Southern Butter Beans with Ham Hocks
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried large lima or butter beans
- 1 tbsp bacon grease or butter
- ½ cup diced onion
- ⅔ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup diced carrot
- 1 ½ cups chopped smoked ham
- 2 ham hocks
- 1 32-ounce carton chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
Instructions
- Soak beans for 1 hour.
- Sauté veggies in bacon grease.
- Add ham, ham hocks, broth, and seasonings. Simmer 1 hour.
- Add beans and cook another 60–90 minutes until creamy.
- Shred ham from hocks and stir back in. Serve warm.
Notes
Add extra water if beans aren’t submerged while cooking. Flavor deepens as it sits overnight.
