Stifado—Greek red wine beef stew is a hearty, delicious dish perfect for Sunday lunch. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, lots of fresh herbs, and delicate pearl onions are slowly cooked in an aromatic red wine broth.
If you’re a fan of our delicious Stifado-Greek Red Wine Beef Stew, you’re in for a treat with our Beef Stew With Eggplant, Pork Stew with Chickpeas, and Lamb Stew Avgolemono!
Overview
find what you need
at a glance
Why this recipe sings
Here is what you need
- Beef—A stew does not require expensive cuts of meat. Get two pounds (one kilogram) of beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes. This cut becomes really tender, and it has a reasonable price tag. You can certainly use your favorite stewing beef.
- Flour—all purpose. To lightly coat the beef before searing. It helps develop nice crispy exterior as well as thickening the sauce.
- Carrots, celery and onion—the trinity otherwise called mirepoix (in French). The base for most recipes is this diced trio to build flavor.
- Garlic—as far as I am concerned the more the better!
- Pearl onions—apart from visually adding beauty to the stew, they also taste sweet and full of flavor. You may use fresh or frozen. Thaw out before use.
- Tomato paste—deepens and intensifies the flavor.
- Dry red wine—it tenderizes and flavors the meat, creating a heavenly sauce. Pick a good quality wine you would drink, not necessarily expensive.
- Stock—can be vegetable, or beef.
- Spices—cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, dried oregano, ground nutmeg, chili flakes and sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Herbs—for the bouquet garni. Bouquet garni, a French term meaning “garnished bouquet,” is a traditional herb mixture used to enhance stocks, soups, casseroles, meats, and vegetables. In this stew we use fresh rosemary, thyme and sage.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Stifado cooking methods
Stovetop stifado
The most traditional way to cook this wine beef stew is pretty straightforward. After browning the meat, the other ingredients are added, the heat turns low, and the stew simmers for hours.
Slowcooker stifado
Slow-cooked red wine stew is very tender. The pearl onions are added towards the end of the cooking to avoid becoming mushy. The pearl onions need to be tender but still firm. Cook the stew on high for five to six hours or on low for up to 10 hours.
How to make our stifado
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Gather and tie all the fresh herbs together using some cooking twine to create your bouquet garni.
- Arrange the beef stew pieces on a platter lined with paper towels. Pat dry all the pieces to remove the extra moisture. Sprinkle some flour all over the beef pieces.
- Add the olive oil to the pot. Turn heat to medium-high.
- Add the beef, 3-4 pieces at a time. Brown them all over for one minute, remove, place on a clean plate, and set aside for later. Repeat the process until all pieces are nicely brown all over.
- Add the diced onions to the pot—season with a pinch of salt. Add the garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Season with freshly ground pepper, ground nutmeg, chili pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Add the bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
- Add the tomato paste and stir; sauté in medium heat for 2-3 min to let flavors develop.
- Add the diced carrots and celery. Add the beef pieces and mix gently. Turn the heat to high and add the wine. Simmer in high heat for 2-3 min to let the alcohol evaporate.
- Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30 min.
- Remove the stew from the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes and serve.
Completing this fabulous stew takes almost two hours, and the result will not disappoint.
Serving suggestions
- Mashed potatoes. They are an obvious choice for a stew. Try our mashed potatoes with olive oil.
- Fries. They go so well with the sauce. Our country-fried potatoes are excellent with this dish.
- Bread. It’s heavenly dipped in the wine sauce. Check out our country bread or our olive oil bread if you are up for baking fabulous loafs.
- Salad. A large green salad like our maroulosalata is ideal for this stew. The acidic dressing and chopped lettuce complement the flavors perfectly.
What cooks are saying:
Readers who have made our stifado recipe are raving about it! Here is what they had to say:
I’ve now made this three times, twice for guests, and it’s perfect. Thank you for posting it. The cinnamon and oregano give it great flavor; then, you get the warmth from the chili. I have varied it depending on circumstances – for instance, I threw in some mushrooms this time, after sauteing them first, and often add a bit of chopped, fried bacon too – and I serve it with potatoes (mashed, jacket, loaded, anything!). I love beef stew, but the flavors in this one make it my favorite.
This stew was really amazing. Best I’ve ever made. Cubing, flouring/seasoning, and browning the beef made a big difference in the flavor.
Storage and reheating
- Red wine stew can be kept in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat or the microwave in a glass container.
- Generally, stews freeze well, so you may want to double the recipe and freeze some later. Store the stew in heavy plastic, airtight containers, leaving some space to allow it to expand in the freezer. Keep it frozen for up to 3 months.
Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!
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Stifado-Greek Red Wine Beef Stew
Our Stifado-Greek Red Wine Beef Stew has tender beef, fresh herbs, and delicate pearl onions in a fragrant broth.
Equipment
- 5 qt Dutch oven or ovenproof pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck cut in pieces for stew
- 2 tablespoons flour all purpose
- 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves diced
- 8 oz pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup broth can be vegetable, beef or chicken.
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
for the bouquet garni
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh sage
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C / 350°F.Gather all the fresh herbs and tie them together using some cooking twine to create your bouquet garni.
- Arrange the beef stew pieces on a platter lined with paper towels. Pat dry all the pieces to tremove the extra moisture. Sprinkle some flour all over beef pieces.
- Add the olive oil to the pot. Turn heat to medium-high. Add the beef, 4-5 pieces at a time. Brown them all over for 1 min, them remove, place in a clean plate and, set aside for later. Repeat the process until all pieces are nicely brown all over.
- Add the diced onions to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Season with freshly ground pepper, a teaspoon of ground nutmeg, a teaspoon of chili pepper flakes, and a tablespoon of oregano. Add the bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
- Add the tomato paste. Stir and sauté in medium heat for 2-3 min to let flavors develop.
- Add the diced carrots, celery and beef pieces and mix gently. Turn the heat to high and add the wine. Simmer in high heat for 2-3 min to let the alcohol evaporate. Lower heat to medium. Add the pearl onions and the broth. Add the bouquet garni. Stir gently and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cover and place pot in the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30 min. Remove from oven, remove lid and let it sit for 10 min before serving.Serve with crispy french fries on the side to dip in the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage and reheating
- Red wine stew can be kept in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat or the microwave in a glass container.
- Generally, stews freeze well, so you may want to double the recipe and freeze some later. Store the stew in heavy plastic, airtight containers, leaving some space to allow it to expand in the freezer. Keep it frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 28gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 771mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3995IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
I love wine, Greek food, and stew. I can honestly say this recipe ticks all the boxes. Just what we need in this COLD weather. Comfort food at its finest.
It is a really good stew, perfect for cold days! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Gloria!
My sons are going to visit us this weekend and this Stifado is perfect for lunch! They will love this.
It is a really good stew! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Dennis!
Oh this just sounds like the most perfect comfort food for this time of the year. I love the Greek spin on this and that it uses fun ingredients like cinnamon and nutmeg. Can’t wait to try it!
It is a really good comforting stew, perfect for cold days! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Lauren!
I love all the herbs and spices that you are used here! I agree pearl onions are a great addition to the stew recipes.
It is a really good stew! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Uma!
This sounds like such a great recipe for a cold evening! I bet the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg gives it such an interesting taste.
I love the cinnamon and nutmeg in stews! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Kathryn!
This looks like the perfect hearty & herby winter stew. I bet it would be a great one to batch cook and freeze. Going to make this next weekend, thanks for sharing!
It is a great stew! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Helen!
My favorite type of dish. This to me is total comfort food. I am saving your recipe because I’m going to try it for our family meal this weekend… my whole family loves this type of dish!
It is a really good stew, perfect for cold days! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Melanie!
Delicious! The red wine adds so much flavor to this beef stew! It was just the meal to make for a cold day like today.
It is perfect for cold days! Thank you, Jamie!
I found this recipe at the perfect time, because the polar vortex is rolling through and we need some major comfort food. This recipe certainly fits the bill. I’m loving all these flavours and the addition of red wine. This is going to be perfect to warm us up on these super cold days.
It is a really good stew, perfect for cold days! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Nicole!
Do you add the cloves with the other spices as in the method it doesn’t mention it? Thank you!
Hi Anne!
Oops!
Yes, I do put the cloves in with the other spices, I need to add them to the recipe.
Thanks for letting me know! x Jenny
I made this tonight for the first time and ran into several recipes glitches: the ingredient list calls for 4 cloves but the directions don’t say when to add them; the directions call for adding bay leaves which do not appear in the ingredient list; the ingredient list call for a tablespoon of oregano while directions call for a pinch and the same is true for red pepper flakes (Greek chili recipe in disguise?) I adjusted the daylights out this and am hoping for the best, but I have no idea how it will turn out. I think this needs an edit or corrections.
Hi!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and also pointing out where we missed out!
I am sure it will turn out delicious.
We updated the images recently but did not update the recipe card correctly. We are very grateful for your comment!
Thanks again,
Please let us know how it came out!
Jenny
hi, can you pls. confirm the qty of chilli pepper flakes to use? I’m trying it with 1 tbsp as listed above, however I feel this is too much to use.
thank you,
giotta
Hi Giotta,
Feel free to reduce the amount. Do just a pinch and try it. You can also omit the flakes altogether if that’s not your thing. It will not affect the overall flavor of the stew. You can always sprinkle just a little bit for serving. I will add this note to the recipe. Thank you so much for trying the stew!
X Jenny
I made this stew last night. I did not have any red wine, so I substituted beef broth with a little bit of balsamic vinegar.
I omitted the cloves and cinnamon, but used the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.
I roasted an eggplant and added the very soft flesh to the stew just before it went into the oven. I like to use eggplant puree to thicken soups and sauces. It gives a sweet smoky flavor and improves the texture.
I tested the beef after it had been in the oven about 75 minutes and it was still a little tough. I ended up cooking it closer to 2 hours. Everything was melt in your mouth tender.
This stew was really amazing. Best I’ve ever made. Cubing, flouring/seasoning, and browning the beef made a big difference in the flavor.
Thanks so much, Joy! So glad you liked it. I love all your tips! x Jenny
It’s a great stew but I think tablespoon of nutmeg and chilli flakes is a bit much. Too much nutmeg has the tendency to leave a long lasting flavour. It that the correct measurements Jenny?
Hi Eve,
You are correct, both should be a teaspoon. I will fix it asap.
Thank you so much for checking out the recipe!
x Jenny
Used Shallots (whole peeled) instead of red onions.
That’s a great idea! I will try shallots as well. Thanks so much, Peter!
Thank you! This was a huge hit with my very picky family. I omitted the red pepper flakes, although I bet they would enhance the stew, and subbed a couple of shallots I had on hand for the pearl onions. Suggest serving with orzo.
That is so good to read Carol! Thank you! I love this stew with orzo as well. x Jenny
I’ve now made this three times, twice for guests, and it’s perfect. Thank you for posting it. The cinnamon and oregano give it great flavour, then you get the warmth from the chilli. I have varied it depending on circumstances – for instance I threw in some mushrooms this time, after sauteing them first, and often add a bit of chopped, fried bacon too – and I serve it with potatoes (mashed, jacket, loaded, anything!). I love beef stew, but the flavours in this one make it my favourite.