Instant Pot Beef Stifado
This Instant Pot Beef Stifado is a comforting Greek beef stew made with tender beef chuck, whole shallots, tomatoes, garlic, red wine vinegar, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. Pressure cooking creates a rich, robust sauce and melt-in-your-mouth beef in a fraction of the time, making it an easy way to enjoy this classic Greek favorite at home.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker/Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb shallots (peeled)
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) beef chuck
- ½ cup olive oil (up to ¾ cup)
- 4-6 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or Balsamic)
- 28 oz (796 g) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar-free sweetener (or sugar, if no dietary restrictions)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-6 peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 whole cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups (ca. 300 mL) water
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt, then toss everything together with your hands until the meat is evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef and mix again until each piece is lightly coated.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add 4–5 tablespoons of olive oil. Working in batches, sear the beef for 3–4 minutes, turning until browned on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pot along with the whole shallots. Sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're golden brown.
- Return the browned beef to the Instant Pot. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, allspice, sugar, water, salt, and black pepper. Lightly crush the garlic cloves with the palm of your hand or the side of a knife, add them to the pot, and stir everything together.
- Lock the lid and set the pressure cooker to High Pressure for 35 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release to vent any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
Notes
- For tender, juicy beef stifado, opt for well-marbled cuts like chuck roast, beef cheeks, brisket, or beef shin.
