This hearty Greek-style beef stew (Moshari Kokkinisto) brings Mediterranean warmth straight to your table in just 2 hours.
The tender chunks of beef, slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce, create a comforting dish that’s both rustic and elegant.
Perfect for family dinners or special occasions, this traditional Greek recipe showcases the simple yet profound flavors that make Mediterranean cuisine so beloved.
With minimal prep time and mostly hands-off cooking, you’ll have a restaurant-worthy meal that tastes like it’s been perfected over generations.
Ingredients for Greek Style Beef Stew
- Beef: 1 kg quality stewing beef, cut into 100g portions
- Aromatics: 2 red onions and 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Tomato Base: 4 ripe tomatoes (peeled and chopped) plus 1 tsp tomato paste
- Liquids: 100ml olive oil and 1 glass red wine
- Spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 1-2 whole cloves, pinch of sugar
- Pasta: 400g bucatini or regular spaghetti
- Finishing Touches: Salt, fresh pepper, and grated kefalotyri cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the Meat: Cut beef into 100g pieces, wash and thoroughly pat dry for optimal browning
- Sear the Beef: Heat oil in a large pot and brown meat pieces on both sides until golden
- Start the Sauce: Sauté onions until soft, add garlic, then deglaze with red wine
- Build Flavors: Add tomatoes, paste, spices, and seasonings to create the base
- Slow Cook: Return meat to pot, add hot water to cover 2/3 of meat, simmer for 1.5 hours
- Adjust Consistency: Thicken sauce if needed by removing meat and reducing liquid
- Cook Pasta: Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions
- Final Assembly: Combine pasta with meat and sauce, top with olive oil and grated cheese
Cooking Techniques
The magic of this Greek beef stew comes from two key techniques. First, patting the meat completely dry and browning it properly – this creates rich flavor and keeps the beef tender.
Second, the slow cooking process where the sauce gently bubbles away. Keep the heat low and steady, and let time work its wonder. If you’re new to stewing, watch the liquid level – you want the meat about 2/3 covered throughout cooking.
Tips for Perfect Results
Here’s a little secret: the thickness of your sauce matters a lot! If your sauce gets too thick while cooking, just add warm water a little at a time.
And if it’s too thin when the meat is done, take the beef out and bubble the sauce on high heat until it’s just right. Also, that tiny pinch of sugar helps balance the tomato’s acidity – don’t skip it!
Serving Suggestions
This hearty stew shines when served hot over bucatini pasta – those thick strands are perfect for catching all that tasty sauce!
Add a good drizzle of olive oil and plenty of grated kefalotyri cheese on top. If you can’t find kefalotyri, Pecorino Romano works great too.
Pour everyone a glass of the same red wine you used in cooking, and serve with crusty bread to soak up every drop of sauce. Some simple roasted vegetables on the side would round out this cozy meal perfectly.
Storage and Leftovers
The best part about this stew? It tastes even better the next day! Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Keep the pasta separate from the sauce to prevent it from getting soggy. When reheating, warm the stew slowly on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce. Make fresh pasta when you’re ready to serve again.
Greek Style Beef Stew in a Tomato Sauce (Moshari Kokkinisto)
Equipment
- Large deep pot
- Slotted spoon
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg quality stewing beef (35 ounces)
- 2 small red onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp tomato paste dissolved into a teacup of water
- 100 ml olive oil (2/5 of a cup)
- 1 glass red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 whole cloves or a pinch ground
- 1 pinch sugar
- 400 g bucatini spaghetti or plain spaghetti (14 ounces)
Instructions
- To prepare the reddened Greek beef stew, start by cutting the beef into pieces, approx. 100g/ 3.5 ounces each one. Wash thoroughly the beef and wipe with some paper towel. It is important to dry the meat well, in order to be nicely browned.
- Heat a large, deep pot to high heat. After the pan is heated, pour in the oil along with the beef. Brown the pieces of beef on one side, without stirring and then brown them on the other side. Try not to overcrowd the bottom of the pan. Browning the beef is very important, when cooking a Greek beef stew, as it helps the meat remain juicy and tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of meat from the pot and place them on a plate.
- To prepare the sauce for the Greek beef stew, add into the pot the chopped onions and turn the heat down. Sauté for 3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Pour in the red wine, turn the heat up and cook for 2 minutes, until it evaporates. Add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste (dissolved in a teacup of warm water), the cinnamon stick, the cloves, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper.
- As soon as the sauce comes to the boil, add the beef and enough hot water to cover the 2/3 of the meat. When the sauce starts to bubble a lot, turn the heat down and half-cover with the lid (the sauce still has to bubble a little bit). Cook to medium-low heat, for about 1 1/2 hour, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- If the meat is tender and cooked, but the sauce is not thick enough, remove the pieces of meat with a slotted spoon and boil the sauce alone to high heat, until it thickens. On the other hand, if the sauce becomes thick, before the meat is done, then add some warm water.
- When done, boil the spaghetti into another pot, according to package instructions; drain and place in the pot, along with the sauce and the meat. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Serve the Greek beef stew with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle some grated cheese and enjoy over a glass of red wine.