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Lebanese Beef and Green Beans is slow simmered beef {or lamb} and green beans in a tomato sauce with cinnamon and a touch of cumin. Lay this dish over a bed of rice with a dollop of plain yogurt, fresh parsley and plenty of pita bread to soak up the juices.
Lebanese green beans with meat (loubieh bi lahmeh) is cubed beef and green beans simmered in a cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce until the beef is fork-tender and the beans soak up every bit of that warm, savory flavor. You’ll need beef stew meat, an onion, garlic, crushed and diced tomatoes, frozen green beans, and a simple spice mix of cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, and paprika.
Brown the beef, bloom the spices with the onion, then let everything simmer low and slow in one pot for about 1 1/2 hours, mostly hands-off. Spoon it over rice with a dollop of yogurt and plenty of pita. This is the cozy Sunday dinner I grew up on, and it reheats beautifully for busy weeknight leftovers. If you want a vegetarian version try my Lebanese Green Beans.
Why This Recipe Works
• Browning in batches builds the flavor base. Crowding the pot steams the beef instead of searing it. Two batches give you a deep brown crust and those browned bits on the bottom of the pot, which melt into the tomato sauce.
• Blooming the spices in oil wakes them up. Two minutes in the hot pot with the onion turns the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves warm and fragrant instead of dusty. This blend is my take on Lebanese seven spice, and the cinnamon is what makes it taste like my Grandma’s kitchen.
• Two kinds of tomatoes, two jobs. Crushed tomatoes make a thick, spoonable sauce. Diced tomatoes add little bites of texture.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Beef: I use beef stew meat (usually chuck) cut into 1-inch cubes. Smaller, even pieces cook faster and more evenly. Lamb works beautifully too and is just as traditional.
- Onion and Garlic: The onion and garlic in this dish add so much flavor. You don’t have to add them but I highly suggest it.
- Spices: The combination of spices in Lebanese Green Beans are my favorite. I use cinnamon, cumin, cloves, allspice and paprika.
- Tomatoes: One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and one 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes. You can use one or the other, but I love the mix of thick sauce and little tomato bites.
- Green Beans: Frozen cut green beans are my go-to. No need to thaw them first. Fresh green beans work too: trim the ends and cut them in half.
If you like beef recipes try this beef barley soup in the crock pot or these Mediterranean Beef Kabobs.
Ways to Modify This Recipe
This recipe is easy to adapt to what’s in your fridge. Here are my favorite swaps:
- Meat: Lamb stew meat is a classic Lebanese choice and follows the exact same steps. For ground beef, brown it with the onion, drain any excess fat, and simmer just 15 minutes before adding the green beans.
- Vegetarian: Skip the beef and add 1 pound of quartered mushrooms or cubed eggplant with the onion. Simmer the sauce 15 minutes before adding the green beans.
- Spices: Swap the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves for 2 teaspoons of Lebanese seven spice if you have it on hand. For a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Aleppo pepper with the other spices.
- Beans: Stir in a drained 15-ounce can of chickpeas or white beans along with the green beans to stretch the pot a little further.
- Greens: Stir in a few handfuls of spinach or kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking, just until wilted.
How to Make Lebanese Green Beans with Meat
Brown the beef, build a spiced tomato sauce in the same pot, and let the beef get tender before the green beans go in. Here’s how:
Step 1: Brown the beef. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef with half the salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil, beef, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium and sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in both cans of tomatoes and the browned beef.
Step 3: Simmer the beef. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. It’s ready when a cube of beef gives easily when pressed with a spoon.
Step 4: Add the green beans. Stir in the green beans, cover, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes more, until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve over rice with a dollop of yogurt, fresh parsley, and warm pita.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding the green beans too early. They’ll turn olive-drab and soft before the beef is ready. Wait until a cube of beef gives easily when pressed with a spoon.
- Boiling instead of simmering. A hard boil tightens the meat. Keep it at a gentle bubble with the lid on.
- Crowding the pot when browning. Sear in two batches so the beef browns instead of steaming.
- Rushing the beef. If the beef is still chewy, give it another 15 minutes before the beans go in. Stew meat cuts vary, so trust the spoon test over the clock.
- Skipping the final taste. Canned tomatoes vary in salt and acidity. Taste at the end and adjust salt, and a pinch more cinnamon softens a sauce that tastes too tangy.
What Is Loubieh bi Lahmeh?
Loubieh bi lahmeh means “green beans with meat” in Arabic. It’s an everyday Lebanese stew of beef or lamb and green beans in a tomato sauce, almost always served over rice. It’s different from loubieh bzeit, the meatless version of green beans cooked in olive oil and tomatoes, which you’ll find in my Lebanese Green Beans recipe.
This one is personal for me. My Grandma made both versions, and I still remember walking into her house to the smell of tomatoes and cinnamon simmering on the stove. My Grandpa used to take me to a little Middle Eastern shop in the valley near Akron for fresh pita, and some trips we’d come home with tahini, bulgur, and chickpeas too. Every time I drive past that shop, I think of him. This is the dish that tastes like those days.
What to Serve with Lebanese Beef and Green Beans
Serve it over rice with a dollop of plain yogurt, chopped parsley, and warm pita for scooping up the sauce. That’s exactly how my family eats it.
- Rice: Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli is the traditional pairing. Couscous or quinoa work too.
- Salad: A crunchy Fattoush Salad or Easy Lebanese Salad balances the warm, rich stew.
- Dips: Put out a bowl of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and pita and it becomes a full Lebanese spread.
Storage, Make Ahead, and Freezing
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen overnight, so this is one of those dishes that’s even better on day two.
- Make ahead: Make the whole pot a day ahead and reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled leftovers (without rice) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove. The green beans will be a little softer, but the flavor holds up perfectly.
Recipe FAQ
Simmer cubed beef stew meat in the tomato sauce for 45 to 60 minutes, until a piece gives easily when pressed with a spoon, then add the green beans and simmer 25 to 30 minutes more. Adding the beans before the beef is tender leaves you with soft beans and chewy meat.
Yes, frozen green beans are what I use most often. Add them straight from the freezer, no thawing needed, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
Yes. Brown the beef and sauté the onion, garlic, and spices on the stove first, then add everything except the green beans to the slow cooker. Cook on low
Yes to both. Lamb stew meat is a classic Lebanese choice and follows the same steps. For ground beef, brown it with the onion, drain any excess fat, and reduce the first simmer to 15 minutes before adding the beans.
More Lebanese Recipes
Vegetarian
Fattoush Salad
Mediterranean
Lebanese Spicy Potatoes (Batata Harra)
Mediterranean
Lebanese Lentil Soup
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Lebanese Beef and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 pound frozen cut green beans, (or fresh, trimmed and halved)
- Fresh parsley and yogurt for garnish {optional}
- Rice, couscous or quinoa to serve over
Instructions
- In a large pot heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add half of the stew meat, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and brown the meat, turning each piece of meat as easy side browns.
- Remove each piece of meat as it browns and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the remaining meat, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue to brown until all of the meat is done. Add to the other meat and set aside.
- In the same pot add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the onion and sauté over medium heat. Once the onion begins to soften add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, allspice and paprika and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and browned beef and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a cube of beef gives easily when pressed with a spoon.
- Stir in the green beans, cover, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes more, until the beans are tender and the beef is falling apart. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and spices.
- Serve over rice, couscous, or quinoa with a dollop of yogurt, fresh parsley, and pita bread.
Notes
- Tender beef: Stew meat cuts vary. If the beef is still chewy after 60 minutes, simmer 15 minutes longer before adding the green beans.
- Fresh green beans: Add them at the same time as frozen. They may need a few extra minutes to soften.
- Lamb or ground beef: Lamb stew meat follows the same steps. For ground beef, brown it with the onion, drain, and simmer only 15 minutes before adding the beans.
- Slow cooker: Brown the beef and sauté the onion, garlic, and spices first. Cook everything except the beans on low 7 to 8 hours or high 4 hours, adding the green beans for the last 45 minutes.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze (without rice) up to 3 months. It’s even better the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am currently cooking this, am just waiting until its time to put the green beans in, so far so good, i just hope it impresses my iraqi husband, thank you so much for the easy recipe!
I hope you guys enjoy it. I am Lebanese so I am not sure if it is similar to what they eat in Iraq but hopefully something you guys enjoy.
I love family inspired recipes! This looks like some incredible comfort food!
Thanks Jessica! It is definitely comfort food.
Why oh why don’t I cook like this more often!! This sounds absolutely perfect for this time of year and would you believe I have all of these ingredients all ready on hand? Yay!
It is definitely an easy dish to put together and most people do have the ingredients in their pantry and fridge already!
Oh you had me at Lebanese! My father was Lebanese and we grew up with the same foods. My mother was Irish and German but she learned how to make all his favorite foods. Many of my Lebanese relatives are gone now and oh how I miss there home cooked meals. Delicious food! I loved reading about your family and this dish looks delicious! (We used to call it Lubi (not sure of the spelling.))
We called is Lubi too {it is spelled a lot of ways!}. My Dad is actually German and my Mom is Lebanese! Luckily my Mom did all of the cooking so she made us a ton of Lebanese recipes growing up. Home cooked meals like this are the best, aren’t they?
Does anyone know how to make Kibba? I think that is what it’s called.
Hi Mary Ann, Here is a recipe for Kibbeh: https://www.acedarspoon.com/kibbeh/
What a beautiful recipe celebrating traditions and the flavors of your culture and ancestors, this is a must try =)
Thanks Adriana! My family loves it.
This sounds wonderful and so warming with all that cinnamon!
Thanks! The cinnamon is so rich and warming. The best part of the dish!
I love this post! I love family inspired recipes and think it is awesome that you keep your family’s love for Lebanese food alive. The dish itself sounds wonderful–I love cinnamon with red meat.
Thanks Laura! I love family inspired recipes too. They are the best, with so many years of love going into them. I agree that cinnamon and red meat pair so nicely together.