Stifado — Greek Beef and Onion Stew

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Meteora monasteries

📍 Where this dish comes from: Meteora, Thessaly · Meteora monasteries
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Stifado — Greek Beef and Onion Stew, plated and ready to serve

Stifado is one of the great braises of the world — beef slow-cooked with whole pearl onions in a wine-and-tomato sauce perfumed with cinnamon, allspice, and bay. The onions become impossibly sweet and silky. The beef becomes fall-apart tender. The sauce becomes something you could drink. This is winter in a bowl.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Stifado — Greek Beef and Onion Stew

Stifado — Greek Beef and Onion Stew

Stifado is one of the great braises of the world — beef slow-cooked with whole pearl onions in a wine-and-tomato sauce perfumed with cinnamon, allspice, and bay.
Print Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 475kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs beef chuck or short ribs cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1.5 lbs pearl onions peeled (or very small shallots)
  • 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 4 whole allspice berries and 4 cloves
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Season beef generously. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Brown beef in batches without moving, 4 minutes per side. Remove.
  • Add whole pearl onions to the pot and brown lightly, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Deglaze with red wine, scraping up all browned bits. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice, and cloves.
  • Return beef to pot. The liquid should just cover — add broth if needed.
  • Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook on low 2.5-3 hours until beef is completely tender and onions are melting.
  • Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Taste and season. Serve with cauliflower mash.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 475kcal | Protein: 40g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 2g
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Cooking Stifado — Greek Beef and Onion Stew in the kitchen

Health Benefits

  • Slow-braised beef chuck is exceptionally rich in collagen, gelatin, and glycine — compounds that repair gut lining, support joint health, and promote deep sleep.
  • Red wine polyphenols, particularly resveratrol, concentrate in the braising liquid as the alcohol cooks off.
  • Pearl onions contain quercetin, one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory flavonoids.

Pairs Well With

  • Classic Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
  • Tzatziki Cauliflower Rice
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