Oven-baked lima beans with roasted garlic are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and make the perfect side dish. You may never think of lima beans the same way again - served like this, lima beans are addictive and snackable. This is an easy, high-protein vegetarian dish. You will love lima beans made this way.
I'm bringing this post forward from the archives because it is still one of my favourite winter recipes. The house just smells so good (and garlicky) when these babies are baking in the oven.
So. so good.
And here's some useless piece of info for you -- the first time this post went live was January 2010! ....2010!
I've edited and added some pictures, but the recipe remains the same. Roasted, crispy baked beans with roasted, creamy garlic... swoon...
I'm serious.
Frozen Lima Beans are magic
Few people in my family understand my love for lima beans.
Frozen limas are the best invention ever.
Lima beans are high in protein and fibre, and are a good source of folate, iron, manganese and magnesium. And they are relatively low in fat and calories, too, so I think they are definitely worth adding to your diet.
The best thing to do with them, IMO, is bake them in a hot oven until they are slightly crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. I think lima beans get a bad rap because they are usually served boiled or reheated from a can. I'm telling you, get a bag of frozen limas and throw those babies in the oven. You will thank me.
How to make the perfect baked Lima Beans
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Literally dump the frozen lima beans right into your baking dish, straight from the freezer. Still frozen is best.
Toss in a few whole cloves of garlic. Leave the skin on. You can squeeze out the soft creamy roasted garlic later.
Drizzle everything well with olive oil. A tablespoon or two will do. Don't go overboard. Toss everything well so it is evenly coated with the oil and spread the beans in a somewhat even layer in the baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees until they are crispy and slightly toasted. 35-45 minutes.
A word of caution here -- you can roast these as long as you want to. I like mine on the crispy and crunchy side. Think roasted chickpeas like this.... Which makes them good for snacking or for topping salads or rice bowls. For a side dish, you might want them a little less cooked, with a little less crunch. I suggest you check on them after about 30 minutes to see if they need more time, according to your liking.
How to serve Oven Roasted Lima Beans
I like them almost crunchy. And with lots of garlic.
Once the lima beans come out of the oven, fish out the garlic cloves and squeeze out the soft, creamy cloves. Toss the baked lima beans with the roasted garlic so it is evenly distributed.
Hot out of the oven, baked limas make the best toppers for fresh spinach or other dark green salads. Or serve them over mashed white or sweet potatoes, with rice or just as a side to a fish dish.
Leftovers make a great snack to pack for work or add to a salad as a source of protein. You really can't go wrong.
Here is how you make them:
๐ Recipe
Oven Roasted Lima Beans with Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 package 300 g of frozen lima beans
- 5 cloves of garlic skin left on
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium casserole dish or glass baking dish (this beat-up stoneware dish is just perfect) dump the package of frozen limas (it's okay if a little bit of water or ice crystals stick to the beans). And yes, go ahead and use them straight out of the freezer.
- Toss in the garlic cloves and drizzle everything with the olive oil. Toss it up good so that everything feels like it has been coated with a bit of the oil then spread out in an even layer. Pop the whole thing in the hot oven and bake 30-45 minutes or until the limas are done to your liking. I like mine crispy so I leave them for a full 45 minutes.
- To serve, fish out the garlic and slice open the cloves to get at the sweet and creamy goodness inside. Squeeze the soft garlic over the lima beans, give the dish a generous pinch of salt and pepper and toss it up.
janet @ the taste space says
I normally only think to roast chickpeas but this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. ๐
Trish says
So glad you stopped by Janet!
Jackie says
I can't wait to make try this, this sounds delish!!!
K says
Trying this right now! But question -- how should these be stored? Pantry? Fridge? I put stirred crushed garlic into mine and am not keeping them in the oven for as long.
Trish says
Hi K!
We generally eat this hot! Right out of the oven. I would store them in the fridge if not using them right away. Especially if you are cooking them less, they will still have some moisture in them and will spoil quickly otherwise. I would only keep leftovers for 3-4 days.
Jeanie Anderson says
Such a simple recipe and so darn good! I love it!
David Rausch says
I have to agree with your statements about frozen Lima beans, best invention ever!! My family also does not understand my passion for them!
Kris says
Can you use canned baby limas for this recipe?
Trish says
I really haven't tried. I don't use canned lima's very often, they may be a bit softer. I suspect you will need to cook them a bit longer to make them crunchy.