Beef stifado is the slow Greek stew of tender beef, whole shallots and warm spices that makes any cold night feel special.<\/strong><\/p>\n Stifado is a slow braise cooked in homes and tavernas all over Greece. Families make it with beef, rabbit or veal, and our archive has a veal version too.<\/p>\n Its signature is a mound of small onions or shallots<\/a>, left whole until they turn soft and sweet. A splash of vinegar, cinnamon and allspice<\/a> then gives the sauce a gentle sweet and sour edge.<\/p>\n This beef stifado comes from John Mitzewich, better known as Chef John, who shared it on Allrecipes. He almost chopped the shallots to save time. But he notes that \u201cevery single \u2018authentic\u2019 recipe I examined insisted on it\u201d<\/em>, so he kept them whole.<\/p>\n Read more: Salantourmasi: How to Make Greek Stuffed Onions With Beef and Rice<\/p>\n He adds that the extra 10 minutes of peeling pays off. Chef John even calls this stifatho \u201cprobably the best beef stew you\u2019ve maybe never had\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n The recipe holds 4.9 out of 5 from 30 ratings, and 29 of those ratings are five stars.<\/p>\n Beef stifado needs a good stewing cut and a few pantry spices, so the shopping is simple. Measures for this stifatho are US, with metric equivalents in brackets.<\/p>\n Then, for the moschari stifatho sauce, you will also need:<\/p>\n In Australia, chuck steak suits beef stifado, while sea salt flakes can replace kosher salt. Note that a US tablespoon holds 15 ml, but an Australian one holds 20 ml.<\/p>\n Allrecipes lists 25 minutes of preparation and 2 hours 35 minutes of cooking for this stifatho.<\/p>\n Next comes the step that gives beef stifado its tang.<\/p>\n According to Chef John, the beef stifado may need longer than two hours, so trust the fork test rather than the clock.<\/p>\n Allrecipes shows 19 reviews for this stifatho, and UpbeatParm8626 wrote: \u201cThe best beef stew I\u2019ve ever had\/made.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Peeling is fiddly, but GiftedFlan8129 offers this: \u201cTop tip soak your shallots in boiling water for about 10 minutes and the skin comes off easy\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n Sunny Jim insists that \u201cA good dark sear on the beef is a must\u201d<\/em>. He also warns that \u201cclove and cinnamon are so easy to over do\u201d<\/em> in beef stifado.<\/p>\n In contrast, Besseae \u201creduced the salt by a third and doubled the spices\u201d<\/em> and served it over spanakorizo.<\/p>\n Chris Darrell cut the beef into 2.5 cm (1-inch) cubes and browned them for 2 minutes per side. Instead, Jenelle D used an Instant Pot on high pressure for 35 minutes.<\/p>\n HardyWhisk9034 wrote: \u201cMy mom made this when I was a kid.\u201d<\/em> For that cook, moschari stifatho tasted \u201cexceptional and authentic\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n After eating it at a small family restaurant in Sivota, Boulaye went looking for a recipe.<\/p>\n Chef John serves his beef stifado with crusty bread for dipping. He also tops each bowl with crumbled feta<\/a> and pickled red onions.<\/p>\n Several reviewers also pair the stew with Greek spinach rice. Stacy wrote: \u201cThis is spectacular served over the Greek Spinach Rice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Others prefer potatoes, whether mashed, pan-fried or added to the pot during the second hour. Leftovers keep well too, since Jenelle D\u2019s son said the stifatho tasted even better the next day.<\/p>\n If you like slow Greek braises, try our moshari kokkinisto in tomato sauce or the octopus kokkinisto.<\/p>\n You can find the full beef stifado recipe and Chef John\u2019s video on the original Allrecipes page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: Allrecipes<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Beef](\"https:\/\/greekcitytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/beef-stifado-greek-stew-bowl-1.webp)
<\/source><\/picture>What makes beef stifado different?<\/em><\/h3>\n
Ingredients for six serves<\/em><\/h3>\n
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How to cook stifatho at home<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Tips from home cooks<\/em><\/h3>\n
Serving ideas and leftovers<\/em><\/h3>\n