Experience the heartwarming embrace of authentic Greek cuisine with this traditional Giouvetsi recipe.
This hearty beef stew, slow-cooked with orzo pasta, represents the perfect marriage of tender meat and al dente pasta in a rich, aromatic sauce.
A beloved family favorite across Greece, this one-pot wonder delivers both comfort and sophistication in every bite.
Ready in just over 2 hours, this satisfying main course serves 8 people and offers a beautiful balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Ingredients for Greek Giouvetsi
- Meat: 1 kg diced veal shoulder or beef, perfect for slow cooking
- Aromatics: 2 medium red onions (finely chopped), 2 carrots (1 cm slices)
- Tomato Base: 400g tinned chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Liquids: 1 glass red wine, 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Pasta: 500g orzo pasta (kritharaki)
- Seasonings: 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp sugar
- Cheese: 100g kefalotyri or feta cheese for topping
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
- Prepare the Meat: Pat the meat dry thoroughly with paper towels for better browning
- Sauté Base: Heat olive oil, cook onions and carrots until softened (5 minutes)
- Brown Meat: Increase heat, add meat and brown until nicely crusted on all sides
- Build Flavor: Add tomato paste, wine, and let it reduce. Then add tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, and water
- Slow Cook: Simmer covered for 45 minutes until meat becomes tender
- Toast Pasta: In separate pan, sauté orzo in olive oil until golden
- Combine: Mix cooked meat and orzo in baking dish, add water to cover pasta
- Bake: Cover with foil, bake at 180C for 30 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered
- Serve: Top with grated kefalotyri or cheese of choice while hot
Cooking Techniques
This cozy Greek dish combines two wonderful cooking methods – stovetop braising and oven baking!
The meat gets extra tasty thanks to browning it first (this creates those yummy browned bits that add tons of flavor).
When you’re sautéing the orzo pasta until golden, keep stirring gently to get that beautiful even color – it adds such a lovely nutty taste to the final dish.
The slow simmering is what makes the meat super tender, while the oven time lets the orzo soak up all those amazing flavors.
Variations & Substitutions
While traditional Giouvetsi uses veal or beef, you can also make this with lamb for an equally delicious result. No kefalotyri cheese?
Parmesan or pecorino romano work beautifully too! For the wine, any dry red will do – just pick one you’d enjoy drinking.
If you need to skip the wine, just add a splash more water and a tiny bit of vinegar for that tangy taste. Short on time?
A pressure cooker can cut the meat cooking time in half – just transfer everything to the baking dish for the orzo step.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty dish is perfect family-style! Pop the baking dish right on the table with extra cheese on the side – everyone loves adding their own.
A simple Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives makes the perfect partner. Don’t forget some crusty bread to soak up all that amazing sauce!
For a full Greek spread, start with some tzatziki and warm pita bread. A glass of the same red wine you used in cooking pairs wonderfully with this meal.
Storage Tips
This dish actually tastes amazing the next day! Let it cool down completely, then pop it in an airtight container in the fridge – it’ll stay yummy for up to 3 days.
When reheating, add a tiny splash of water or broth to keep the orzo from drying out. You can warm it up in the microwave or oven until it’s hot all the way through.
If you’re meal prepping, you can make the meat sauce ahead and freeze it – just thaw and add the orzo when you’re ready to bake.
Giouvetsi (Greek Beef stew with Orzo pasta)
Equipment
- Large pan
- Oven tray
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 kg diced veal shoulder or diced beef (35 ounces)
- 2 medium red onions finely chopped
- 2 carrots sliced (1 cm thick)
- 400 g chopped tomatoes (14 oz.)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 glass red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 500 g orzo pasta (kritharaki / manestra)
- 100 g grated kefalotyri or feta cheese (5 ounces)
Instructions
- Pat dry your Giouvetsi meat with paper towels.
- Heat 1/2 of a cup of olive oil into a pan, add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. Turn up the heat and add the veal; brown the meat on all sides until crusty.
- Stir in the tomato paste, sauté for a minute then pour in the red wine. Wait for the wine to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, the cinnamon stick and a good pinch of salt and pepper and enough water to cover the meat.
- Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes or until the beef is tender and fully cooked. Occasionally stir and top up with water if the sauce starts to dry out.
- In the meantime, heat another pan, add 3 tbsps of olive oil and the orzo pasta and sauté, until golden.
- Once your meat is done simmering, place the orzo pasta in an oven tray along with the meat and sauce (remove the cinnamon stick) and mix.
- If needed, add enough water so that the pasta is just covered. As a rule of thumb you’ll need about 3 cups of liquid for 1 cup of orzo pasta.
- Cover the tray with some aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, add a splash of water if it has dried out, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
- To serve, sprinkle with some grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese and enjoy!