African Beef Stew – a popular mouth-watering stew and a traditional West African Stew that is often prepared in most homes, in a number of different ways. A must-have for Christmas gatherings and in everyday meal.
This is a popular and traditional West African Stew that is often prepared in most homes, in a number of different ways in countries like Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana – by varying the quantity of tomatoes, onions and spices.
Quite a lot of oil is used to cook the stew – often used to fry the tomatoes for a period of time to reduce the amount of acidity present in tomatoes. You know what? A good West African stew is flavorful and is rarely acidic.
You may remove some of the excess oil at the end before serving.
Rice and stew was once considered the quintessential West African Christmas meal. Of course, no Christmas table would be complete without it and an array of sumptuous dishes. Oh, how times have changed!
This tantalizing beef stew has evolved into an everyday meal, cooked with different cuts of meat and seafood and always present on restaurant menus. But to most people Christmas would never be complete without stew.
Here is my take on this mouth-watering African beef stew. Feel free to add vegetables such as carrots, green beans or green pepper. In Nigeria, it’s most often paired with African yam – fried or boiled. Rice and fried plantains are another good side dish option for this African beef stew.
Enjoy!
Watch How to Make It
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Tips and Notes:
- You can also let the meat simmer for about 3 hours for a fall-off-the-bones tender texture.
- You may replace canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes but make sure you fry the sauce until it has completely dried before adding liquid. You might have to add more oil and watch out for burns.
- You can leave out the roma tomaotes; it works fine without.
- If you don’t have beef cubes on hand, you may replace it with bone-in beef meat.
- As suggested by one of the comments below, if you’re cutting back on the fat (oil), you can “cook off the water in the tomatoes by boiling the tomatoes until all the water is gone. Once the water cooks off, add some oil (olive oil works well) to fry the tomatoes.”
- Substitute Maggi powder with chicken bouillon.
Recipe was first published on Feb 2014 and has been updated with new photos, tips and notes and a video.
African Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1-2 pound stew beef , cut in small pieces
- 1/2 -1 cup oil (Canola, Vegetable or Corn) , adjust as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 roma tomatoes , they are less acidic
- 4 peeled garlic cloves
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 3-4 tablespoon celery leaves
- ½ -1 scotch bonnet pepper , optional
- 1-2 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 canned tomatoes sauce , 14 ounce
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Maggie powder or beef bouillon powder
- 1-2 green onion , sliced
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil beef with salt, pepper and some chopped onions in a medium pot until tender. It will take approximately 30 minutes or more, depending the cut of beef and how you like your beef cooked. I sometimes use the pressure cooker to shorten the process. Reserve the stock for later use.
- Add 1 cup oil to the pot/pan and brown the beef for about 5-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In a blender, blend the onions, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, celery, thyme, basil and scotch bonnet pepper
- Gently pour the blend of puree ingredients, and tomatoes puree in the saucepan, add curry powder, white pepper , smoked paprika and bouillon powder bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Then return browned beef and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir the pot frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot. -Occasionally adding beef stock or water as needed to prevent burns
- Finally add green onions. Adjust seasonings, sauce consistency with water/stock and salt.
- Serve warm with desired side dish.
Tips & Notes:
- Feel free to add vegetables such as carrots, green beans or green pepper
- You may remove some of the excess oil at the end before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Ray says
Please update the ingredient list to specify the type of onions, and how much basil. Also please specify when to add the roma tomatoes (I presume from you comments they go in the blender).
I know I can figure things out from reading the comments but that’s not convenient.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ray! Recipe updated has been updated . Thanks
Allison says
where is the updated recipe? Thanks!
Akiko says
Hi Imma! This looks delicious and am going to try it out. Step #3 says to add basil in the purée but I don’t see basil in the list of ingredients. How much basil do I add? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
It’s really optional! But if you have to 1-2 large leaves
Akiko says
Thanks! I made this the other day and it is delicious. So flavorful and aromatic. I let it simmer for 3 hours and the meat was fall-off-the-bones tender. Thanks for a great recipe!
african's wife says
I tried some of your African Stew recipes and finally pleased my African husband. But my stew looks more red than those in your pictures. Stew that I know is more brownish and I like that way. Is that anything to do with tomatoes or oil..? Any idea?
ImmaculateBites says
I would suggest replacing the canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes . Canned tomatoes gives it that reddish color. Also make sure you fry the sauce until completely dry before adding liquid. You might have to add more oil and watch out for burns.
Li Hatton says
Really really yummy
Ashley says
Hello — this looks delicious and I hope to make it this week! I was wondering, could you substitute red onion instead of the roma tomatoes?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ashley! Too much onion would make the sauce slightly bitter, go easy with it. My recommendation would be to make it without roma tomatoes, I do it all the time. Just have to cook for a few extra minutes . Please do let me know how it works for you.
jonesshelby says
woww immaculate just tried your African beef stew and it has good taste. Maybe it would have tasted better if i added bay leaf. so which one is that plzz?
ImmaculateBites says
Bay leaves are dried, fragrant leaves , sold in most markets depending on your neighborhood. You can google bay leaves images to see what it looks like.
Ebony bree says
Kind of irritated with how this recipe is worded you keep saying basil leaf in some comments and bay leaf in others unfortunately I used the basil as recipe calls for and I hate it. Bay leaf and basil is completely different
ImmaculateBites says
It is basil leaves . Leave it out next time .
Danielle says
Do you use bone in beef? Or just beef cubes? I feel like with bone would be more flavor
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Danielle! I like mine too with bone- Like you mentioned it adds more flavor to the overall dish. However, I usually use what I have on hand.
Patience says
A way to reduce the amount of fat (oil) without sacrificing flavor/flank is to cook off the water in the tomatoes by boiling the tomatoes until all the water is gone. Once the water cooks off, add some oil (olive oil works well) to fry the tomatoes. Doesn’t take long. Follow the rest of the recipe.
Have done this several times without noticing a change in taste or flavor. The amount of fat and calories is significantly reduced. Yum!
Keep up the great work!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Patience! Thanks for taking the time to share this tip with us. We are all looking for a way to cut down on calories without sacrificing taste.
Melissa says
How much smoked paprika? I did not see the amount in list.
ImmaculateBites says
1/2 Tablespoon smoked paprika
Karima says
Hi I’m making to now and I followed all the directions *** -_- except I added more onions and garlic to my purée. However I have this strong taste and I don’t like it. Any suggestions on what to do?? Pleasseee
ImmaculateBites says
Karim, I would add more tomatoes, it is definitely coming from the onions.
Tim K says
What is Maggie powder?
ImmaculateBites says
Tim, it is chicken bouillon powder-It is optional
foodie says
What is the purpose of step 3: In a blender blend the onions, garlic, parsley, and celery, scotch bonnet pepper and basil and fresh thyme until puree?
Is it meant to say puree the roma tomatoes?
ImmaculateBites says
That’s another way of putting it too!
vivian says
Hi immaculate,
the ekwang is just so beutiful. please i want to try it could you give me your secret of making it look just so green after cooking?
Vivian
ImmaculateBites says
Girl, there is no secret . Don’t just over-cook it. Thanks for stopping by!
Dianne says
Hi Immaculate, I am going to try your African Beef Stew and I cannot see on the recipe when to add the “Maggie” powder. I have located several suppliers on the internet for Maggie powder but I am not when to add it while cooking the stew.
It sounds wonderful and I am anxious to try it.
Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Diane ,you add maggie after smoked paprika. I have updated recipe. By the way, you can use chicken bouillon sold in most markets. Thanks for stopping by . Let me know how it works out for you.
Melinda says
Hmmm.. Very tempting !