Beef Stifado (Μοσχάρι Στιφάδο)
A deeply flavourful Greek beef stew, slow-braised with whole baby onions, red wine, cinnamon and warm spices until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is rich and glossy. A Sunday classic worth the wait.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prepare the onions
Drop the peeled baby onions into boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. This firms their outer layer so they hold together whole during the long simmer instead of falling apart. Pat them dry.
- 700 g baby onions
✅ Done when: the onions look slightly firm and glossy on the outside
Brown the beef
Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, without crowding the pot. Set the beef aside; this browning builds the deep flavour of the sauce, so don't rush it.
- 1.2 kg beef
- 2 tbsp olive oil
✅ Done when: each piece has a deep brown crust on all sides
Brown the onions
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Build the braise
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Slow-braise
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Finish and serve
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Prepare the onions
Drop the peeled baby onions into boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. This firms their outer layer so they hold together whole during the long simmer instead of falling apart. Pat them dry.
- 700 g baby onions
✅ Done when: the onions look slightly firm and glossy on the outside
Brown the beef
Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, without crowding the pot. Set the beef aside; this browning builds the deep flavour of the sauce, so don't rush it.
- 1.2 kg beef
- 2 tbsp olive oil
✅ Done when: each piece has a deep brown crust on all sides
Brown the onions
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Build the braise
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Slow-braise
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Finish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Stifado takes its name from the Venetian word for stew, a reminder of the long periods when parts of Greece were under Venetian rule. Traditionally it was made with wild hare or rabbit, slow-cooked over the hearth with whole small onions, wine and warm spices until the meat fell off the bone.
Over time beef and veal became the everyday version found in Greek homes and tavernas, especially in winter, though hare stifado is still cooked in hunting families and in Lent-friendly village kitchens.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The whole baby onions and warm spice blend of cinnamon, cloves and allspice give stifado a flavour unlike any other beef stew, rich, slightly sweet and deeply aromatic.
💡 Fun Fact
The name stifado comes from the Venetian stufato, meaning stewed, a small trace of centuries of Venetian presence in the Greek islands.
Greece, especially rural regions and the islands
39.07°N, 21.82°E
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