This succotash recipe is a combination of bacon, corn, tomatoes and lima beans, all cooked together to make a colorful and delicious side dish. Succotash pairs perfectly with grilled meats and seafood, and can even be served as a lighter main course option.
I’m always looking for quick and easy side dish options. Some of my favorites include fried corn, tomato salad and this easy and flavorful succotash.
You can never go wrong with a colorful assortment of veggies, especially when you add bacon to the mix. This succotash is a celebration of summer produce, and it takes just minutes to put together!
This recipe is fantastic with dinners like grilled chicken thighs, beef brisket and Mississippi pot roast. If you want another side dish, why not make a little honey cornbread?
Succotash Ingredients
To make this succotash recipe you will need bacon, onion, garlic, frozen lima beans, corn kernels, green beans, butter, cherry tomatoes, salt, black pepper and herbs like fresh parsley, fresh chives, fresh dill or fresh basil.
How Do You Make Succotash?
When you make this succotash recipe, start by cooking diced bacon in a pan until it gets crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, then reserve it for later use. Add your diced onion to the pan with a little bacon grease, then cook the onion until it softens. Place minced garlic in the pan and cook it with the onion for 30 seconds. Stir in diced green beans, corn and cooked lima beans, then cook everything together until the green beans become tender. Finally, add cherry tomato halves and your reserved bacon. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fresh herbs over the top and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Side Dish
- This succotash recipe works with fresh, frozen and canned corn kernels. That being said, I think this dish tastes best with the sweetness of fresh corn.
- I typically use yellow onions for this dish. Sweet onions also work well.
- You get an amazing flavor when you cook your onion in bacon drippings. Make sure to remove all but a tablespoon of the drippings so the succotash doesn’t become greasy.
- You can blanch your green beans before adding them into the dish if you want them to stay bright green.
- This dish is fantastic in the summer months or you could enjoy it as a Thanksgiving side dish!
Quick Tip
I recommend using frozen lima beans for this recipe as they’re readily available and inexpensive. Cook the frozen beans according to package directions before proceeding with the recipe.
RECIPE FAQs
Succotash originates from a Native American recipe of corn and beans. It gets its name from an English spelling of a Native American word that refers to a cooked pot of corn. The dish has gone through many changes over the years, but always includes some type of corn and beans, along with other vegetables. It also often contains a pork product such as bacon.
This side dish is a great accompaniment to many different main course options. I often serve succotash during the summer months, so I pair it with grilled chicken tenders or marinated steak. Baked salmon or grilled shrimp skewers also go well with succotash. You can even turn this recipe into a main course option by increasing the amount of bacon, then serving it over a grain such as steamed rice.
Succotash will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the tomatoes will be watery and have an less appealing texture when thawed.
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Flavor Variations
While this succotash recipe is fabulous as-is, you can absolutely add other ingredients to customize it to your taste.
- Vegetables: Stir in other veggies such as zucchini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, summer squash or sliced okra.
- Herbs: Feel free to use any herbs you have on hand. I typically add parsley and chives, but basil and dill are also great choices.
- Beans: No lima beans on hand? Try using frozen edamame or a can of white beans instead.
- Vegetarian: To make this dish vegetarian omit the bacon and use a tablespoon of olive oil to cook the onions.
- Spicy: To bring the heat, add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce to your succotash.
- Tangy: For a tangy version of this dish add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
Once you try this dish, you’ll find it yourself making it all summer long! It’s the perfect blend of flavors and textures and this one always receives rave reviews.
More Side Dishes You’ll Enjoy
Grilled Broccoli Recipe
45 mins
Easy Corn Salad
21 mins
Grilled Asparagus in Foil
20 mins
Cucumber Salad
11 mins
Panzanella Salad
1 hr 5 mins
Succotash Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Succotash
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 16 ounce bag frozen lima beans cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, dill or basil
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a pan over medium high heat. Cook the bacon for 5-6 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the pan. Leave 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan and discard the rest.
- Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the lima beans, corn, green beans and butter to the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until green beans are tender.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cherry tomatoes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the reserved bacon and herbs over the succotash, then serve.
Notes
- I recommend using frozen lima beans for this recipe as they’re readily available and inexpensive. Cook the frozen beans according to package directions before proceeding with the recipe.
- This recipe works with fresh, frozen and canned corn kernels. That being said, I think this dish tastes best with the sweetness of fresh corn.
- I typically use yellow onions for this dish. Sweet onions also work well.
This was absolutely delicious. My husband, a born-and-bred Pennsylvanian raised on loads of PA Dutch goodies, disputes whether this is succotash (he thinks it should be lima beans, corn, and butter and nothing else) but he agreed that it was fabulous. We are working on semantics as we eat the leftovers.
Is this meant to eat warm or is room temp okay? I wanted to make it at home and take it to a dinner party but wasn’t sure if I should pop it in the oven quickly before serving at the party or just serve as is, not chilled or reheated.
I always serve this dish warm. If you wanted to serve it at room temperature I’d reheat the bacon before you add it.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time??
Yes that should be fine!
I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to, added more bacon, more herbs, charred some corn, that was better… we still weren’t eating it so I turned it into soup with carrots, fire roasted tomatoes and broth. That became delicious. Will definitely make the succotash soup again, using this recipe.
BACON makes this dish so good! Can’t wait to make it again!
You can’t go wrong with fresh veggies, beans and BACON!! My college kids and husband snacked on it all afternoon. SO yummy.
This is such a great side for a ton of meals. The mix of veggies is delish and it takes very little effort to pull it together. Fabulous!
I am so glad I came across this recipe! I just need to grab a few things and I am making it!
Love all these veggies in one dish! It looks amazing!
My husband loves this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try! I’m making this again this weekend!
This is so good and packed full of flavors! Can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe has solved the ‘how do I get my family to eat more vegetables’ question! They ask for it at least once a week!
This succotash recipe is couldn’t look any more perfect!
This is the most beautiful and colorful side dish I’ve seen, super tasty too!
This looks so tasty, I need to try this ASAP!