

Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.ĭrain your butter beans and lay them out on a sheet of paper towel, and pat them dry. Make sure you use enough water so that the beans are completely submerged. In a large pot, soak dry beans overnight or for at least 8 hours in cold water. If you use dried beans, you’ll need to rehydrate them. However, you’ll need to soak them in water, then pat them dry before putting them in the air fryer. The lima beans get their name from the city of Lima, Peru. The butter beans get their name from the dairy product with a similarly rich consistency: butter. With that said, lima beans are typically smaller beans with a somewhat more mealy texture. But depending on who you ask, you might get a different answer.īoth the lima bean and butter bean are types of broad beans. Just two different names for the same legume. Lima beans and butter beans are the same things. Add it to salads, quinoa bowls, or a main dish. This air fryer butter bean recipe is a perfect and versatile dish with a delicious flavor. Also, unlike some beans, they’re easily found in any grocery store. Their size and texture provide almost a cream-like consistency. Once the liquid starts to get thinner and the butter beans start to separate the heat can be increased.This butter beans recipe is great to have in your back pocket as a snack or as an ingredient in dozens of recipes.Ĭanned butter beans are one of my favorite beans to play around with when making new legume recipes. Start with low to medium heat if using the stovetop. Heat it up a bit before deciding if it needs more water. It may seem thick when first coming out of the refrigerator. Thawed beans can be heated in the microwave or on the stovetop. They are easy to break when trying to remove them from the ice chunk. It’s OK to freeze these, but you need to thaw them before reheating. They will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Side DishesĬooked beans should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Add it about midway through the cooking time. You don’t need more than a tablespoon or two per pound of beans being cooked. You won’t need to add any cream to any recipe for creamy beans with this one tip. He was right! I even add oil to my ham and beans now! I will tell you though if you don’t add it you are going to need to add some oil to make your beans creamier.Ī guy from New Orleans once gave me his secret to creamy beans. Adding Butterīutter is not necessary to make this recipe, but it sure does add some serious flavor. Pick the meat from the ham hocks and add it back to the simmering beans before serving.Īdd leftover ham about 60 minutes after the beans start simmering. Remove the ham hocks about 30 minutes before serving to allow the ham hocks to cool. Ham and ham hocksĪdd ham hocks to the pot when the beans start to simmer. Add the cooked bacon to the cooked beans about 15 minutes before serving. Replace some of the butter in the recipe with the bacon grease. If you want to use bacon simply cook 4 or 5 thick slices of bacon and set aside. If you want to soak your beans you can, just skip the first 5 steps. There is no need to soak your beans prior to starting this recipe, instead, it uses a quick 30-minute soak. I prefer mine plain or with leftover ham. I’ve seen them made without meat, with bacon, salt pork, ham hocks, or leftover ham. Sort, rinse, soak (or not), and cook.īutter beans in the south are made so many ways and every family has its own version. They’re about as easy to cook as any other bean. In fact, you should probably just look for large dried lima beans at your local grocer. In my mind, lima beans are the small lima beans and butter beans are the big lima beans.

Making beans from scratch starting with large lima beans is easier than you think! What Kind of Beansīutter beans are lima beans by another name.

Tender and creamy old fashioned butter beans are a classic Southern comfort dish served as the main attraction or side dish.
