Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken

Greek Green beans (Fasolakia), with chicken, slowly simmer in a rich tomato sauce until tender then topped with feta.

Fasolakia is a traditional Greek dish made with green beans and potatoes. They are braised in a tomato sauce until they become tender. Chicken is not normally cooked in this dish, so please feel free to eliminate it.

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken thighs (optional)

• 1/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Medium onion, diced

• 4 Garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Teaspoon, red pepper flakes (optional)

• 3 Medium potatoes, peeled, quartered and then halved

• 1 Pound, green beans

• 1 (28 0z) Can, Crushed tomatoes

• 1 1/2 Cup, water

• 1 Teaspoon, salt

• 1 Teaspoon, dried dill

• 1/2 Teaspoon, pepper

• Feta (optional)

How to make Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken

Start by adding the one tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a heavy skillet or cast iron pan. Next, season the chicken with salt and pepper, placing the seasoned side down. Finish seasoning the chicken. Cook the chicken on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. You are looking for a golden brown color. The chicken won’t be cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Meanwhile, dice the onion and garlic and set aside. Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken, takes mere minutes to put together but tastes like it was cooking for hours. If you are not using chicken, of course skip the above steps and begin the recipe now.

There is no need to clean the skillet so the next step is to add the 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the same skillet. Place the onions in the oil and cook for 10 minutes. The onions should be soft and translucent. Once softened, continue to add in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir around and cook for one minute.

Potato Pawtatoe

There are so many different variety of potatoes out there nowadays. Most of us are very familiar with the good ole Russet potatoes, red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes. For this Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken recipe I find that either the red or Yukon potatoes work the best. You want the potatoes to hold their shape while they are braising. If using Russets, they will most likely break down.

I was in Greece, not to long ago, with the best travel buddy one could have…my dad! We decided that this time around we would go visit some new islands. Small, quaint, fisherman islands with just enough flair. Some towns only had 40 people living there. Anywho, we were in Naxos for several days and I can’t get over how good their potatoes are! I’m dead serious. Naxos potatoes are well known because of their clay like soil, microclimate and are grown near the ocean which provides flavor. Naxos produces 8,000 TONS of potatoes, yearly but sadly do not export to the US.

Finishing the Greek Green Bean (Fasolakia) with Chicken

The onions and garlic should be ready to take on the remainder of the ingredients for the Greek Green Bean (Fasolakia) with chicken by adding the potatoes, green beans, crushed tomatoes and spices. Just like this.

Next, stir to combine and add in the water and tuck the chicken pieces in the sauce.

Lastly, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the green beans and potatoes are tender. The time can vary due to the size of the cut potatoes. I like to check on the Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken every 15 minutes and just give a gentle toss moving everything around. If you notice that the sauce is getting thick just add some more water. The extra liquid will help continue the braising the beans and potatoes. The chicken thighs finish cooking during this time.

Finally, if using, take chunks of feta cheese and place it all around. I cover the Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken to let the feta soften up.

I enjoy serving my Ceaser Salad with this Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with Chicken. If you wanted to go full on Greek dinner, try making Spinach pie (spanakopita) or Cheese triangles (tiropitas) to have with it. It’s all Greek to me!~Christina

Greek green beans and potatoes with chicken

Recipe by Christina Scanlon

Course: DinnerCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Green beans and potatoes slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce, topped with feta. (Chicken optional)

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Thighs

• 1/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Medium Onion, diced

• 4 Garlic cloves, minced

• Pinch Red pepper flakes (optional)

• 3 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

• 1 Pound Green beans

• 1 28 ounce Can, Crushed tomatoes

• 1 1/2 Cup Water

• 1 Teaspoon Salt

• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

• 1 Teaspoon Dried dill

• Feta (optional)

Directions

• Heat tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in heavy skillet (or cast iron)
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them in the hot skillet.
• Cook for 2 minutes on each side, getting them a nice golden brown. They will not be fully cooked. Place on a dish and set aside. *(SEE NOTE)
• Pour in the 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into the pan. (No need to clean it)
• Add in the diced onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add in the minced garlic and red pepper flake (if using). Cook for a minute.
• Next add in the potatoes, moving them around, followed by the green beans and crushed tomatoes.
• Season with salt, pepper and dill.
• Mix everything together and add the water.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
• Place the chicken thighs back into the pan and cover.
• Cook until the potatoes and green beans are tender. 30-45 minutes.
• Remove lid and top with chunks of feta.

Notes

• IF NOT USING CHICKEN SKIP TO STEP 4.

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