Instant Pot Lima Beans and Ham… so easy to prepare and tastes like it slow cooked all day!
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The best part is that soaking your dry lima beans is not required when using your pressure cooker… a win-win! I was a little skeptical at first because I’ve always soaked my beans when cooking them on the stove top or in my slow cooker, but nope, it’s not required!
Now I realize that this is a cold weather food and it’s spring, right? Well some days it still feels like winter around here. The other day I was craving a hot bowl of lima beans and I had leftover Easter ham in the freezer, so what else was I to do?
I didn’t include salt in this recipe because it was salty enough with the chicken broth and ham, but feel free to add salt to your personal preference. Enjoy!
PrintInstant Pot Lima Beans and Ham
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 10-½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry baby lima beans
- 4 cups cubed, chopped or shredded fully cooked ham
- 1–½ cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional: fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans in a colander, removing and discarding any debris.
- Place beans and remaining ingredients (except parsley) in the insert of your Instant Pot (I used an 8 quart) and stir well to combine.
- Place the lid on and lock. Steam release knob should be set on “sealing”.
- Cook on manual setting (high pressure) for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove lid and stir. Remove and discard bay leaf. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Cook time includes the time it took my pot to come to pressure and natural pressure release time.
- I used an Instant Pot LUX80 8 quart in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 50
Ms Tam
Made this using frozen baby lima beans. Cut cooking time to 15 minutes and they were very soft. When I make them again I’ll only cook 10 minutes and add a few more minutes ias needed. Seasoning was spot on! Entire family enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing.
Stacy
Great recipe.
Hog jowl, fat back, ham hocks, pig tails and/or necks, ham bone or thick bacon is a must in dry beans. Turnip, collard, kale and mustard greens, too.
FYI: If you soak your butter beans overnight, it will take only 15 minutes to cook to tender in the Instant Pot.
Lynda
I have been scared to try dried beans in my instapot but soaked a package of big limas over night. Used 8 cups of chicken broth and water and ham hock. Pressured 15 mins and let it release natural . Beans were done but could have used less liquid for a little thicker juice. Needed salt .
Liz
Made this recipe for dinner last night. Used large limas, ham and home made instant pot bone broth no salt. Beans were perfect in 25 min pressure time. Keep in mind, if boullion or packaged broth is used, the high salt content will make your beans tough so extra pressure time is unpredictable.
Stacy
Yes.
It’s best to salt them after they’re tender.
It does seem strange though because we’re usually salt foods in the beginning stages of cooking.
But, dry beans can’t absorb salt while hard as a rock.
I like using salty fat back. By the time the beans get tender, the fat back has gotten tender and released its sodium.
No under cooked beans. But tender, well seasoned butter beans.
Carla
Very tasty. Used large lima beans cook for 30 minutes came out perfect
Maria
Amazing limas and so easy! I left out the bay leaf and threw in a touch of Thyme. Lordy, these were good!
Annette Jackson
I was so excited to make this tonight, but the beans weren’t done enough for my taste.
Heather
I agree, some of the beans were still kinda “stiff” for lack of a better word. However it was super tasty! I’m going to make this again but double the cooking time.
Kerrie
Its got to be the age of the beans. Most of my batches have been perfect, but one batch was actually overcooked (all the beans had fallen apart) in the exact time of the recipe. I wish they’d date dry bean packages so we have some idea of how old they are and could adjust for it.
Heather Frazier
First timer here never used my instant pot. Received it as a bday gift in May. I made these tonight and they were a success. I did have to restart the machine after the first 25 minutes for an extra 12 minutes and they were perfect! Thanks from a newbie
Bernie Young
I wanted to make 2 lbs of Lima Beans with smoked Deer Sausage should I fry off the sausae or just put it in without frying it off. I have cooked 2lbs of red beans after soaking overnight added12cups of water and cooked for 30 min and they were delicious
Amy @ The Blond Cook
Hi Bernie, I would personally fry it first but can’t say with 100% certainty because I’ve never tested it – Let us know how it turns out… sounds AMAZING! 🙂
Lauren
Definitely needs more time!! I cooked this in the instant pot for 35 minutes and there were still some beans that were not all the way tender. Next time will do for 40 minutes. I used bacon instead of ham, and it definitely needed salt. Maybe the bacon alone did not provide enough sodium.
Heather Frazier
I agree I had to add a 12 mi Ute extra time to the 25 minutes also mine totally needed salt!!! I used ham hocks and they were bland but much better after I salted them!
Mary
Followed the directions beans were still crunchy but I used cubed ham from the store did not add any salt it was too salty I used bullion for the broth. I think it was the ham that made it to salty will try a different kind next time and also add time.
Debra Horton
Thoroughly rinsed smoked turkey is an excellent substitute for pork. No need to add salt.
Marc
Hi Amy,, Great job on this one! I’ve ate more limas in the last few months then I have in my whole lifetime, love your site, looking forward to more great recipes, Thank You for sharing!
Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thank you, Marc! So happy you are enjoying the lima beans so much! 🙂
Kristi Maddox
I made this last night and it was delicious. I used 4 cups chicken broth to not waste any and 2 cups water cause I like a thicker broth. Also I cooked the beans for 30 minutes. It was awesome. I’m making more right now.
Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thanks so much, Kristi… so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Pam
Yummy :). I made as written except as someone else suggested, I also thickened up by blending ~3 cups of beans with stock at end.
I also modified it another time to try to mimic a favorite family soup my dad used to make. Also good so I’ll share. Skip adding any seasoning or salt. Used honey bake ham bone with some ham left on it instead of cutting up ham but followed the rest of recipe. At end remove bone, and thicken up by blending ~3 cups beans with stock. Add one package of dry onion soup mix. Mix well and let sit while cutting shredded ham off bone. Add ham back in pot and mix well. Yummy!! Very similar to dads (just not as thick as when he cooked on stove for hours). Leftovers even better!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thanks so much for sharing, Pam – That sounds delicious! Never had this with dry onion soup mix and will have to try. So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kenny
I cooked this last night and I have to say, the flavor is fantastic. However, the beans were still a little hard and I am at, or even slightly below sea level. I’ll just make a little time adjustment for the next time around, but I am also going to try doing one of our tricks that we use here in New Orleans – adding a little liquid crab boil for some extra flavor. Maybe try substituting some smoked sausage for the ham too, although the flavor was great with the ham. Really good recipe!