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–+ servings
Bowl of Greek Stifado in a blue bowl with oranges in the background
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Mediterranean Greek Beef Stifado

This Beef Stifado is a Mediterranean, Greek-inspired beef stew recipe that's melt-in-your-mouth delicious, redolent with warm spices, rich, hearty, and utterly satisfying.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 453kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 lb boneless beef chuck cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 4- inch cinnamon stick
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 strip orange zest
  • 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 lb pearl onions peeled

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef pieces in batches and remove them to a plate. Add remaining butter and olive oil to the pot between batches.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add chopped onion and carrots to the pot. Saute the vegetables until softened; about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, sugar, allspice, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. Cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the beef broth vinegar, and tomato paste.
  • Return the browned beef to the pot. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices and add ½ cup of water if needed. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
  • While the stew is cooking, peel the pearl onions, Then add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Brown the pearl onions while stirring frequently.
  • Add the pearl onions to the stifado and cover. Cook until the beef and onions are tender; about 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove orange zest before serving over cooked orzo.

Notes

Instant Pot Beef Stifado

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the beef in batches. This can also be done in the pressure cooker.
  2. Once browned, set the beef aside and add additional olive oil if necessary. Sauté the onions and carrots until softened. This step can be done in a skillet or directly in the Instant Pot using the Sauté function.
  3. Stir in the salt and pepper, spices, cinnamon stick, and orange zest. Cook for 30 seconds or so until fragrant.
  4. Then stir in the tomatoes with their juices, vinegar, tomato paste, and beef broth.
  5. Cover and set the vent to sealing; cook for 45 minutes at high pressure. Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure.

Slow Cooker Beef Stifado

  • Brown the beef and sauté the onion and garlic then add all the ingredients to the slow cooker pot and cook for 5 hours on high or up to 7-8 hours on low. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g