Our journey to recreate this culinary masterpiece began years ago during a memorable trip to Greece. My husband Mike and I savored Beef Giouvetsi, a traditional Greek beef stew often prepared for special occasions, and it quickly became one of our all-time favorite meals. The memory of its rich flavors, comforting warmth, and tender beef lingered long after we returned home. This recipe is our heartfelt attempt to bring that authentic Greek experience right into your kitchen.

This Greek Beef Stew with Orzo embodies the essence of Mediterranean comfort food. It’s the perfect antidote to chilly evenings, offering a deeply satisfying meal that nourishes both body and soul. We love serving it alongside a vibrant Greek Village Salad, soft pita bread for soaking up the delicious sauce, creamy hummus, and a medley of briny olives. The combination creates a complete and truly authentic Greek dining experience.

What makes this Beef Giouvetsi truly stand out is its slow-cooked method, allowing the humble chuck roast to transform into incredibly tender, fall-apart beef. The symphony of flavors comes from a carefully selected blend of ingredients: sweet onions, fragrant garlic, a splash of dry red wine, concentrated tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and a unique Greek spice blend featuring nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and coriander. Each spice plays a vital role, contributing to the stew’s distinctive warmth and aromatic profile. The orzo pasta is stirred in during the final stage, cooking directly in the flavorful broth, absorbing every nuance and adding a wonderful texture that complements the tender beef perfectly.

Not only is this recipe incredibly delicious, but it’s also a fantastic make-ahead meal. In fact, many believe that Giouvetsi tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have more time to meld and deepen. Garnish generously with crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley for a burst of freshness and a touch of classic Greek flair.

If you’re looking for more easy and comforting beef stew recipes, explore some of our other favorites: my warming Crock Pot Beef Stew, the quick and convenient Instant Pot Beef Stew, a flavorful Easy Instant Pot Beef Chili, or the unique and savory Lebanese Beef & Green Beans.

Why You Will Love This Greek Beef Giouvetsi Recipe

• Effortlessly Delicious: This hearty stew is a true “set it and forget it” meal. While browning the beef adds an incredible layer of flavor, the hands-on preparation is surprisingly minimal. After a quick initial sear, you simply combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and let it work its magic. Spend your day doing what you love, knowing a delicious and tender beef stew awaits you.
• Perfect Make-Ahead Option: Traditional Greek beef stew, or Giouvetsi, is renowned for tasting even better the next day. This makes it an ideal dish for meal prepping or entertaining. Prepare it up to two days in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat when you’re ready to serve. The extra time allows all the aromatic spices and rich ingredients to meld together, deepening the flavors and enhancing the overall experience.
• Nutrient-Rich and Satisfying: Packed with lean protein from the beef, essential vitamins and fiber from the vegetables, and complex carbohydrates from the orzo, this recipe offers a wonderfully balanced and nutritious meal. It’s perfect for fueling your family, especially after a busy day of school, work, or sports, ensuring everyone feels fully satisfied and energized.
• Authentic Greek Flavors: Experience the true taste of Greece with a perfectly balanced blend of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika, combined with a rich tomato and red wine base. This stew brings the warmth and hospitality of Greek cuisine straight to your dining table.
• Versatile and Customizable: While the core recipe is a winner, it’s also incredibly adaptable. Easily adjust spices, add extra vegetables, or even explore different cuts of beef to suit your preferences and what you have on hand.

For exact ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please refer to the complete recipe card below. Here’s a closer look at the key components:

• Beef: We highly recommend using beef chuck roast, cut into large, substantial cubes. Chuck roast is ideal for slow cooking as its marbling renders down over hours, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful, and juicy beef that easily falls apart. Alternatively, pre-cut stew meat can also be used.
• Onions: Sweet onions are our top choice for this dish. Their mild sweetness and robust onion flavor contribute significantly to the stew’s aromatic base, mellowing beautifully during the long cooking process.
• Carrots: Diced carrots add a subtle sweetness, a pleasant texture, and a boost of vibrant color to the stew, while also infusing it with their earthy notes.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is indispensable for creating the depth of flavor characteristic of Greek cuisine. It provides a pungent, aromatic foundation that enhances all other ingredients.
• Wine: A dry red wine is crucial for developing the stew’s rich and complex flavor profile. Opt for a good quality wine that you would enjoy drinking, such as a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you prefer not to use alcohol, a robust beef broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, perhaps with a pinch of brown sugar, can offer a similar savory depth.
• Tomatoes: This recipe utilizes both concentrated tomato paste for a rich umami base and a can of crushed tomatoes for body and bright tomato flavor. For a chunkier texture, you can substitute fresh diced tomatoes for the crushed ones.
• Dried Spices: The unique Greek flavor of this stew comes from a carefully selected blend of warm spices. Ground nutmeg adds a hint of sweet warmth, cinnamon contributes a subtle, aromatic sweetness, cumin provides earthy depth, paprika offers a mild pepperiness and color, and coriander adds a citrusy, floral note.
• Pasta: Orzo pasta, with its distinctive small, rice-like shape, is traditionally used in Giouvetsi. It cooks quickly and perfectly absorbs the rich sauce, becoming plump and tender without becoming mushy. Its size also ensures it blends seamlessly into the stew.
• Beef Broth: Essential for creating the liquid base for the stew, ensuring the beef remains moist and allowing the orzo to cook beautifully.
• Olive Oil: Used for browning the beef and sautéing the aromatics, forming the initial flavor foundation.
• Bay Leaves, Salt, and Pepper: Fundamental seasonings that round out the stew’s flavor.
• Brown Sugar: A touch of brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances the overall richness.

Recipe Modifications and Variations

This Greek Beef Stew recipe is wonderfully adaptable. Feel free to customize it based on your preferences or what you have available:

• Beef Cuts: While chuck roast is highly recommended for its tenderness and flavor when slow-cooked, other excellent alternatives include pot roast, beef brisket, bottom sirloin flap, or even bone-in short ribs. These cuts are also well-suited for long, slow cooking, yielding incredibly tender results.
• Wine Alternatives: Always use a good quality dry red wine that you would enjoy drinking on its own, as its flavor will concentrate in the stew. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can substitute the red wine with an equal amount of beef broth, adding a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to maintain that subtle tang and depth.
• Spice Adjustments: The existing blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and coriander provides a warm, aromatic flavor without heat. If you enjoy a touch of spice, consider adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. You can also experiment with other traditional Greek herbs such as dried oregano or thyme for an extra layer of Mediterranean flavor.
• Adding Vegetables: This recipe calls for onions and carrots, but it’s a fantastic base for incorporating more vegetables. Consider adding parsnips, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), green beans, or even diced potatoes for extra heartiness. Add firmer vegetables like parsnips or potatoes at the beginning with the beef, and softer ones like mushrooms or bell peppers about halfway through the cooking process.
• Gluten-Free Option: To make this stew gluten-free, ensure your beef broth is gluten-free and use gluten-free orzo pasta. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
• Dairy-Free Option: Simply omit the crumbled feta cheese garnish to make this recipe entirely dairy-free. The stew itself is dairy-free.

Storage and Reheating Tips for Your Giouvetsi

This Greek Beef Stew with Orzo is fantastic for meal prepping or enjoying as leftovers, as its flavors deepen over time. Here’s how to store and reheat it:

• Refrigerating Leftovers: Allow the stew to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Reheating Instructions: To reheat, simply place the desired portion into a pot or saucepan and gently warm it over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until it is piping hot. If the stew appears too thick or dry, add a splash of beef broth or water to reach your desired consistency. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through, stirring halfway.
• Freezing for Later: This stew freezes beautifully! Once the stew has completely cooled, transfer it into freezer-safe airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Ensure there’s minimal air in the container or bag to prevent freezer burn. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Thawing Frozen Stew: For best results, defrost the frozen stew thoroughly in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, reheat it on the stovetop as described above, adding extra liquid if needed.

While browning the beef is technically optional, it is highly recommended for adding a significant depth of flavor to your stew. This searing process, known as the Maillard reaction, creates rich, savory crusts on the meat, locking in juices and contributing to a more complex final taste. If you don’t have a large pot, brown the beef in batches. This ensures the beef sears and browns properly, rather than steaming, which can happen if the pot is overcrowded with chunks of meat.

The beef typically takes anywhere between 6 and 8 hours to cook on the low setting in a slow cooker. The exact time can vary slightly depending on your slow cooker model and the size of your beef chunks. You’ll know the beef is perfectly cooked when it’s incredibly tender and easily falls apart when gently pressed with a fork. It should be melt-in-your-mouth soft.

There are a few excellent methods for cooking the orzo to achieve the perfect texture in your Greek Beef Giouvetsi:

• Directly in the Slow Cooker (Recommended): Add the orzo into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of the cook time. Ensure there is enough liquid for the pasta to absorb – you may need to add an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup of beef broth. Stir well before covering again. This method allows the orzo to soak up all the delicious stew flavors.
• Cook Separately: For more control over the orzo’s texture, you can cook it separately according to package directions. Once the beef stew is done cooking, stir in the cooked orzo just before serving. This prevents the orzo from becoming overcooked or mushy if you plan on having many leftovers.
• Dutch Oven Finish: If you prefer to finish the dish on the stovetop, you can remove the beef mixture from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large Dutch oven. Add in the orzo with the beef mixture and give it a good stir. Add extra stock (approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup) to ensure there is enough liquid for the orzo to cook in. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Absolutely! While this recipe is optimized for a slow cooker, it can be adapted for other cooking methods:

• Instant Pot: Use the “Sauté” function to brown the beef. Add all other ingredients (except orzo) and cook on “Manual/Pressure Cook” for 45-60 minutes with a natural release, depending on beef tenderness preference. Then, use the “Sauté” function to stir in the orzo and cook for 5-8 minutes until tender.
• Dutch Oven/Stovetop: Brown the beef on the stovetop. Add the remaining stew ingredients (except orzo), bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours, or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Add orzo for the last 15-20 minutes, adding more liquid if needed.

This stew is incredibly satisfying on its own, but it truly shines when paired with traditional Greek accompaniments. Beyond a Greek Village Salad, consider serving it with warm pita bread or crusty bread for dipping, creamy hummus, a platter of olives, or even a side of roasted vegetables like asparagus or green beans. For a refreshing beverage, a glass of dry red wine or a light lager would complement the rich flavors beautifully.