Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock
Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock deliver creamy, tender lima beans bathed in a rich, smoky broth infused with bacon, ham hock, and thyme. The gentle simmer coaxes out a silky texture and deep, meaty flavor, perfect for spooning into bowls with cornbread. Serve for a cozy weekend supper or a comforting side at family gatherings.
- Prep5 mins
- Cook2 hrs 45 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 58 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 5 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 94 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 22
- Heart Health
- 80
- Metabolic
- 38
- Digestive
- 23
- Inflammatory
- 55
- Performance
- 48
- General Wellness
- 1
Gather all ingredients.
- 2
Place the bacon in a large Dutch oven or large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 8 minutes.
- 3
Add the onion, garlic, and pepper; cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- 4
Add the chicken stock, beans, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 5
Reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, adding stock or water as needed to keep the beans covered by about 1/4 inch.
- 6
Stop adding liquid during the last 30 minutes of cooking so the beans are not too brothy.
- 7
Remove the ham hock; pick off the meat, discard the hock, and stir the meat into the beans.
- 8
Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- 9
Stir in the sherry vinegar.
- 10
Divide the beans evenly among bowls.
- 11
Garnish with thyme leaves and additional pepper.
- Calories 288.79 kcal Moderate 14%
- Protein 26.13 g Good Source 52%
- Carbohydrate 26.09 g 9%
- Total Fat 7.76 g Moderate 10%
- Saturated Fat 2.9 g Moderate 15%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 50.0 mg Moderate 17%
- Sodium 1305.58 mg High 57%
- Dietary Fiber 5.35 g Moderate 19%
- Total Sugars 2.18 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 120.46 mg Low Source 9%
- Iron 2.18 mg Moderate 12%
- Potassium 418.92 mg Low Source 9%
- Vitamin A 8.12 mcg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin C 10.98 mg Moderate 12%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Southern Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock is a Soul Food side dish recipe made with 11 ingredients. It takes about 2 hrs 50 mins, serves 6, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Bone In Ham, Dried Bay Leaves, and Fresh Thyme. Each serving provides about 288.79 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock?
- It is a Soul Food recipe made with 11 ingredients, usually served for side dish or dinner or lunch.
- What is Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Bone-In Ham, Dried Bay Leaves, Fresh Thyme, Garlic. The full list of 11 is above.
- How long does it take to make Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock?
- About 2 hrs 50 mins in total: 5 mins to prepare and 2 hrs 45 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 288.79 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 11 ingredients and 11 steps.
- Is Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock healthy?
- Southern-Style Butter Beans with Bacon and Ham Hock has an easyChef Pro health score of 51/100. Per serving, it provides 288.79 calories and 26.13 g of protein, or 52% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1305.58 mg (57% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 2.9 g (15% of the Daily Value). It contains Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required