Slow Cooker Beef Stifado, a delicious Greek beef stew that is the very definition of comfort food. Tender beef chunks that simply melt in your mouth, sweet shallots and a rich sauce full of big flavours coming from the cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves and allspice. It's a simple, yet divinely rich stew that will go down well with the whole family.
Comfort food might be best enjoyed in the cold season, but there are dishes that work a treat no matter the time of the year, especially when you have had a long cold Winter that doesn't seem to go away even when it is supposed to be glorious weather outside.
To me, a good old beef stew has to be the ultimate comfort food, it's rich and hearty, and packed with goodness. I have various beef stew recipes on my blog, from Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes, to Beef Stew with Guinness or Leftover Beef Stew, but there is something about this Greek Stifado that makes is extra delicious.
Because of all the delicious veggies and meat used in the stews, which already add so much flavour, I usually play it safe but adding basic seasoning, but using earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves and allspice to this dish has been quite a revelation to me.
They simply turn a simple stew into a fantastic dish that is so nicely and mildly spiced, that even kids will tuck in and absolutely love it. Mine did for sure, as well as the grown ups. My stifado is made without red wine, and it is still as delicious!
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Ingredients used
- stewing beef - no need to go for an expensive cut of beef, for stews that need to be cooked low and slow to get the best flavours, the cheaper cuts work the best.
- shallots - unlike regular onions, shallots have a sweet, way less pungent flavour that add a lot of flavour to this stew, I highly recommend them over other types of onion
- carrots - you can add other root vegetables too, or keep it simple
- garlic - no stew without some!
- spices: cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and allspice, they all add so much flavour
- chopped tomatoes - I usually go for the canned ones, but if you have fresh juicy tomatoes, you can use them too
- tomato paste - adds more richness and a depth of flavour
- beef stock / broth - or water if you don't have any, although I highly recommend using it if you have some
- oil - for browning the beef
- fresh parsley - adds more flavour and colour
Easy swaps
Beef is a classic ingredient in this stew, but rabbit, lamb, pork or chicken can be used too. For a vegetarian version, mushrooms would work well here.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- heat up the oil in a large pan over a medium heat
- season the beef chunks with salt and pepper and brown on both sides - work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan
- remove the beef from the pan and add it to the slow cooker
- in the same pan, add the peel shallots, peeled and roughly chopped carrots and garlic, and sautee them briefly to deglaze the pan
- add the seasoning, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock, and give it a good stir
- add everything to the beef and cook on high for 4 hours or on slow for 6-8 hours
- garnish with fresh parsley
Expert tips
Although you could add the beef chunks raw to the slow cooker, I prefer browning the meat first for extra flavour, the veggies that deglaze the pan get coated in those delicious juices too, which is a bonus.
For my recipe I did not use red wine, I actually very rarely add it in my cooking. However if you do wish to add some, you can do so after the meat has been browned.
The shallots do not need chopping in any way, they can be added whole to the stew (well, peeled first), as they cook well in the slow cooker anyway. But if you think the shallots you are using are too big, you can halve them.
What to serve with stifado
Although traditionally stifado is served with orzo, we had ours with couscous and it was really tasty too. Other sides that would work a treat would be mashed potatoes, rice, bulgur wheat or pasta.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stifado
Ingredients
- 450 g stewing beef, cut into chunks ( 1 lb)
- 1 cup beef stock (broth)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g, 13 oz)
- 2 carrots
- 7 shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large pan set over a medium heat.
- Add the beef chunks, season with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.
- Remove the beef from the pan, and add it to the slow cooker.
- In the same pan, add the peeled shallots, peeled and roughly chopped carrots, garlic, and spices, and sautee for 2-3 minutes to deglaze the pan.
- Add the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and give everything a good stir.
- Add everything to the slow cooker, and cook on a high heat for 4 hours, or slow for 6-8 hours.
- Garnish with freshly-chopped parsley and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Although you could add the beef chunks raw to the slow cooker, I prefer browning the meat first for extra flavour, the veggies that deglaze the pan get coated in those delicious juices too, which is a bonus.
- For my recipe I did not use red wine, I actually very rarely add it in my cooking. However if you do wish to add some, you can do so after the meat has been browned.
- The shallots do not need chopping in any way, they can be added whole to the stew (well, peeled first), as they cook well in the slow cooker anyway. But if you think the shallots you are using are too big, you can halve them.
Nutrition
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