Easy Greek Briam Recipe: Roasted Veggies with Bold Mediterranean Flavor

Name: Easy Greek Briam Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini; 2 medium potatoes; 1 medium eggplant; 1 large onion; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 red sweetpepper; Salt & pepper, to taste; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; 1½ cups passata or crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp dried oregano; 3 tbsp dried parsley; ½ tsp sugar; Optional: pinch of chili flakes

Let me introduce you to the traditional Greek Briam recipe—a roasted vegetable dish that’s simple, hearty, and full of flavor. It’s pronounced BREE-ahm, like a soft breeze with a Mediterranean twist.

Travel Inspired Cooking

I came across Greek Briam while looking for something easy that still felt thoughtful. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t need much fuss, but makes you feel like you’ve cooked something special. The taste and flavors are a pleasant reminder of our trip to Crete, with good bread, cheese, and even better company.

I tried it out and wow—it turned out super delish! This easy Briam recipe is a Greek vegetable bake—a celebration of simple ingredients and bold flavors. I gave it a personal twist by using red sweetpeppers instead of bell peppers, dried parsley in place of fresh, and slicing the veggies extra thin to cut down on baking time. The result? The bold, sun-kissed flavors of the Mediterranean came together in the most satisfying way.

How To Make Briam In Less Time, With The Same Results

Vegan, healthy, and full of flavor

This healthy Greek briam recipe serves 4 to 6 people. It took about 30 minutes to slice the veggies and prepare the sauce. The original baking time is two hours, but with my bonus tip (which I share in the recipe), I reduced the oven time to about one hour. A nice save in electricity costs!

Dish it up with...

I made Briam (very Greek!) as a side dish for our afternoon braai (very South African, or the American BBQ equivalent!), and the next day I had the leftovers as a light lunch. The leftovers tasted as good as when I made them, if not better.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini
2 medium potatoes
1 medium eggplant
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red sweetpepper (instead of bell pepper)
Salt & pepper, to taste
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

My personal twist with substitutes and all

I’ve substituted the original recipe’s ingredients here and there:

I used sweetpepper instead of bell pepper
For the tomato sauce, I used 3 tablespoons of dried parsley instead of fresh parsley.
I did not peel the potatoes, as per the original recipe’s instructions.

Bonus Tip: I also sliced the vegetables into about 3mm slices to speed up the time in the oven. Thanks to the thinner slices, it cooks faster but still delivers that slow-roasted flavor. I reduced the original cooking time from 1 hour 20 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour.

Optional: The original recipe included an optional pinch of chili flakes, which I did not do. I love chili, but I felt it wouldn’t match my taste expectations, and I was right; I was very happy I left it out.

Tomato Sauce

1½ cups passata or crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp dried parsley (instead of fresh)
½ tsp sugar
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Optional: pinch of chili flakes

Fun Fact:
National Braai Day is the popular name for South Africa‘s Heritage Day, celebrated annually on September 24. It’s a public holiday that unites South Africans to celebrate the nation’s diverse cultural heritage, with the central activity being a traditional barbecue or “braai”. The initiative, led by Jan Braai, encourages people to come together around fires, share food, and celebrate their shared identity as a “Rainbow Nation”

Make Briam like this:

Prep the Veggies: Slice all vegetables extra thin—this helps them roast faster and more evenly. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Make the Sauce: In a bowl, mix together the passata, garlic, oregano, dried parsley, sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the optional chili flakes if you like a little heat.
Toss & Season: In a large bowl, toss the sliced vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and all of the tomato sauce until well coated.
Assemble the Dish: Arrange the vegetables in your baking dish, in overlapping rows. Pour the leftover sauce over the top.
Bake: Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 35–45 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden and tender.
Serve: Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Homemade Greek briam is even better the next day, so leftovers are a treat!

Download and Save Greek Briam Recipe Card

Final Thoughts

This Briam recipe turned out so flavorful, I honestly couldn’t stop going back for “just one more bite.” The sweetpeppers added a lovely twist, and using dried parsley worked like a charm. Plus, slicing everything thin really sped things up without sacrificing taste.

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it goes! Did you add your own twist? Use fresh herbs? Skip the eggplant? Drop a comment below and let’s swap ideas—I’m always curious how others make it their own.

Posted by Arina JvR

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