have them!
Recipe Success Tips
- Everyone makes succotash a little differently. But one thing stays pretty consistent among them all: the corn and lima bean base. Some Southern-style recipes often include bacon and okra. Vegan versions skip the meat and use vegetable broth and plant-based butter. And have you ever heard of maque choux? It’s a related Louisiana corn dish made with onions, peppers, spices, and sometimes cream. It looks like succotash, but typically doesn’t include lima beans. My recipe here is simple and affordable (and you can add in what you like!)
- Start the clock when the simmer starts. I use frozen veggies in this recipe to keep costs down and make it as easy as possible (even for beginners!). The only thing to remember is that frozen vegetables cool everything down, so don’t begin timing the 10 minutes as soon as they hit the skillet. I wait until I see gentle bubbles around the pan, then start the timer.
- Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can make the lima beans split or turn the vegetables mushy. I always keep the broth bubbling gently and stir only occasionally. This gives the beans time to become tender while still holding their shape.
- Watch the broth near the end. The succotash should be moist and lightly coated, but it shouldn’t be swimming in liquid. If there’s still a lot of broth once the lima beans are tender, let it simmer for another minute or two before stirring in the final butter.
Succotash
Cost $6.63 recipe / $0.66 serving
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 4 Tbsp butter (divided, $0.50)
- 12 oz. bag frozen lima beans ($1.83*)
- 12 oz. bag frozen sweet corn ($1.82*)
- 1 cup chicken broth ($0.13**)
- ½ tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
- 1 tsp salt (divided, $0.03)
- 1 large tomato ($1.43)
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, $0.10)
Optional Ingredients (see notes)
- 4 slices bacon (chopped, uncooked)
- 1 cup okra (sliced, fresh or frozen)
- 1 bell pepper (diced, any color)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
Instructions
- Dice the yellow onion and add it to a skillet with 2 Tbsp butter. Sauté the onion in the butter over medium heat until the onion has softened.
- Add the lima beans, corn, broth, thyme, pepper, and ½ tsp salt to the skillet. Stir to combine and allow the broth to come up to a simmer. Let the corn and beans simmer in the broth, without a lid, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- While the corn and lima beans are simmering, dice the tomato. Add the diced tomato to the skillet and simmer for an additional five minutes.
- Give the mixture a taste and add more salt to your liking (I added an extra ½ tsp salt). Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and stir until they are melted in.
- Top the succotash with chopped fresh parsley and another pinch of black pepper. Enjoy hot!
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Notes
- Optional extras: Succotash comes in MANY different styles, so feel free to add one or more of these ingredients to my recipe here! The amounts given are what I’d use, but you can add more or less to taste:
- -Bacon: Common in Southern-style succotash, bacon adds a smoky and salty flavor. I’d cook 4 chopped slices in the skillet first and use about 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat in place of the first 2 Tbsp of butter for sauteing the onion. Stir the crispy bacon back in before serving.
- -Okra: This is another popular addition to Southern succotash! Okra adds an earthy flavor and gives the broth a little more thickness and body. I’d sauté 1 cup sliced fresh okra with the onion, or add frozen okra with the corn and lima beans.
- -Bell pepper: Bell pepper adds color and sweetness, especially if you use a red, orange, or yellow pepper. Green is a little more savory but works too, and will cost less! Dice 1 small pepper and sauté it with the onion until softened.
- -Garlic: Garlic isn’t included in every version, but you can definitely add it in if you like. Add 2 minced cloves to the skillet with the onion.
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Succotash Step-by-Step Photos
Sauté the onion: Begin by dicing one yellow onion. Add the onion and 2 Tbsp butter to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened.
Assemble the veggies: Add one 12oz. bag of frozen lima beans, one 12oz. bag of frozen sweet corn, ½ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt, and 1 cup chicken broth. Stir until the vegetables and seasonings are evenly combined.
The frozen vegetables will cool the skillet, so wait until the broth comes to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You should see small, steady bubbles rather than a hard boil, which can cause the beans to split or the vegetables to become mushy.
Simmer: While the corn and beans are simmering, dice one large tomato (or 2 small tomatoes). Stir the diced tomatoes into the skillet then continue to simmer, without a lid and stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes. The tomato should soften and release some of its juices, but the pieces should still be visible. The lima beans should be tender and creamy inside while still holding their shape.
Add the butter: Taste the mixture and add more salt to taste (I added another ½ tsp). If it still looks soupy once the lima beans are tender, let it simmer for another minute or two. Finally, add two more tablespoons of butter and stir them in until melted.
Serve: Garnish the finished dish with fresh chopped parsley. I also added little more freshly cracked pepper. Serve it hot while the vegetables are tender and buttery!
Serving Suggestions
This recipe makes ten servings at about half a cup each, which I think is a pretty solid portion when you’re serving succotash as a side dish. You can double that for a more filling side or use it as the base of a bowl meal. It’s also really easy to scale up or down. Simply halve all the ingredients for a smaller batch or double them when you’re feeding a crowd.
I love succotash whenever I make these glazed pork chops. I’ll just cook them in a second skillet as the vegetables simmer. Grilled salmon and air fryer chicken breasts are two other great main dishes to serve with succotash. They both keep the stovetop free, and their savory seasonings pair really well with the sweet corn and buttery lima beans. I also LOVE using it as a bed for shrimp scampi. I tried that the other day…and WOW, it was so good! The buttery, garlicky sauce mixes into the vegetables and makes every bite even more flavorful.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance. Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheating
I usually reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through, stirring halfway through. You can also warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a small splash of broth or water if it looks dry, then stir occasionally until hot.
Freezing
You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months! Just keep in mind the veggies will likely soften after thawing and reheating. Defrost individual portions in the fridge before reheating.
Try These Classic Southern Dishes Next:
- Southern Style Potato Salad brings creamy mustard dressing, tender potatoes, and just enough crunch to every cookout.
- I’ll happily spend a Sunday making some Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice because it freezes beautifully for later.
- Give me a skillet of Fried Cabbage with melt-in-your-mouth cabbage and salty bacon any day.
Nice balanced flavor.
This was the dish I always wanted when I
was pregnant. And I still love it!
Is the broth supposed to have cooked off by the end, or is there supposed to be some left at the end?
Love this dish perfect
This is the recipe that turned me on to succotash! I highly recommend tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market, rather than the grocery store. The difference in flavor is substantial.
I live in the Sonoran desert of central Arizona and in another month our Foothill Palo Verde trees will be bursting with tasty seed pods. These seeds are delicious eaten right from the tree – similar to edamame. I will try them in this recipe and I believe it’s going to be delicious.
Yuuuuum. So simple, so good. Made exactly as recipe called for and served with baked potatoes. Will definitely make again. Thanks Beth 👍
Can it be made in advance?
Yes, up to two days. Store in an airtight container. XOXO -Monti
Can I substitute canned corn/beans for frozen ones?
Yes. XOXO -Monti
This looks great. I just wanted to know if it freezes well.
It does! You should freeze in individual portions, as you should only thaw it once. XOXO -Monti
I grew up in the Northeast, where succotash is made with fresh sweetcorn, raw or boiled– (cut the kernels off the cob, then go back and scrape the back of a knife down the ears to get the extra “milk” and bits into your pan!) Considering how inexpensive fresh corn is during high summer (5 ears for a dollar last month for me!), it’s still a budget meal, lower in sodium and extra-delicious! Try it!
Love succotash, and it’s been on my Thanksgiving table since I was a child, due to it’s historical traditions. I make mine like yours with onion and thyme, but haven’t used tomato which sounds like a wonderful addition to me. And I have made it with edamame from time to time. I was in SD during my mother’s last months and made Thanksgiving dinner–my sister’s family and some of my mother’s friends were invited. When my niece saw the succotash on the table, there was a howl of dismay–“who ruined the corn?”
When I saw the picture I thought this was a recipe using Edamame and got excited as that is what I have in my freezer right now… I think I’m still gonna try it with that as a substitute for the lima beans unless there is a reason why it wouldn’t come out well? Seems like the combination of ingredients would still be pretty tasty, just not a classic Succotash anymore.
Sounds like a delicious experiment to me! XOXO -Monti
I have made succotashes with frozen edamame (or heirloom New England beans) and they come out delicious. Highly reccomend if you’re not a lima bean person.