Instant Pot Lima Beans

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These Instant Pot Lima Beans are tender and creamy with meaty ham hock and Cajun seasoning. They take just 25 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker, and make a quick and easy side dish or comforting meal!

You guys, this is quick and easy comfort food at its best! Normally, cooking beans is a lengthy process, from soaking to long cooking times. 

But, thanks to the Instant Pot, lima beans take just 25 minutes to cook on high pressure and there’s no soaking required!

In my opinion, the Instant Pot is the best way to cook legumes. This Instant Pot bean soup and Instant Pot split pea soup are both hearty, delicious and super simple to make in the Instant Pot!

And we are also huge fans of this instant pot red beans and rice and instant pot black beans and rice!

This is an easy dump and go recipe, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. Just add the ingredients to the Instant Pot, seal the valve and let it work its magic.

Once cooked, you can drain the beans and enjoy them as a side dish, or ladle them up and serve as a hearty soup with some crusty bread or Instant Pot cornbread!

Check out the Instant Pot lima beans story!

What are lima beans?

Lima beans, also called butter beans, are white beans that have a creamy and buttery texture once cooked. You can get baby or large lima beans, and they’re available dried, frozen or canned.

Why this recipe works

1. It’s a dump and go recipe, so you don’t need to tend to the beans while they cook in a pot on the stove. 
2. It’s also a time saving recipe as you don’t need to soak the beans and the Instant Pot cooks the beans much quicker than on the stovetop.
3. Lima beans are a good source of fiber and plant-based protein.
4. If you have a leftover ham bone in the freezer from the holidays, you can use it in place of the ham hock in the recipe!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

You’ll need 1 pound of lima beans for this recipe. Make sure you’re using dried and not canned or frozen.

The beans require a lot of liquid for cooking, so we’re using 4 ½ cups of chicken stock. As the ham hock is salty, I like to use low sodium chicken stock or even homemade like this Instant Pot chicken bone broth.

Speaking of ham hock, it’s also called pork knuckle and comes from the lower leg of the pig. If you can’t find ham hock, you can also use a leftover ham bone.

The seasoning for these beans includes onion, garlic, black pepper, fresh thyme, bay leaf and Cajun seasoning. (Here’s an easy recipe for homemade Cajun seasoning).

Don’t forget the fresh lemon for serving!

Step by step instructions

Combine all the ingredients (except lemon) in the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure. 

Expert tips

1. Make sure you’re using enough broth to cover the beans so they cook properly.
2. With that said, don’t overfill the Instant Pot as the cooking liquid may foam up as the beans cook.
3. The ham hock is plenty salty, so the recipe doesn’t call for additional salt. Taste the beans before serving and add more salt if you need to.
4. You can substitute a ham bone for the ham hock.
5. The recipe results in soft and creamy butter beans. If you prefer them a little firmer, cook them for a few minutes less.  
6. Be sure to let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes as the beans will continue to cook during this time. 
7. While the cook time is 25 minutes on high in the Instant Pot, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release.

Common questions

Storage, freezing and reheating

Store leftover cooked lima beans in the cooking liquid in the fridge for 4-5 days. 

You can also freeze cooked lima beans. Just let them cool completely in the fridge. Then, divide them into freezer safe containers or bags and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To reheat, warm the beans in their cooking liquid on the stovetop or in the microwave. They may thicken a bit in the fridge, so feel free to add a little more broth. If the beans have been frozen, let them defrost first before reheating. 

Other Instant Pot recipes

• Instant Pot Bolognese
• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
• Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
• Instant Pot Gumbo

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!