Sweet corn succotash with bacon is a colorful summer side dish made with fresh corn on the cob, sweet bell peppers, edamame or lima beans, and smoky bacon. It's ready in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners, barbecues, and holiday cookouts. No fresh corn? Frozen corn works beautifully, and you can easily skip the bacon for a vegetarian or vegan succotash. There's no sufferin' succotash with this recipe!
Corn succotash has deep American roots, starting with Native American dishes made with corn and beans. Traditional versions often include corn, sweet peppers, and lima beans. In my version, I swap the limas for edamame and add fresh herbs and smoky bacon for extra flavor.
Corn Succotash Recipe Snapshot
- Summer side dish - Colorful, fresh, and ready in about 30 minutes.
- Easy to pair - Serve with chicken, fish, burgers, pork, or grilled meats.
- Bacon or no bacon - Make it smoky with bacon, or skip it for a vegetarian version.
- Flexible beans - Use traditional lima beans or edamame; frozen works fine.
If you like beans, try my quick three bean salad with Dijon vinaigrette. For more ways to use summer corn, try this creamy corn chowder with vegan and dairy-free options.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Corn - Use fresh sweet corn on the cob in summer, or frozen corn kernels year-round.
- Beans - Use traditional lima beans or edamame. Frozen works well and is easy to keep on hand. For edamame, buy shelled beans for the easiest prep.
- Bell pepper - Sweet red bell pepper adds color, crunch, and flavor.
- Jalapeño pepper - Adds a little flavor, heat, and color. Use a hotter pepper if you like more spice, or skip it.
- Shallot - Adds mild onion flavor. Red onion works too.
- Cooking fat - Use olive oil, avocado oil, or bacon drippings.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves give the best flavor.
- Thyme - Use fresh thyme leaves, or one-third the amount of dried thyme.
- Bacon - Optional, but it adds savory, salty, smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with sweet corn.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt and pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
A good thing about this sweet corn succotash recipe is it's flexible, and the combination of vegetables can't be beat
- Make it mild - If you are heat sensitive, skip the jalapeño or use mild green bell pepper or Anaheim chile pepper.
- Change the herbs - Finish with fresh cilantro, Italian parsley, basil, or a little fresh oregano.
- Soy-free option - Use lima beans, fava beans, or chopped cooked French green beans instead of edamame.
- Make it heartier - Add cooked quinoa to turn it into a more substantial side dish or lunch.
- Use grilled corn - For extra flavor, use grilled corn on the cob instead of boiled corn.
For more corn and quinoa ideas, try my corn and quinoa salad or this quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe with lots of fresh parsley.
Chef's Tip: Choosing produce. Choose organic corn, edamame, and bell peppers when possible. Conventionally grown corn and soybeans are often bioengineered, and bell peppers are commonly listed among higher-pesticide produce. Frozen organic corn, edamame, or lima beans are handy to keep in the freezer when fresh options aren't available.
How to Make Corn Succotash
Fill a large 5-6 quart pot ¾ full of water, add salt, and bring to a boil.
Serving Suggestions
Serve corn succotash warm, at room temperature, or chilled. When chilled, it eats more like a fresh corn salad. It pairs well with:
- Sliced grilled chicken breast or bbq chicken.
- Grilled, or baked shrimp. Try this easy grilled shrimp recipe and omit the prosciutto.
- Make this easy steamed salmon recipe and serve it chilled atop the corn succotash.
- Slices of marinated grilled flank steak.
- Roasted or grilled pork tenderloin.
Storage: Store corn succotash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Succotash is a traditional dish made with corn and shell beans, such as lima beans. The name comes from a Narragansett word meaning boiled or broken corn kernels.
Yes. Fresh corn is best in summer, but frozen corn kernels and frozen edamame or lima beans make succotash easy to enjoy year-round.
Serve succotash with grilled or roasted chicken, seafood, steak, pork, burgers, or roast turkey. It works as a summer side dish and even fits on a Thanksgiving table.
More Easy Summer Side Dish Recipes
For more easy summer side dishes, try these recipes.
⭐️Did You Make This?
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Corn Succotash with Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob, cleaned sub frozen thawed kernels, 2 cups
- 4 ounces bacon (optional) chopped into strips crosswise
- 1 pound frozen edamame in shell sub frozen shelled edamame, 6-8 ounces
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped small
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper chopped small (optional)
- ½ small red onion or 1 large shallot, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or use bacon fat
- 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped sub 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Instructions
Boil water, cook bacon
- While a large pot of salted water is coming to a boil, cook the bacon in fry pan until brown and crisp. Strain onto layers of paper towels. Save a little bacon fat to cook veggies or use olive oil. Do not wash the pan; use it to cook shallot and garlic.
Cook corn and edamame
- Lower the corn into boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove corn cobs with tongs and drain on a kitchen towel. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cob and place in a medium bowl. Cutting the cobs crosswise in half and standing them on end to slice kernels off makes it easier.In same pot with water still boiling, cook frozen edamame for 4 minutes and strain, run cold water over them, and shell. Add to the corn.
Cook veggies and finish succotash
- Cook the onion in the fry pan until soft, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the red and green peppers and thyme and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes, then add the corn and edamame and stir everything together. Add any additional herbs if desired and succotash is ready to serve.Leftover succotash holds in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 4 days and is good warmed, room temperature, or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nancy says
What a beautiful simple dish. I too have an aversion to lima beans, so this alternative is fantastic.
Sally Cameron says
Me too, Nancy, which is why I created this dish! Nice for summer when corn is fresh.
Sally Cameron says
Me too Nancy. Never got into limas...!
Carlin says
Looks great! Thanks, I also do not like Lima beans.