Beef Stifado is packed with intense flavour and cooked low and slow until the meat is melt in the mouth tender. This Greek beef stew is the perfect comfort food to serve on cold winter days and it is slimming friendly too!
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Published December 2015, Updated January 2020
Take a look at my recipe video and step by step tutorial and make traditional Stifado on the hob/ oven, slow cooker or the Instant Pot.
What is Stifado?
Stifatho (στιφάδο) or stifado is a traditional Greek stew. Beef Stifado is probably most well known outside of Greece, but you can also make this stew with pork, lamb, seafood or rabbit.
The other main ingredients in stifado is an abundance shallots or small pearl onions – these lend a wonderful sweetness to the rich sauce which has a truly mouthwatering aroma from the cloves, cinnamon and allspice.
Here’s what you will need
I have simplified my Stifado recipe to make it a little easier on the home cook – the depth of flavour is the same so why not save some prep time?
If you are not hugely fond of the pearl onions you can use chopped shallots instead. This stew is suitable for popular weight loss diets like Weight Watchers and Slimming World with minor modifications, noted in italics
- Olive oil or a low calorie cooking spray such as Fry Light for a slimming version
- Beef – choose a cut suitable for long cooking like braising steak and trim any visible bits of fat
- Pearl onions or small shallots – these can be a bit fiddly to peel, feel free to use frozen pearl onions for ease. Larger shallots (banana shallots) will melt more into the sauce and I actually prefer them
- Cinnamon stick, orange peel, allspice berries, whole cloves and bay leaves – these aromatics should not be skipped! You can replace the whole cloves and allspice with ground in a pinch
- Brown sugar or Sukrin Gold for a slimming version
- Garlic, celery, carrots
- Tomato purée (or paste) and chopped tomatoes from a tin
- Red wine vinegar – adds a lovely touch of acidity
- Red wine and beef stock – for a slimming version you can use an Oxo red wine stock cube instead
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Peeling pearl onions
If you are using whole pearl onions or small shallots the place in a bowl, unpeeled, and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for five minutes then drain. Cut the root end off and peel the skins off – the water will soften them and make it much easier to peel.
Marinating the beef
If you have the time to prep ahead you can marinate the beef with the wine, vinegar, garlic, clove, allspice, bay leaves and orange peel. Place everything in a bowl, mix well, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
Add the beef and its marinade in the stew once the vegetables have softened, together with the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes and cook until tender.
How to make Stifado
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
The stew is partially cooked on the hob in a large lidded pot (I swear by my Greenpan used in the video and photos) then finished in the oven where it cooks low and slow until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce has thickened. See below for instant pot and slow cooker variations.
Sear the beef over high heat, in batches, until nicely coloured then set aside. If you are using cooking pray you might need to mist a few times.
Deglaze the pan with a splash or red wine or beef stock, scraping any browned bits that have stuck to the pot.
Add the vegetables: chopped shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, spices, sugar (or sweetener), and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until softened. If the pan gets too dry you can add a splash of stock.
Add the beef back into the pot. Stir tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, stock/wine and bring to a rolling simmer.
Cover and cook in a preheated oven for 2 ½ hours until the sauce has thickened and meat is tender.
Discard the bay leaves, orange peel and cinnamon stick. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Serving suggestions
Serve with mash or roast potatoes with some crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce.
In Greece, beef stifatho is sometimes served with rice, orzo or other types of pasta but I think the potatoes are a better match.
Make sure to add some green vegetables on the side such as green beans or steamed broccoli, especially if you are following Slimming World or Weight Watchers.
Lucy’s Tips and FAQs
CAN I MAKE STIFADO IN MY INSTANT POT? Yes you can – detailed instructions are in the recipe card. Please note you will need to adjust the amount of liquid if making in a pressure cooker.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS You can cook this beef stew in a crockpot after doing some initial prep on the stove. Some slow cookers have a searing function or allow for the inner pot to be used on the hob in which case you can make the entire recipe in your cooker.
WHAT ABOUT LEFTOVERS? This stew keeps well in the fridge for up to three days. You might need to add a bit of water when reheating.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS Allow the stew to cool down, remove the cinnamon, orange peel and bay leaves, then divide into suitable containers. Use within three months, defrosting overnight in the fridge before reheating.
WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF BEEF? You can replace the beef with pork or lamb (suitable for stews) or with rabbit.
HAVE YOU MADE MY STIFADO RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Beef Stifado
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or low calorie cooking spray
- 900 g | 2 pounds braising steak cubed
- 15 small shallots, whole or 4 large shallots roughly chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or Sukrin Gold for slimming version
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick broken in two
- ¼ tsp ground allspice or 5 whole allspice berries
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves or 5 whole cloves
- 1 strip orange peel optional
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 400 g (14oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml (1 cup) rich beef stock
- 120 ml (½ cup) red wine replace with red wine stock cube for slimming version
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C (325F).
- Heat the oil in a large lidded pot (Dutch Oven) or mist with cooking spray. Brown the beef over high heat, in batches, until nicely coloured then set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash or red wine or beef stock, scraping any browned bits that have stuck to the pot.
- Add the chopped shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, spices, bay leaves, orange peel, cinnamon stick sugar (or sweetener). Cook over low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. If the pot gets too dry you can add a splash of stock.
- Stir in the beef, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, stock/wine and bring to a rolling simmer.
- Cover and cook in a preheated oven for 2 ½ hours until the sauce has thickened and meat is tender.
- Discard the cinnamon stick, orange peel and bay leaves. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with roast potatoes or mash and some crusty bread.
Instant Pot Method
Note you will need use less liquid if using a pressure cooker.
- Heat the oil in your Instant Pot using Saute/High. Brown the beef over high heat, in batches, until nicely coloured then set aside.
- Add the chopped shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, spices, bay leaves, orange peel, cinnamon stick sugar (or sweetener).
- Stir in the beef, red wine vinegar and a total of 1/2 cup (120ml) liquid either beef stock or half stock half red wine.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and puree but do not stir. Seal the pot and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 35 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
- If the stew requires further thickening, consider adding 1 tbsp cornflour diluted in equal amount of cold water and heating through.
- Discard the cinnamon stick, orange peel and bay leaves. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Slow Cooker Method
Note you will need use less liquid if using a slow cooker. If your cooker allows for searing then follow the steps using the inner pot, otherwise use a pot then transfer to cooker.
- Heat the oil in a large lidded pot (Dutch Oven) or mist with cooking spray. Brown the beef over high heat, in batches, until nicely coloured then set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash or red wine or beef stock, scraping any browned bits that have stuck to the pot.
- Add the chopped shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, spices, bay leaves, orange peel, cinnamon stick sugar (or sweetener). Cook over low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. If the pot gets too dry you can add a splash of stock.
- Stir in the beef, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar and and a total of 1/2 cup (120ml) liquid either beef stock or half stock half red wine. Bring to a simmer.
- Transfer to slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 6. If the liquid needs to be reduced further, continue to cook on HIGH uncovered for a further 30 minutes.
Video
Notes
Peeling pearl onions If you are using whole pearl onions or small shallots the place in a bowl, unpeeled, and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for five minutes then drain. Cut the root end off and peel the skins off – the water will soften them and make it much easier to peel. Marinating the beef If you have the time to prep ahead you can marinate the beef with the wine, vinegar, garlic, clove, allspice, bay leaves and orange peel. Place everything in a bowl, mix well, cover and place in the fridge overnight. Add the beef and its marinade in the stew once the vegetables have softened, together with the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes and cook until tender. ––––––––– Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World or Weight Watchers. These weight loss plans are often updated in line with latest nutritional guidance and may change so for accurate information it is best to join as a member. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on ingredients and serving sizes.
Nutritional Info
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Pat Clargo says
Oh my goodness! Perfect beef stew for these cold nights. My first ever stew I’ve made and it’s amazing. Thank you for the recipe x
Lucy Parissi says
So lovely to hear Pat – thanks for your comment, made my day 🙂
Michaela kitney says
Sounds wonderful I am a vegan,is there any way I could make this? Haven’t always been vegan, used to love this dish.
Lucy Parissi says
I think you could make a lovely vegan version of this by adding butternut squash and potatoes. You wouldn’t need to cook it for that long, I think 40 minutes should do it. Maybe add the squash 20 minutes in as it will cook faster than the potatoes. Let me know if you make it!
Susan Norman says
How long would this need cooking in a slow cooker please?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Susan – 8 hours on low or 6 on high should be sufficient. I am about to retest this recipe will be posting an update soon
Lawrence says
I had stifado for the first time in Cyprus in a hill-side teverna looking down on Aphrodite’s birthplace, I think it was around 1988. We were a group of four guys working out there, and there was not one little scrap left-delicious!
Made it a few times since, and as it’s so cold now, I think this weekend is the perfect time to do it again. I also put a couple of handfuls of black olives in mine (just before serving, no need to cook them as the sauce warms them through in seconds). 😋
Lucy Parissi says
I would prefer a trip to Cyprus to eat Stifado there but perhaps making at home is second best thing!
Aileen says
I would live to make this! I’m a bit confused on the amount of tomatoes toad. Is it 1 14 oz can?
Many thanks!
Lucy Parissi says
Hi yes it is one 14oz can of tomatoes.
Rizan says
I made this recipe this evening, so aromatic and delicious. I added a couple of things, star anise and parsnips. I did not add the allspice berries as I did not have any, was going to add powder allspice to cooking dish but forgot to do so. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Lucy Parissi says
So glad you liked it! Start anise would work great in this stew.
Lucy Parissi says
Hiya – it should thicken and turn into a lovely sauce as the dish cooks slowly – no straining required though you need to remove the cinnamon sticks, orange peel etc just before serving. Hope this helps!
Nakos says
Do you strain the marinade or pour it right in ?
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
You may not have meant to post this recipe now, but I am so glad you have! I have been trying to find a really good recipe for beef stifado for ages…… so thank you!
Alida @mylittleitaliankitchen says
Looks so hearthy, warming and delicious. We used to have rabbit often as a child, it is still so very popular in Italy.
It is so interesting your addition of cinnamon, I have never tried this before. Nice nice recipe!
Choclette Blogger says
Ooh now, my mother used to make the most fabulous rabbit stew when I was a child. Despite having pet rabbits, it strangely didn't phase me.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I love hearty one-pot meals like this. I bet this would go so well with mashed potatoes – all that gravy! 🙂
Emmyw says
Oh wow you really do pain a pretty picture. I'd love to lose myself in a big bowl of this all snuggled up with the rain beating on the windows. Heavenly!
Helen at Casa Costello says
Oh wow, this really does look intense! I think I'd opt for the potatoes too. I'm absolutely nowhere near relaxing on the sofa stage – I've only just really started Christmas preparations after a few manic weeks. Hope you get to chill out soon x
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
I completely get where you are coming from Lucy as I too want to relax on my sofa with my faux fur blanket wrapped around me, snuggled up against the Mr and a cup of tea in hand. It seems that every time I try to escape to the kitchen to bake sweet treats. . .yet another distraction rears its head. But we still must eat… so while I might not have the luxury to lounge around with my blanket. . .i can always snuggle up with this stew during dinnertime. It looks absolutely heavenly…like a nice big warm hug for the tummy.
P.S. I'm glad you switched to beef because I can never bring myself to eat rabbit
Julia@Vikalinka says
What an gorgeous recipe for this cold weather we've been having and it's Greek too for which I am incredibly excited. My mum used to make a rabbit stew and my brother and I always used to refuse to it! Now a rabbit stew sounds so exotic and I would gladly eat but it's so expensive, so a beef version seems more affordable and more popular with the little people!