Greek Baked Beans – an authentic recipe!

Greek Baked Beans is a traditional Greek dish filled with tender beans bursting with flavor from the homemade tomato-herb sauce. A healthy meatless dish.

Greek Baked Beans

Perfect as a side at any time of the year, here’s one of the best-baked beans recipes you’ll ever eat, courtesy of one of my fabulous readers, Debra! This isn’t your normal baked beans recipe – it may just change your mind completely about beans. It did for me! 

I’ll be honest, when I made these baked beans the first time, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I didn’t know what it would look like, or what it would taste like. As I mentioned, it’s her idea and her recipe, I just followed Debra’s notes.

And as it turns out, this dish was absolutely mouth-watering! The smell while these beans are baking – oh, my! I could not wait to try them! It’s hard to imagine something so simple smelling so wonderful – but it truly does!

Let me admit that I was so impressed with the flavor of this dish that I may even try switching up the variety of beans later on. I think cannellini beans or great northern beans would be great in it too! 

How did this recipe change my life, you may ask? I disliked lima beans (or anything like a lima bean) before trying this dish. Seriously, you could not get me to eat them my whole life.

When I originally published this post, I actually wrote a short little note in that post. I’ve decided to leave it in this updated post because it humored me when I read it again after all of these years!

As they say, the rest is history

Dear butter beans, lima beans, and your kin –

I take back every mean thing I ever said about you. Back in the day, I called you vulgar, disgusting, vile, repugnant, an abomination to beans. I said you tasted like grass. For my whole life, I have hated you. Many times, I have sat in protest at your appearance on my dinner plate as a child. My parents have threatened me with “having you for breakfast” if I didn’t eat those said beans on my dinner plate. I have literally gagged myself trying to swallow you without chewing, just so I wouldn’t have to taste you.

But here’s the thing – I just hadn’t used you in the right way. I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know I needed to let you mingle with garlic, carrots, onion, and tomatoes. You went from being the worst thing imaginable to pure deliciousness. I now understand why Debra said she loves you! I thought she was crazy! Seriously, I had to try you for myself and the rest is now history.

First, I will never call you names again. Second, I will not scoff at you in the grocery store. Third, I will not pick you out of my mixed vegetables. And lastly, I might even tell people I “like” you. Please forgive my lack of a good recipe and everything I’ve ever held against you. Debra has changed my mind! 

Sincerely,

Jamie

In short, lima beans went from being one of the worst things imaginable to me actually calling them delicious!! THAT’S how GOOD this Greek Baked Beans recipe is! Now I know why my friend Debra loves this recipe!

Greek Baked Beans Recipe

• dry butter beans
• olive oil
• carrots
• medium onion
• jalapeno pepper
• garlic
• crushed tomatoes
• dried oregano
• granulated sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley, chopped
• Feta cheese, crumbled

How to make Greek Baked Beans

Greek Baked Beans: FAQs

If you have questions about making this Greek Baked Beans recipe, I have answers! Take a look at this section before leaving a comment if you run into trouble or just want some suggestions.

Did this Greek Baked Beans recipe change your life like it changed mine?! 😉 I’d love to know! Comment down below with your recipe experiences, or just with any questions you have. I love to hear from you!

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Cuban Black Beans and Rice
• Instant Pot Baked Beans
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans
• Mexican Bean Salad
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa

5 from 3 votes

Servings: 6 servings

Greek Baked Beans

By Jamie Sherman

Greek Baked Beans is a traditional Greek dish filled with tender beans bursting with flavor from the homemade tomato-herb sauce. A healthy meatless dish.

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 2 hours hrs

Inactive Time: 2 hours hrs

Total: 5 hours hrs

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Equipment

• baking dish
• knife
• cutting board
• Calphalon 5-Piece Nylon Kitchen Cooking Utensil Set
• Simply Calphalon Nonstick 10 Piece Cookware Set

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound dry butter beans
• ▢ A few swirls of olive oil
• ▢ 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• ▢ 1 medium onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• ▢ 3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 can crushed tomatoes, undrained, 28 oz.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ Salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ Parsley, chopped
• ▢ Feta cheese, crumbled

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Instructions 

• In the morning, place the beans in a large pot. Cover with enough water to be about two inches over the beans and soak until about 2-3 hours before dinnertime. Bring the water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, or until the beans are tender. Add more water, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a separate pan, drizzle a few swirls of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, and jalapeno. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Add 3/4-cup of the bean water to the reserved tomato mixture and stir. Drain beans. Add beans to the tomato mixture and mix well. Place in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until most of the liquid and beans have formed a sauce.
• Top with chopped parsley and Feta cheese.
• Serve immediately!

Notes

• I think butter beans taste best, but lima beans should also work.
• I haven’t tried, but canned beans should work fine as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 203mg, Potassium: 1799mg, Fiber: 18g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 3713IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on August 16, 2012. Updated on September 12, 2020.