Cracker Barrel Baby Limas are flavored with bacon, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and chicken bouillon. They have all that great country flavor that you get at Cracker Barrel Restaurant. If you’re tired of the same ole lima beans, give these Cracker Barrel Lima Beans a try. They have so much flavor!
I know a lot of people don’t care for lima beans, but I adore them. Especially with ketchup. I know that’s weird and I’m really not one to put ketchup on a lot of things.
Lima beans can be a little bland, but not these lima beans. They are super tasty. To make them, just combine a bag of frozen lima beans in a Dutch oven or large pot with bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes, a little sugar, and a chicken bouillon cube.
Only 1 cup of water gets added. Using as little liquid as possible really helps get the flavor of the seasonings into the lima beans. The lima beans simmer for 30 minutes, giving them plenty of time to pick up lots of flavor.
Cracker Barrel Baby Limas are are great side for pretty much any southern meal.
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Cracker Barrel Baby Limas
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly mashed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen baby lima beans
Instructions
- Bring water and bouillon cube to a boil in a large pot.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then and adding a little more water if needed. (There doesn't need to be much liquid, but you do need some.)
- Season to taste with salt. Discard the bacon and garlic clove.
Nutrition
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Originally published September 4, 2017.
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Great Dish for a Cloudy, Gray Day. And Adding Rice.
Just wondering why you throw out the bacon? Can you still eat it with the bacon?
Not a particularly big fan of lima beans but when my fresh broccoli was no longer fresh enough to eat, I had to resort to whatever I had in the freezer. As it so happens, all I had in the house was a bag of lima beans.
Stumbled on this recipe and glad I did. Not only did I like them so did the family. This one is “do over”, and I highly recommend giving it try. You won’t regret it!
Cracker Barrel has gotten rid of Lima beans on their menu. Shame on them!
Delicious recipe!
What’s the sodium content of the limas served in the restaurant? Your nutrition site doesn’t list it.
Hi, would you mind posting how to make these from scratch starting with dried beans? That’s what I have in my pantry, bought a few different dried beans last month including limas, but never have cooked them before. I’m trying to stay home as much as possible and I happen to have the rest of the ingredients. Thanks so much!
Hi Pam, you cook dried limas the same way as this recipe. You will need to start with more water because dried peas or beans absorb more liquid. DON”T any more than is necessary because they will tear up easily.
Thank you Ann!
I had Cracker Barrel’s Lima beans today for the first time ever. Wonderful! They reminded me of me childhood on a Virginia farm. We cook them various ways, but they never have the flavor I enjoyed today. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
This is an excellent recipe! Love it!
I love this recipe! I have made it many times. Thank you!
That’s a lot of pepper. Too spicy for my liking. Red and black pepper totals one teaspoon and only 16 ounces of beans that cook down.
Cooked the bacon first, that’s flavor, then added the rest of the ingredients. Never had cracker barrel Lima beans but did not discard the bacon or garlic and turned out as a good side to my fried chicken.
Had the Lima beans at a cracker barrel in billings Montana and wasnt sure but they were fabulous and would have them every time I am there.
Thought this was a good recipe until it stated to discard the bacon and garlic. Why would you do that?
Amen! Discard the bacon?!?!? Honey, that ain’t Southern!
Thank you for printing these recipes for Liam beans they’re a big help for me I have been cooking them all wrong.
Cracker Barrel’s Lima beans are cooked with water,
cooked bacon, bacon grease, butter, salt and pepper.
None of the rest of the ingredients are in them.
I worked as a backupcook for Cracker Barrel for
8 1/2 years. Made these every Saturday.
I was also a backup cook there @ the Barrel for about 8yrs… I was thinking the same thing, this is not the recipe! Though it does sound delicious it is far from CB’s version!
did you make them from dry? how long did you cook them?
I worked as a backupcook at Cracker Barrel for 8 1/2
years.
Their lima beans are the best! They are cooked in water with cooked bacon, bacon grease, butter, salt and pepper. All of the other stuff is not in them.
Love love love CB lima beans… tried them for the first time last summer during my first visit to CB…. oh my! So I’m I’m my kish tonight making these decisions beans, can’t wait to dig in! Thank you for posting the recipe. I just so happened to stumble across it when looking for tips on how to cook them.
I know that the bacon could be added raw or cooked but which is the intention of the author?
I added it raw. And kept it in!!
Limas are so underappreciated!….thx for this twist on them. I will use proscuitto i think, instead of bacon, and a splash of vermouth.
That sounds fabulous Rick!
It’s great because of the knowledge you share with us, I will always follow your blog and will share your blog with my friends