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Greek · Mediterranean

Beef stifado

Non-vegetarian

Μοσχάρι στιφάδο · Moschari stifado

Beef braised slowly with masses of small whole onions in red wine, tomato, vinegar and warm spices until the sauce turns sweet, dark and glossy.

Beef stifado is a Greek main course from Greece, ready in about 3 hours 10 minutes and made with beef chuck and shallot. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Beef stifado in rich tomato sauce served with chips and salad
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
30 min
Cook
2 h 30 min
Rest
10 min
Total
3 h 10 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
463

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the beef in batches in half the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Set aside.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the remaining oil and the whole onions and cook, shaking the pot, until golden in patches, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and cook 1 minute.

    • 12 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Return the beef, pour in the wine and vinegar and let bubble for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spices, bay, salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and water.

    • 5 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Cover and simmer very gently for 2 hours, shaking the pot rather than stirring so the onions stay whole, until the beef is tender and the sauce thick.

    • 120 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Rest 10 minutes and remove the cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab) and bay before serving.

    • 10 min

About this dish

Origin
Greece · Well documentedRabbit and octopus stifado are equally traditional, particularly on the islands.Also popular in CyprusMore food from Greece
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Stews & braises
Cooking method
Braised, Stewed
Taste
sweet & savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, rich, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Pork-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Shallot · Garlic · Tomato paste · Canned tomatoes · Dry red wine
Techniques
Simmering · Braising · Stewing · Slow-cooked gravy

Allergens

  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dry red wine, wine vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

463 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 464 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 23%
  • Fat 40%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy463 kcal100 kcal
Protein40.2 g8.7 g
Carbohydrate26.1 g5.6 g
Net carbohydrate20.3 g4.4 g
Sugars11.8 g2.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.7 g1.2 g
Fat20 g4.3 g
Saturated fat4.8 g1 g
Trans fat0.4 g0.1 g
Cholesterol107 mg23 mg
Sodium1008 mg217 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1260 mg
Calcium
111 mg
Iron
5.9 mg
Magnesium
77 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
21 µg
Vitamin C
20 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
3.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
51 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Blanch the onions for 1 minute to make peeling much easier.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring with a spoon breaks up the onions — shake the pot instead.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice, orzo, mashed potatoes or chips and plenty of bread.

Food safety

  • Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, covered.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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