Lima Beans
Lima beans are a creamy, satisfying legume that bring hearty protein and buttery flavor to any home kitchen.
In a nutshell
Lima beans — sometimes called butter beans — are flat, pale green or cream-colored legumes with a mild, starchy flavor and a pleasantly dense texture. They’re a Southern and Latin American staple that works equally well in chunky soups, creamy dips, and slow-simmered sides. Dried, canned, and frozen versions are all widely available at US grocery stores.
Nutrition
≈ 16 Calories and 0.1g fat per tablespoon.
Lima beans are a genuinely impressive plant-based protein source, delivering roughly 7 grams of protein per 100-gram cooked serving alongside about 7 grams of dietary fiber — a combination that promotes sustained fullness and supports digestive health. They’re rich in folate, which is critical for cell development and especially important during pregnancy, and they supply meaningful amounts of potassium, magnesium, and iron. Their complex carbohydrates digest slowly, helping to moderate blood sugar spikes, which makes them a smart choice for those managing blood glucose. With very little fat and negligible sodium in their natural form, they’re one of the leanest, nutrient-densest foods you can add to a regular rotation. Nutrition per 100g via Spoonacular.
Culinary uses & pairings
Lima beans shine in long-cooked dishes where they have time to absorb surrounding flavors. Toss dried or soaked beans into a pot of ham hocks and aromatics for classic Southern-style butter beans, or simmer them with tomatoes, garlic, and smoked paprika for a Spanish-inspired stew. Their creamy interior breaks down beautifully into thick, velvety purees that make an elegant alternative to mashed potatoes or a rustic spread for grilled bread.
Frozen lima beans are a weeknight workhorse — no soaking required. Stir them into succotash with corn and bell peppers, fold them into grain bowls for added protein, or simply sauté them in butter with garlic and fresh herbs as a quick side. Baby limas work well in lighter preparations like salads and pasta, while large limas hold their shape beautifully in chunky soups and braises.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
For the most economical and flavorful option, look for dried lima beans in the bulk or dried-bean aisle — they should be smooth, evenly colored, and free of shriveled or cracked specimens. Frozen lima beans (both baby and large) are an excellent convenience choice and retain their nutrition extremely well; check that the bag has no ice crystals, which signal thawing and refreezing. Canned lima beans are perfectly fine for quick meals — rinse them thoroughly to wash away the sodium-heavy packing liquid before using.
Varieties
- Baby Lima Beans: Smaller, slightly sweeter, and more tender than large limas; great in salads, succotash, and quick sautés.
- Large Lima Beans (Fordhook): The classic meaty lima with a bolder, earthier flavor; ideal for stews, braises, and purees.
- Butter Beans: In the US South, this term usually refers to large, dried or canned mature limas — cream-colored, starchy, and ultra-creamy when cooked.
- Christmas Lima Beans: An heirloom variety with striking maroon-and-cream mottled skin and a slightly chestnut-like flavor; beautiful in rustic side dishes.
Recipes using lima beans
2 recipes across our recipe sites use lima beans. A few favorites:
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History & origin
Lima beans take their name from Lima, Peru, where archaeological evidence places their cultivation as far back as 6000 BCE, making them one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Americas. Indigenous peoples across Central and South America cultivated them extensively long before European contact, and Spanish explorers carried them back to Europe in the 16th century, from which they spread to Africa and Asia. In the United States, lima beans became deeply embedded in Southern cooking, particularly as butter beans slow-cooked with smoked pork, and they gained wider popularity during the 19th and early 20th centuries as canning and later freezing made them a pantry staple for families across the country.
How it’s made
Lima beans are a warm-season annual legume (Phaseolus lunatus) that thrive in well-drained soil with consistent moisture and temperatures between 65°F and 85°F (18°C and 29°C). Bush varieties mature in about 60 to 80 days, while pole varieties climb and take closer to 85 to 90 days. Pods are harvested green for fresh or frozen product, or left on the vine to dry fully for the dried-bean market. Because raw lima beans contain trace amounts of a naturally occurring compound called linamarin, which can release hydrogen cyanide, domesticated US varieties have been bred to contain very low levels — well below any harmful threshold — and cooking eliminates any residual concern entirely.
Good to know
- Raw lima beans contain a naturally occurring compound that can release small amounts of cyanide, but US commercial varieties are bred to have negligible levels, and cooking destroys it completely.
- The name ‘lima bean’ comes from Lima, Peru, the city near where early specimens were shipped to Europe — it’s traditionally pronounced ‘LY-mah,’ not ‘LEE-mah.’
- Lima beans are one of the few legumes that were independently domesticated in two separate regions: the Andes and Mesoamerica.
- A single cup of cooked lima beans provides roughly 35 to 40% of an adult’s daily folate requirement, making them one of the better non-fortified food sources of this critical B vitamin.
- During World War II, lima beans were promoted as a key protein substitute in the US when meat was rationed — their high protein-to-cost ratio made them a wartime staple.
