Greek

Serving

Beef Stifado (Greek Beef and Onion Stew)

Name: Beef Stifado (Greek Beef and Onion Stew)
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into large cubes; 1 1/2 lbs pearl or baby onions, peeled; 3 tbsp olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes; 1 cup red wine; 1/3 cup red wine vinegar; 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 whole cloves; 1 tsp sugar; Salt and pepper to taste

A rich, slow-braised stew of tender beef and whole baby onions in a fragrant red wine and cinnamon tomato sauce.

150 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

53 min prep

83 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper, then sear in olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until browned on all sides; remove and set aside.
2
In the same pot, lightly brown the peeled pearl onions, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add diced tomatoes, red wine, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and sugar.
4
Return the beef to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender.
5
Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves before serving, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6
Serve hot over rice, orzo, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Beef Stifado (Greek Beef and Onion Stew) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Beef Stifado (Greek Beef and Onion Stew) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

69/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 53

Budget-friendly 66

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 35

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

540

Calories

41 g

Protein

15 g

Carbs

30 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Stifado is a slow-braised stew whose name comes from the Italian 'stufato,' reflecting centuries of Venetian influence on Greek islands like Corfu and the Ionian coast. What makes it distinctly Greek is the pairing of warm baking spices - cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf - with a generous quantity of whole small onions, a dish traditionally made with wild rabbit or hare before beef became the common home version.

Listahan note

This version keeps the pearl onions whole rather than chopped, essential to stifado's identity - they should hold their shape and turn meltingly soft, almost like a vegetable counterpart to the beef, rather than dissolving into the sauce.

Technique cues

Searing the beef until well browned on all sides before the onions go in matters because crowding the pot causes the meat to steam rather than develop the deep brown crust that flavors the whole braise.
The cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and bay leaf should stay whole rather than ground so they can be fished out before serving - ground versions would leave gritty specks throughout the sauce.
The 2 to 2.5 hour low simmer is non-negotiable for beef chuck; this tough, well-worked cut only becomes fork-tender through slow, moist heat, not a quick braise.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: While the beef sears in batches, peel the pearl onions - blanching them for a minute first makes the skins slip off easily.
Make-ahead: Stifado is genuinely better the next day once the sauce has had time to meld; make it a day ahead and reheat gently before serving.
Leftover move: Serve leftovers over a fresh batch of orzo or rice rather than reheating them the same way twice.
Cleanup rhythm: Use one Dutch oven for the entire cook - searing, building the sauce, and braising all happen in the same pot with no need to transfer between vessels.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

beef chuck

main protein

Purpose: its connective tissue breaks down into gelatin over the long simmer, giving the stew a silky, rich body

Handling: cut into large cubes so they hold together after hours of braising

Adaptation: beef short ribs work beautifully and add even more richness, though they need slightly longer to cook

pearl or baby onions

co-star of the dish, not a background aromatic

Purpose: stifado is defined by whole, tender-braised small onions rather than chopped onion as a base

Handling: peel them whole and keep them intact so they hold their shape in the finished stew

Adaptation: quartered regular onions work if pearl onions aren't available, though the presentation changes

red wine and red wine vinegar

braising liquid and acid backbone

Purpose: the wine builds depth over the long cook while the vinegar keeps the rich beef and onions from tasting flat

Handling: use a wine you'd actually drink, since its flavor concentrates as the stew reduces

Adaptation: a dry vermouth can replace the wine in a pinch

cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and bay leaves

warm spice backbone

Purpose: this specific spice combination distinguishes stifado from other beef stews and ties it to Greek and Ottoman-influenced cooking

Handling: add whole and remove before serving

Adaptation: a small pinch of ground allspice can stand in for the cloves if none are on hand, added sparingly since it's more potent

tomato paste and diced tomatoes

body and color of the braising sauce

Purpose: they thicken the liquid into a clingy sauce and balance the wine's acidity

Handling: cook the tomato paste briefly before adding the diced tomatoes to deepen its flavor

Adaptation: a can of crushed tomatoes can replace diced for a smoother sauce

Technique notes

Resist stirring too often during the long simmer - keep the lid mostly on and check only occasionally, since frequent lifting lets heat escape and extends the cook time.
Taste the sauce before serving and adjust with a touch more vinegar if it tastes flat, since the long cook can mellow the acidity more than expected.
Fish out every piece of cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and clove before serving - biting into a whole clove is unpleasantly sharp.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: This dish is naturally gluten-free; serve over rice or gluten-free orzo instead of wheat pasta.
Lower-sodium direction: Use a no-salt-added canned tomato and season to taste at the end rather than throughout the cook.
Weeknight shortcut: Make this in a slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours after searing the beef and onions on the stovetop first.

Serve alongside

orzo pasta
crusty village bread
rice pilaf
a simple green salad with vinegar dressing
a medium-bodied Greek red like xinomavro
a dry Corfu-style red blend

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days; it tastes better on day two.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat.
Freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Equipment

Dutch oven
sharp knife
wooden spoon
tongs

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