Corn succotash combines sweet corn, edamame, crispy bacon, and juicy tomatoes in one skillet. Every spoonful is packed with sweet corn, smoky bacon, tender vegetables, and plenty of texture.
Corn Succotash with Edamame and Bacon
I’ve taken a different approach to traditional corn succotash, which normally relies on lima beans. Instead, I use edamame along with sweet corn, crispy bacon, peppers, onions, and juicy tomatoes. Everything cooks together in bacon drippings, creating a side dish with plenty of texture and enough flavor to pair well with anything coming off the grill.
When I was little, one of my favorite cartoons was Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat. This is almost cliché and I’m dating myself here, but if you remember, Sylvester was always running around yelling, “Sufferin’ succotash!” and I remember at some point finally asking my parents what succotash was. Honestly, I thought it meant some kind of catastrophe, not vegetables.
My mom told me it was something made with corn. Well, I loved corn. What kid doesn’t. And eventually I talked about it enough that she finally made it and that’s the day I discovered lima beans.
Let’s just say, the corn was innocent, the lima beans were not.
Until that moment I had never had lima beans, and I remember looking down at my plate wondering what those pale green and almost gray blobs were. They looked weird. They had that strange color lima beans get once they’re cooked. I remember not wanting any part of it.
But because I was consistently held to having impeccable manners, me saying that the lima beans had ruined everything was not considered an acceptable response. I sort of said it anyway, which was always to my detriment.
Needless to say, my first experience with succotash did not go well.
Somewhere between then and decades later, I started thinking about succotash again and realized my problem had never been the corn or the bacon, it was always the lima beans.
Ultimately, I kicked them out.
Instead, I use edamame, which has a firmer texture and more bite than the mushy lima beans. Plus, unlike five-year-old me, most kids today already know what edamame is. They’ve shelled it at restaurant tables, eaten it as a snack, and it’s not some sort of unfamiliar vegetable. It’s a completely normal ingredient to them. In a way, this recipe is for them, maybe especially for them.
The outcome is everything I wanted corn succotash to be when I first heard Sylvester yelling about it all those years ago. Sweet corn, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and enough color that it doesn’t look like vegetable wallpaper sitting in a bowl. My recipe is where the corn gets to be the best part. And there is no mush in sight.
What Makes This Recipe Different
- The biggest difference is the edamame. Traditional succotash relies on lima beans, but I wanted something with a firmer texture and more bite. Edamame has a firmer texture, a milder flavor, and holds together alongside the corn and bacon without turning soft and mushy.
- I cooked everything in the bacon drippings, because obviously, which gives the veggies a smoky flavor before the bacon even goes back into the skillet. Between the bacon drippings and the butter, the corn and edamame pick up a lot more flavor than they would if they were simply warmed through.
- I also add the tomatoes at the very end. I want them to slightly warm and release some of their juiciness, and still look like tomatoes. If they cook too long, they start breaking down into the vegetables, and I like the contrast they bring to the skillet.
- The splash of apple cider vinegar goes in near the end for the same reason. Corn is sweet, bacon is rich and butter isn’t known for holding back. The vinegar keeps those flavors from becoming too rich and gives the skillet a little contrast.
- And while fresh summer corn is great when it’s in season, I purposefully made this with frozen corn and frozen edamame. They’re convenient, but more importantly they are available year-round. That means you can make a skillet of succotash in the middle of July or put it on the Thanksgiving table without changing a thing.
Ingredients
- Sweet Corn – The foundation of the entire dish. Sweet corn has the sweetness that balances the smoky bacon and tangy vinegar. You can use frozen or fresh.
- Edamame – Adds substance to the recipe, which sounds so dramatic, and turns it into something that feels a little more substantial than a simple vegetable side dish.
- Bacon – The giver, providing both crispy pieces throughout the finished dish and the flavorful drippings used to cook the vegetables.
- Butter – This helps coat the vegetables and brings a richness that works especially well with the corn. The butter does add a lot of flavor to this recipe, especially if you use a better tasting European butter, such as Kerrygold.
- Bell Pepper – Adds color, sweetness, and another layer of chew alongside the corn and edamame.
- Vidalia Onion – Softens into the skillet and adds sweetness that complements the corn without competing with it.
- Garlic – Adds another layer of flavor to the skillet.
- Grape Tomatoes – Adds freshness, color, and little bursts of juicy acidity throughout the dish. I add them at the end so they stay intact.
- Lawry’s Total Seasoning – I don’t use a lot of seasoning blends like this, but for whatever reason it made a difference in how this tasted. It gave the vegetables a well-seasoned flavor that I wasn’t getting with the combinations of spices I tried.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – A small splash at the end keeps the sweet corn, bacon, and butter from becoming too rich.
- Kosher Salt – Helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn and vegetables. I recommend tasting the finished dish before adding any additional salt.
- Black Pepper – Adds a little warmth. Taste the finished dish before adding more.
How to Make Corn Succotash
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (cook the bacon)
Add the diced bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it’s as crispy as you like it. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the drippings in the skillet. We’re about to put them to work. - Step Two (cook the peppers and onions)
Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, just until you can smell it. - Step Three (add the corn and edamame)
Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry’s Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and tender. This is where the corn starts soaking up all that bacon and butter. - Step Four (finish the succotash)
Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 more minutes, long enough to warm them through. I like adding them at the end because I want little juicy tomatoes throughout the skillet, not tomato sauce. - Step Five (add the bacon and serve)
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the bacon back in. Serve it warm or room temperature with grilled chicken, burgers, pork chops, steak, or whatever happens to be coming off the grill that night.
Recipe Tips
- Thaw the corn and edamame before cooking if you have time. You’ll get less moisture in the skillet and better flavor development on the vegetables.
- Let the bacon get crisp before removing it from the skillet. It will soften slightly once it’s stirred back into the vegetables.
- Give the peppers and onions a few minutes to soften before adding the remaining ingredients. They should be tender, not crunchy.
- Taste before serving. Bacon, seasoning blends, and even frozen vegetables can vary, so I always do one final taste for salt and pepper at the end.
- This recipe is easy to scale up for cookouts, potlucks, and backyard barbecues. Just use your biggest skillet.
Storage
- Store leftover corn succotash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The flavors mingle a little more overnight, making leftovers just as good the next day.
- Leftovers can be enjoyed warm, cold, or somewhere in between.
- I don’t usually freeze this one. The veggies tend to lose some of their texture once thawed.
FAQs
- Can I use fresh corn instead of frozen?
Yes. If sweet corn is in season, cut the kernels from about 6 to 8 ears of corn and use them in place of the frozen corn. - Can I make corn succotash ahead of time?
Yes. You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it until needed. Reheat gently before serving or let it come closer to room temperature. - Can I make this vegetarian?
You can. Skip the bacon and sauté the vegetables in butter or olive oil instead. You may want to add a little smoked paprika for some of the smoky flavor the bacon normally provides. - Can I use a different seasoning blend?
Yes. Lawry’s Total Seasoning is my favorite for this one, but you can substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend and adjust the salt to taste. - Can I use lima beans instead of edamame?
Yes. Traditional succotash is often made with lima beans, so you can substitute them if you prefer. I use edamame because I like the texture better. - What goes well with corn succotash?
Just about anything coming off the grill. It’s especially good alongside grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, burgers, sausages, or barbecue. - Can I serve corn succotash at room temperature?
Yes. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I like it for barbecues and summer gatherings. Traditionally it’s served warm, but I like it at room temperature.
From My Kitchen Notes
Observations from the margins.
- What the heck does succotash even mean anyway? Don’t tell me and I refuse to look it up. I like holding on to the fact that it’s something unpleasant, like my first experience with succotash was, or corn ruined by lima beans.
- Nothing about the word succotash suggests sweet corn, bacon, juicy tomatoes, or butter. Instead, it sounds like a skin condition, betrayal, detention, or something your doctor finds during a colonoscopy.
- Five-year-old me was sitting there thinking, “Why did you wreck perfectly good corn?”
- Succotash felt like, somebody took perfectly good corn and wrecked it. Because when you’re a kid, there isn’t a nuanced evaluation of legumes happening. There’s just, this is good or this is a crime.
- My experience with lima beans has never just been “I hated lima beans.” The real story is, I hated lima beans and was not allowed to express that fact in a manner consistent with my feelings.
- I grew up in a household of, you will sit there, you will try it, you will appreciate that somebody made it, and you will not make a face. Meanwhile, I was sitting there thinking this dinner is defective.
- People who know me now might assume I’ve always been direct, but I wasn’t. I spent a lot of years filtering myself through expectations, presentation, composure, and worrying about what other people might think. I don’t do that anymore.
- Now my tendency is to make observations without looking for permission. Not rudely or recklessly. Just honestly.
- I’ve learned not to mistake different for wrong.
- Some combinations work because everything is different, not because everything matches.
- The most interesting things in the skillet are usually bringing something completely different to the table.
- Some things belong together without needing to become the same thing. The best partnerships involve contrast.
- Some things don’t become less themselves when they’re part of something bigger.
- A surprising number of good things begin as separate ingredients with no obvious plan.
- The funny thing about belonging is that it usually becomes obvious long before anybody says it out loud.
- I gave succotash another chance. The lima beans did not receive the same courtesy.
- I never decided I was wrong about lima beans. I decided to rebuild succotash from the ground up and remove the problem.
- I secretly hope somewhere a member of the Lima Bean Council just felt a disturbance in the force.
- If succotash was invented today it would probably be called Bacon Corn Skillet and somebody would charge $18 for it.
More Side Dishes That Don’t Feel Like Punishment
- Crispy Smashed Potato Salad – Crispy edges and lemon dressing.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad – Rotisserie chicken and basil.
- Greek Mosaic Salad – Watermelon, feta, cucumber, olives.
- Avocado and Three Bean Salad – Simple ingredients, big flavor.
- Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad – Sweet, spicy, and refreshing.
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Corn Succotash
Corn Succotash with sweet corn, edamame, bacon, peppers, onions, and tomatoes cooked together in one skillet. This easy side dish pairs perfectly with grilled meats, cookouts, and summer dinners.
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 280kcal
Equipment
- large high-sided skillet Gives the vegetables enough room to cook evenly.
- Cutting board For prepping the vegetables and bacon.
- wooden spoon or spatula. For stirring the vegetables.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon diced
- ½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion
- 1 red or orange bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn thawed, or 6-8 ears of corn
- 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans thawed
- 3 tbsps (42 g) butter
- 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper or to taste
- 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes halved
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it reaches your desired level of crispness. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.6 slices bacon
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon drippings. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion, 1 red or orange bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry's Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and heated through.2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn, 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans, 3 tbsps (42 g) butter, 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes, just until warmed through and still holding their shape.2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes
- Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the bacon, and serve warm or room temp.6 slices bacon
Notes
- Edamame replaces the traditional lima beans found in many succotash recipes, giving the dish a firmer texture
- For the best texture, thaw the corn and edamame before cooking. Starting with frozen vegetables can add excess moisture to the skillet and increase the cooking time.
- The tomatoes are added at the end so they stay juicy and hold their shape rather than cooking down into the vegetables.
- This corn succotash pairs well with grilled chicken, pork chops, steak, burgers, barbecue, or smoked meats.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Corn Succotash
Amount Per Serving (275 g)
Calories 280
Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 760mg33%
Potassium 520mg15%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1200IU24%
Vitamin C 35mg42%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you made this Corn Succotash? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.
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