This Greek Beef Stew Recipe (Stifado) Is Aromatic, Comforting & Easy to Make Soups Dinner Beef

Stifado is a Greek stew recipe made with tomatoes, spring or pearl onions and aromatic spices. Typically, stifado is made with rabbit, but beef is often used instead. This stifado recipe uses beef stew meat and smells heavenly as it simmers. 

Beef stew meat is browned in butter along with onions and garlic. Red wine deglazes the pot before cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, diced tomatoes and water are added. The stew is simmered on the stovetop for about an hour. While the stew simmers, pearl onions are cooked in a skillet in a little olive oil. The softened pearl onions are added to the soup at the end of cooking time. Throw some fresh herbs in, and you have a delicious pot of stifado! 

If you can't find fresh pearl or spring onions, you could use a bag of frozen pearl onions. Serve this Greek beef stew with creamy mashed potatoes for comforting and filling dinner. 

Cuisine: Greece
Prep Time: 15  minutes
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours 
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound pearl onions or small spring onions, peeled 
• fresh chopped herbs, for garnish (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add half of the stew meat and brown on all sides. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining stew meat. Remove to a plate.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. 
3. Add the wine and cook, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Put the beef back into the pot. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring often, about 1 hour. 
4. While the stew cooks, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the pearl or spring onions and cook, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 20 minutes. 
5. Add the pearl onions to the stew and simmer, uncovered, another 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

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