Chunks of beef in dark brown gravy with thick-cut fries and blistered green peppers on a white plate, fork and knife beside it. — Photo: Xemenendura · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Greek · Lunch · Dinner

Greek Beef Stifado

Name: Greek Beef Stifado
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 175 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 700 g (about 1.5 lb) lean beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 cm cubes; about 20 small small onions or shallots, peeled and left whole; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 stick cinnamon stick; 2 leaves bay leaves; 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 3 whole cloves; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 1 cup water; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Μοσχάρι Στιφάδο (Moschari Stifado)

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

Tender chunks of lean beef slowly braised with sweet whole onions in a glossy tomato and red wine sauce scented with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. A warming Greek classic made lighter with trimmed beef and just a little olive oil.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 150 min
Total: 175 min
Serves: 4

Medium
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
High protein

20%

Per serving404kcal20% of a 2,000 kcal day

41gProtein

23gCarbs

15gFat

5gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 23% · Fat 34% · Protein 43%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

700 g (about 1.5 lb)lean beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 cm cubes
about 20 small600 gsmall onions or shallots, peeled and left whole
2 tbsp27 gextra virgin olive oil
4 cloves12 ggarlic, sliced
2 tbsp32 gtomato paste
1 cup240 gcanned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup120 gdry red wine
2 tbsp30 gred wine vinegar
1 stickcinnamon stick
2 leavesbay leaves
1/4 tspground allspice
3whole cloves
1 tsp6 gsalt
1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
1 cup240 gwater
2 tbsp5 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Steps

1
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towel and season with the salt and black pepper.
2
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
3
Brown the beef in two batches, about 4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
4
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the whole onions.
5
Cook the onions, shaking the pot often, for about 8 minutes until lightly golden all over, then lift them out and set aside.
6
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
7
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
8
Pour in the red wine and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits, and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
9
Return the beef and any juices to the pot, then add the crushed tomatoes, water, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, allspice and cloves.
10
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently on low heat for 1 hour.
11
Nestle the browned onions into the stew, cover again and simmer for another 60 to 75 minutes, until the beef is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
12
If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes; if too dry, add a splash of water.
13
Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cloves, taste and adjust seasoning.
14
Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use pearl onions from the freezer instead of peeling about 20 small fresh onions to save prep time.
Replace the red wine with an equal amount of low-sodium beef stock plus an extra splash of red wine vinegar if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
Swap the beef chuck for boneless lamb shoulder or rabbit pieces, both traditional in Greek stifado, adjusting simmering time until tender.
For a meat-free version, use chunks of portobello mushrooms and cooked chickpeas instead of beef, simmering for about 40 minutes and using vegetable stock in place of water.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through. The stew also freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Make ahead

The whole stew can be cooked a day ahead and chilled overnight, which deepens the flavour and lets you lift off any set fat before gently reheating. You can also peel the onions and cube the beef the day before and keep them covered in the fridge.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: Sulphites

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (503 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	404 kcal	80 kcal
Protein	41.4 g	8.2 g
Carbohydrates	23 g	4.6 g
of which sugars	10.2 g	2 g
Fiber	4.6 g	0.9 g
Fat	15 g	3 g
of which saturated	4.3 g	0.9 g
Sodium	850 mg	169 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.