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Bright, fresh, and bursting with summer flavor, this easy Southern succotash is the ultimate veggie-forward side dish. A savory mix of tender lima beans, sweet corn, and juicy tomatoes, is made even more irresistible with crispy bacon and a touch of butter. Rich yet vibrant, this classic recipe is a sure-fire way to gobble up your veggies--and go back for seconds.
Our Favorite Succotash Recipe
The word Succotash, is derived from the Narragansett word, sahquttahhash, which means broken corn kernels. It is a centuries old dish that is classically made with corn and lima beans. From there, the variations on Succotash are endless!
My all-time favorite version of Succotash has been influenced by southern cuisine, which uses a few key ingredients that make the lima bean dish memorable. Butter is added for a rich, creamy addition, fresh herbs make the flavors pop, and tomatoes add an acid, texture, and a fresh flavor.
It is sweet, salty, rich, butter, fresh and vibrant. And a sure-fire way to make you google up your veggies.
Recipe Highlights
Ingredients for Succotash
This recipe for Succotash made with the classic players; corn, lima beans, onion, and bell peppers along with a few additional ingredients that make this succotash recipe stand out.
- Lima Beans + Corn: Fresh or frozen; both work beautifully.
- Bell Peppers: I prefer a sweet bell pepper here (red, yellow, or orange) over a green bell pepper for this recipe.
- Onion: Yellow, white, or sweet onions can be used interchangeably with success.
- Bacon: Bacon adds an incredibly smokey, rich, salty base to the dish. Omit for a vegetarian version of Succotash.
- Butter: Finishing the succotash with butter will add a rich creaminess to the dish, without adding any cream.
- Tomatoes: For a bright, acidic pop, add halved grape or cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes that have been deseeded and chopped.
- Fresh Herbs: If you happen to have fresh basil, tarragon, or chives available, I strongly suggest finishing the dish with one of them, as fresh herbs always elevate a recipe. Basil and tarragon will add a sweet, slightly licorice flavor to the succotash, while chives will add a slight onion flavor.
- Sugar: A little bit of sugar will really help to enhance the corn's sweetness and make all the flavors marry together. Feel free to omit if you are on a low-sugar diet.
- Vinegar: Use apple cider or distilled white vinegar for a touch of acidity that helps to balance out the richness of the bacon and butter.
How to Make Southern Succotash
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pan-Fry Bacon. To start this recipe for Succotash, begin by sautéing the bacon until it is crispy. Once crispy, remove the bacon from the pan, reserving the bacon grease.
For Vegetarian Succotash
Skip this step and replace the rendered bacon grease with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sauté Onions and Peppers Use the rendered grease to sauté the onions and peppers until softened.
- Add Garlic and Seasonings. To the softened onions and peppers, add in garlic, sugar and vinegar. Let heat briefly to toast the garlic and dissolve the sugar.
- Add Corn and Lima Beans. Add the corn and lima beans to the sauté pan, and cook until soft and tender.
NOte on Frozen Veggies
There's no need to defrost the corn or lima beans before adding them to the pan--unless you're using fresh lima beans or fresh corn. In that case, defrost the other vegetable to ensure even cooking.
- Finish with Flavor. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, herbs, and reserved bacon and serve immediately.
Recipe Modifications
- Spice it Up: If you like a little bit of heat in your Succotash add a finely minced, seeded jalapeno along with the onions and peppers.
- Add Sausage: Adding andouille sausage to Succotash makes it a delicious, hearty, rich entree. It is best to dice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and cook along with the bacon until it is crisp and the fat has been rendered. Remove to a paper towel and stir into the succotash along with the bacon right before serving
- Add Shrimp: Adding shrimp adds a nice seafood flavor to the succotash, while turning a side dish into the main event. Add grilled shrimp, sauteed shrimp, or air fryer shrimp to the succotash right before serving.
- Add Okra: A lot of southern versions of Succotash feature okra. I personally find it overpowers the dish, but feel free to add up to 2 cups of fresh, sliced okra to the succotash along with the onions and peppers.
Serving Suggestions
Succotash is a delicious side dish that pairs beautifully with seafood, pork, or chicken. Or instead of serving as a Succotash as a side dish, try it over homemade creamy grits for a hearty entree. Either way, it is delicious! Below are some of my favorite entrees to pair with succotash.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Southern Succotash
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- ⅓ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, + more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups lima beans, fresh or frozen
- 3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, tarragon, or chives, optional
Instructions
- In a large cast-iron or metal skillet, sauté the diced bacon over medium-high until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool, reserving the rendered grease in the skillet.
- To the rendered bacon grease, add the minced onion and diced bell pepper and sauté over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 2 cloves garlic (minced) to the skillet and sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the corn and lima beans to the skillet and sauté over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until the corn and lima beans are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. You will need a bit longer if using frozen vegetables.
- Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the skillet and cook until the butter has melted. Turn off the heat. Taste and add additional ½ teaspoon salt if needed.
- Add the bacon, tomatoes, and fresh herbs to the succotash mixture and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is delicious!!! I omitted the herbs because it was so good on its own and mostly I couldn’t decide which herb to use. What’s your favorite or do you use a blend? So yummy!!! Thank you for posting…
Hi Christina! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the succotash so much. I love to finish with a bit of fresh basil, but if you don't like basil, chives are my next favorite.
So yummy! I think this will be a new family favorite!
When a veggie dish becomes a favorite, that is when you know it is a winner!
I have always wanted to make this so when I stumbled upon it the other day, I grabbed the ingredients for it and make it right away. It was absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much!
I am so glad you were able to try making Succotash yourself--and that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Such a delicious side dish! My whole family loved it!
This looks delicious!
I know you will LOVE it!