Kokkinisto-Greek Braised Beef in Red Sauce is an authentic traditional recipe you will love. Melt-in-your-mouth beef is slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil, herbs, onion, and garlic. Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice or french fries for an unforgettable meal!
What is kokkinisto?
Kokkinisto (κοκκινιστό, pronounced ko-kee-nee-STOH) means “reddened” in Greek — from kókkino, the word for red. It isn’t one fixed recipe but a method: meat is browned, then simmered slowly in tomato until the sauce turns deep red and the meat pulls apart with a fork. Beef (moschari) is the most common choice in Greece, but the same method is used for lamb (arni kokkinisto), chicken (kotopoulo kokkinisto) and pork. What makes a braise kokkinisto is the sauce — warm with cinnamon, bay and allspice, and thick enough to coat whatever you serve underneath.
Why you will love kokkinisto
If you love this Kokkinisto you will also love, Braised Greek Chicken In Tomato Sauce, Stifado–Greek Red Wine Beef Stew, or Pork Stew With Chickpeas!
Here is what you need
- Beef chuck roast. Cut into 5 cm /2-inch pieces.
- Onion and garlic.
- Ripe tomatoes. Peeled and chopped
- Broth. It can be chicken, beef, or vegetable.
- Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and whole allspice berries.
- Fresh oregano sprigs. If unavailable, use dried oregano instead.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh spearmint (dyosmos). For serving. Optional.
- Sea salt and chili flakes. The flakes are optional. I use them in almost all my recipes for a little kick.
How to make it
- For best results, the meat must be at room temperature. Blot the beef pieces with a paper towel to completely dry them and season with sea salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide and heavy-bottomed pot,
- Sear the meat in batches until it is well browned on all sides, forming a crust. Transfer the browned pieces with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Add the diced onions to the pot, season with a pinch of sea salt, and sauté, scrapping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the delicious fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom) for 5 minutes, on medium heat, until they turn golden.
- Add the diced garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice and oregano sprigs, and sauté 2–3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the meat back with the juices accumulated on the plate. Add the broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover the pot and simmer for 2½ hours. You want the sauce to simmer gently, with a few bubbles on its surface.
- Uncover and taste the meat. It should be tender and easy to shred with a fork. Remove from the heat, add the fresh spearmint (dyosmos) and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Let the kokkinisto rest for 10 minutes and serve.
How to serve it
- Here, kokkinisto is served with crispy fries, and crusty bread. It goes well with orzo, rice or pasta like tagliatelle. Sprinkle feta of lots of parmesan and enjoy!
- Other suitable sides are a traditional Greek tomato salad (add a few capers for some salty note), potato fritters with feta, and rosemary potatoes with parmesan.
- Use the leftovers to make Greek loaded fries. Trust me you will love them!
- Orzo is the natural partner. Cook the kritharaki separately and spoon the meat and sauce over it, or stir it into the pot for the last 15 minutes with an extra cup of broth so it drinks up the sauce as it cooks. If you want the baked version — orzo and meat finished together in the oven — that’s giouvetsi, and I make it with chicken.
Helpful tips and tricks
- When tomatoes are not in season, I prefer canned authentic San Marzano D.O.P. whole tomatoes. I crush them with my hands and place them and all their liquids in the sauce.
- Use tomato paste and regular canned chopped tomatoes like Cento for a more budget-friendly option. The trick is to add a tablespoon of the paste while you saute the onions and garlic. It will deepen and bring out the flavor of ordinary canned tomatoes. Next, add the tomatoes, let the sauce cook for ten minutes, then taste to check if it’s too acidic. If that is the case, add half a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce and stir.
- If there is a lot of liquid in the pot after cooking, remove the beef pieces and simmer the red sauce for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce it.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, sprinkle it with some flour and stir vigorously. Cook for a few minutes while stirring. The flour will thicken the sauce. Please don’t overdo it. Add a tiny bit of flour at a time until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
Storage, make-ahead and reheating
Kokkinisto is one of those dishes that is better the next day. The sauce settles, the cinnamon and allspice mellow into the tomato, and the beef keeps absorbing flavor while it sits. If you have the time, cooking it a day ahead is not a compromise — it’s an improvement.
To make ahead: cook the recipe through completely, then let it cool in the pot with the lid off before refrigerating. Pull out the cinnamon stick and the bay leaf first, or they’ll keep infusing and turn sharp over a couple of days. Hold back the spearmint, the chili flakes and the drizzle of olive oil — those all go in when you reheat and serve, not before, or they go flat.
In the fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container, meat and sauce together. Don’t drain the sauce off — it’s what keeps the beef from drying out. The olive oil and beef fat will set into a firm layer on top when it’s cold. Lift it off if you want a leaner dish, or stir it back in as it warms.
To reheat: low and slow on the stovetop, covered, with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. Give it 15 minutes or so and stir now and then. Avoid the microwave for the beef — it tightens the chuck and undoes the texture you spent two and a half hours building.
In the freezer: up to 3 months. Freeze it in the sauce, in portions you’ll actually use, leaving a little headroom in the container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above. The sauce may look separated when it thaws; it comes back together as it warms and you stir it.
FAQ
Cooked it? Rate it!
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.
Kokkinisto-Greek Braised Beef in Red Sauce
Equipment
- large heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into pieces for stew
- 1½ cups onions, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup broth, chicken, beef, or vegetable
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 fresh oregano sprigs
- 2-3 whole allspice berries
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For serving
- fresh spearmint (dyosmos), optional
- chili flakes, optional
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- For best results, the meat must be at room temperature.Blot it with a paper towel, to completely dry it.Season with sea salt.
- In a wide and heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil.Over high heat sear the meat, in batches, until it is well browned on all sides, forming a crust.Transfer the browned pieces with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- Add the diced onions to the pot, season with a pinch of sea salt, and sauté, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release the delicious fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom). Sauté the onions for 5 minutes over medium heat, until golden.
- Add the diced garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice and oregano sprigs, and sauté 2–3 minutesAdd the fresh chopped tomatoes and stir. Cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the meat back with the juices accumulated on the plate. Add the broth. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 2½ hours.Simmer the sauce gently, with a few bubbles on the surface.
- Uncover and taste the meat. It should be tender and easy to shred with a fork.Remove from the heat, add some spearmint leaves and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add some chili flakes if you like.Let the kokkinisto rest for 10 minutes and serve with fried potatoes and a tomato salad.
Notes
- When tomatoes are not in season, I prefer canned authentic San Marzano D.O.P. whole tomatoes. I crush them with my hands and place them, along with all their liquid, in the sauce.
- Use tomato paste and regular canned chopped tomatoes like Cento for a more budget-friendly option. The trick is to add a tablespoon of the paste while you saute the onions and garlic. It will deepen and bring out the flavor of ordinary canned tomatoes. Next, add the tomatoes, let the sauce cook for ten minutes, then taste to check if it’s too acidic. If that is the case, add half a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce and stir.
- If there is a lot of liquid in the pot after cooking, remove the beef pieces and simmer the red sauce for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce it.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, sprinkle it with some flour and stir vigorously. Cook for a few minutes while stirring. The flour will thicken the sauce. Please don’t overdo it. Add a tiny bit of flour at a time until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
- Substitute whole allspice with one teaspoon ground allspice. If unavailable, use ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves.
- Make ahead and storage. Better on day two. Cool with the lid off, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months in the sauce. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth. Add the spearmint, chili flakes and finishing olive oil when you serve, not before storing.
Nutrition
We love Greek food. This dish is comfort food taken to a new level. Perfect to serve to guests too.
My mom used to throw leftover steak in her homemade spaghetti sauce and I loved the flavor. I was trying to find a steak and tomato recipe that would kind of be similar but with a little more pizazz and this was it! Turned out delicious and just what I was looking for!
This looks like the kind of dish I can really sink my teeth into. It reminds me of my grandpa’s goulash but with more spices. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I loved the flavor of this and can’t wait to make it again. Can it be made in a slow cooker and how so? I’d love to have it ready when I get home from work during the week.
This sounds so good and I can’t wait to make it. Rather than using whole allspice, can I use ground? I use ground allspice in most of my Middle Eastern recipes, and don’t have whole on hand.
Hi Maddy! Yes, absolutely you can use ground allspice.
Substitute the whole allspice with one teaspoon ground. If unavailable, use ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves.
Thanks so much! x Jenny
The beef was so good, it was tender and so flavorful! We served it with mashed potatoes to scoop up all that delicious tomato sauce. We’re definitely trying it the the more classic way with fries next time!
I love Greek food but had never tried kokkinisto before. This is a super family weekend dish. It takes a little time but is actually easy to make. Will be making again!
This looks hearty and delicious! I like that the recipe is well-detailed and easy to follow. Will save it for later!
I needed an idea for dinner tonight, and I have all of the ingredients! Perfect! Excited to give this a try!
The tender beef simmered in that aromatic red sauce is a hearty and soul-warming dish. It was perfect for sharing with my loved ones!