Beef Giouvetsi (Greek Beef Stew with Orzo)
, Updated Nov 24, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Giouvetsi (a.k.a yiouvetsi or youvetsi) is the ultimate Greek comfort food! This flavor-packed beef stew with orzo in a rich tomato sauce is a hearty and delicious one-pot meal your whole family will love.
The days are getting a bit chillier, the evenings are drawing in ever earlier – it’s time to get cozy! And is there’s nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of Giouvetsi, trust me on this.
My mum made beef giouvetsi often for our Sunday family meals and I feel such a sense of connection to her and my Greek upbringing whenever I made this dish for my own family.
Plus I know how much you guys love orzo recipes so I am sure you will love this Greek beef and orzo stew dish!
What does ‘giouvetsi’ mean?
Giouvetsi or Youvetsi (Geek spelling Γιουβέτσι pronounced as ‘you-vet-si’ with the emphasis on the second syllable) takes its name from the lidded clay pot it is cooked in. It can be made with lamb, beef or chicken and orzo (κριθαράκι) or hilopites (small, flat, square pasta) all cooked together in a rich and aromatic tomato sauce.
Traditionally, giouvetsi is cooked on the stove and then the oven. The meat, vegetables and tomato sauce are cooked first then the orzo is added with additional water or stock and cooked until tender.
Few things are more comforting than a hot bowl of beef stew, but Greek giouvetsi really takes it to the next level. It is the perfect one-pot family meal 🙂
Why you’ll love my Beef Giouvetsi Recipe
- Simple and easy to prepare in your slow cooker
- Hearty, delicious and perfect for sharing
- Even better the next day!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Beef: chuck steak, stewing beef, brisket or any cut suitable for slow cooking. The meat can be diced or cooked in one piece and then cut and mixed into the sauce.
- Olive oil: preferably Greek 😉
- Onion or shallots and garlic
- Red wine: red wine is used to deglaze the pan and lends richness to the sauce. If you don’t like cooking with wine, you can replace it with beef stock or water
- Red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce (an absolute flavor explosion)
- Tomato paste (tomato purée)
- Tomatoes: good quality canned tomatoes such crushed tomatoes or plum tomatoes blitzed in a food processor (I recommend San Marzano tomatoes for best flavor)
- Spices and seasoning: Greek stews use a blend of aromatic ground spices that add incredible depth of flavor. I used a ground allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander plus salt, pepper and a little brown sugar.
- Bay leaf and mixed dry herbs (Greek or Italian herb mix or Herbes de Provence)
- Beef stock / beef broth
- Orzo pasta: this little rice shaped pasta absorbs all the wonderful flavors of the sauce
- Grated Parmesan or for authenticity you should use grated Kefalotyri cheese (hard to find unless you are in Greece)
- Parsley to garnish
How to make Beef Giouvetsi in a Slow Cooker
- Season the beef with plenty of salt and pepper. I used a large piece of brisket in the video for this recipe but you can use diced chuck steak / braising steak if you prefer.
- Heat the olive oil in large casserole or directly in your slow cooker if it offers a browning option (such as the Greenpan Slow Cooker). Add the beef and brown on all sides until nicely colored. You might need to do this in batches if using diced beef to avoid crowding the beef.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pot (stand back as it will steam up hitting the hot pan) and stir in the onions, garlic and bay leaf.
- At this point transfer everything to the crock pot if you have started this recipe in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the spices, herbs, sugar and seasoning and add the beef broth, red wine and balsamic vinegar.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
- If you have used one large piece of meat then use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board, rest for a couple of minutes then slice into chunks.
- Add the diced beef back into the sauce. Stir in the orzo and cook on the HIGH setting for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Add a little hot water if the sauce is looking a bit dry.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.
Stove Top Method
- Follow the same steps as the slow cooker method until all ingredients apart from the pasta have been added to a large casserole or Dutch Oven. Increase the beef broth to 3 cups (750ml).
- Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
- If you have used one large piece of meat then use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board, rest for a couple of minutes then slice into chunks. Add back into the sauce.
- Stir in the orzo and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking and topping up with additional stock or water as needed. Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Leftovers and Storage
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave, adding a little water as needed.
You can also freeze the giouvetsi for up to three months, ideally before you add the orzo. Portion into suitable containers, allowing some space for the liquid to expand in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir in the pasta before you are ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This beef and pasta casserole is a full meal in itself. You can serve it with Greek bread and Horiatiki salad for a proper Greek feast! This recipe can serve a crowd so it is perfect for a family gathering.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can make Giouvetsi using lamb, veal or chicken. I prefer using beef as this was the way my mum prepared it.
- Add extra vegetables to make this casserole go further. Carrots, leeks, squash can all be used but you might need to adjust how much stock you add.
- Adding orzo directly into the sauce allows the pasta to absorb all the wonderful flavors of this classic Greek dish. Orzo absorbs liquid very readily so make sure to stir while it is cooking to avoid sticking.
If you liked my beef giouvetsi recipe, you might also enjoy my other Greek recipes:
- Makaronia Me Kima (Greek Style Meat Sauce)
- Peinirli – Greek Boat Shaped Pizza
- Kokkinisto stew
- Greek Lamb Gyro Recipe
- Greek Zucchini Pie (Kolokithopita)
HAVE YOU MADE MY GREEK GIOUVETSI RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Giouvetsi (Greek Beef Stew with Orzo)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs (900g) diced beef or one large piece of brisket
- 1 large onion , diced
- 4 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup (80ml) red wine or beef broth
- ¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz (400g) can crushed tomatoes or liquidized plum tomatoes
- ½ tbsp brown sugar , optional
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef broth or stock made using Bouillon / stock cube
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) orzo
To serve
- freshly grated Parmesan to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method
- Season the beef with plenty of salt and pepper. I used a large piece of brisket in the video for this recipe but you can use diced chuck steak / braising steak if you prefer.
- Heat the olive oil in large casserole or directly in your slow cooker if it offers a browning option (such as the Greenpan Slow Cooker). Add the beef and brown on all sides until nicely colored. You might need to do this in batches if using diced beef.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pot (stand back as it will steam up hitting the hot pan) and stir in the onions, garlic and bay leaf.
- (Transfer everything to the crock pot if you have started this recipe in a casserole dish). Sprinkle with the spices, herbs, sugar and seasoning and add the beef broth, red wine and balsamic vinegar.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
- NOTE: If you have used one large piece of meat then use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board, rest for a couple of minutes then slice into chunks. Add the beef back into the sauce.
- Stir in the orzo and cook on HIGH for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Add a little hot water if the sauce is looking a bit dry.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.
Stove Top Method
- Follow the same steps as the slow cooker method until all ingredients apart from the pasta have been added to a large casserole or Dutch Oven. Increase the beef broth to 3 cups (750ml).
- Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
- If you have used one large piece of meat then use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board, rest for a couple of minutes then slice into chunks. Add the beef back into the sauce.
- Stir in the orzo and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking and topping up with additional stock or water as needed.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can make Giouvetsi using lamb, veal or chicken. I prefer using beef as this was the way my mum prepared it.
- Add extra vegetables to make this casserole go further. Carrots, leeks, squash can all be used but you might need to adjust how much stock you add.
- Adding orzo directly into the sauce allows the pasta to absorb all the wonderful flavors of this classic Greek dish. Orzo absorbs liquid very readily so make sure to stir while it is cooking to avoid sticking.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
I made this with six beef cheeks. I had to double the quantities in the recipe. It almost over loaded my 4.5L slow cooker 🙂 The meal was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Found this really vinegary. Would make again as the underlying flavours are fine , but will be omitting the red wine vinegar next time!
Sehr, sehr gut.
Great flavor. Hearty and filling and keeps well