Nigerian Beef Stew is a mouthwatering West African stew made with blended plum tomatoes, red bell peppers, and habanero peppers and spiced to perfection. It is so versatile and is amazing with so many different dishes!
This Nigerian beef stew is by far the most popular side dish made in Nigeria and is traditionally eaten with rice or boiled yam. I make this every week and always have it in my fridge as it makes meal prep a breeze.
I like that I can come back home after being gone all day, and quickly warm up some cauliflower rice and have it with this African stew. It is so easy to make and you can't go wrong with it!
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Ingredients used for this recipe
- Olive oil: To fry the tomatoes and pepper mixture. Another popular choice is peanut oil or palm oil.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero pepper, and onions. The traditional Nigerian beef stew is made with scotch bonnet peppers. A good substitute is habanero pepper which is similar in heat and flavor. For the tomatoes, it is best to use plum (roma) tomatoes. These are best for Nigerians stews because they are denser and have less juice.
- Spices: I use bouillon powder, thyme, black pepper, curry, and salt.
- Broth/stock: To enhance the flavor.
- Beef cuts.
What is the best beef cut for Nigerian stew?
For this Nigerian stew, it is better to go for tougher, less expensive cuts of beef.
Tougher cuts have lots of collagen-rich connective tissue which becomes nice and chewy after cooking.
The best cut for this beef stew is the chuck which includes the shoulder, neck, and upper arm muscles of the cow.
How to make this recipe
- Start by preparing the beef. If not already pre-cut, cut the beef into midsized cubes, wash and drain. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover it, then add salt and black pepper.
- You don’t need to add a lot of spices here. You need just enough to bring out the flavor but remember spices will still be added to the stew. Let it cook for roughly 20-25 minutes. You can let it cook a bit longer if you want it more tender, or a bit shorter if you want it tougher.
- Blend the tomatoes, bell pepper, habanero pepper, and half of the onion together. Chop the other half onion and set aside. You can use a regular blender but I use a smaller personal blender because it blends to just the right texture and I don't have to add water to it. When the beef is ready, drain it out from the stock, but save the stock. We’ll still need it later to add flavor to the stew.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet. When heated, add the onions and stir until it just begins to wilt. Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture, add black pepper, and stir. I don’t add other spices just yet because I will be adding the stock later on, and I don’t want to run the risk of the stew being too salty. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the beef and some of the stock. I add half a cup of stock first and possibly add a little more if I need to. Add the thyme, bouillon powder, and curry. Taste for salt before adding any.
- Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Your beef stew is ready to eat!
Each serving contains 3 net carbs and serves 8. It can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and still taste really fresh!
What can I eat this stew with?
This Nigerian stew is a side dish that can go really well with a lot of dishes. Use it to eat cauliflower rice, shirataki noodles, or to add more flavor to a baked chicken dish!
How to make ahead for meal prep
This Nigerian beef stew is perfect for meal prep and can be made ahead in case you're short on time.
One way to do this is to blend the tomatoes and peppers ahead of time and freeze in sizable portions. Before you freeze, boil the blended mixture for about 10 minutes to reduce the moisture content so it lasts longer.
You can also freeze the completed stew in proportions and take out as needed.
Expert Tips
- When blending the vegetables, it helps to blend the tomatoes first because it releases enough moisture which helps to blend the other vegetables. After the tomatoes are well pureed, add the bell peppers, habanero pepper, and onions and blend again.
- Nigerian beef stew tastes much more flavorful if the blended mixture does not contain a lot of water. If it turns out watery when you blend it, pour it into a pot and let some of the water evaporate over medium heat.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes for a smoky flavor.
- This recipe calls for one habanero pepper. If you think it might be too spicy for you, use half a habanero pepper. Do not omit it as the taste will be drastically different if you do.
- If it is still too spicy, remove the core and seeds of the habanero pepper before using it.
- Alternatively, you can add an extra tomato or two, to tone down the heat of this Nigerian stew.
Enjoy these other low carb stews
Ofada Stew (Green Bell Pepper Stew)
Efo Riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew)
Need more African spicy foods? Try these!
Helpful Resources
Stew Science: How to Choose the Best Cuts for Beef Stew
Recipe
Nigerian Beef Stew
Ingredients
To boil the beef
- 1 lb beef
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
To make the stew
- 3 plum tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1 onion
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup beef stock/broth
- 1 tbsp bouillon powder
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp curry
- salt to taste
Instructions
To boil the beef
- Wash beef and place in a pot.
- Add water, salt, and black pepper and bring to a boil.
- After it boils, stir together and let cook for 20-25 minutes.
To make the stew
- Blend the tomatoes, bell pepper, habanero pepper, and half an onion together.
- Chop the other half of the onion.
- Pour olive oil in a pan and when heated, add the chopped onions and stir till its wilted.
- Add the blended tomato and pepper mixture and black pepper and stir.
- Boil for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the beef and 1/2 cup of stock and mix together.
- Add a little more broth if needed, till it has enough of a stew-like consistency.
- Add the thyme, bouillon powder, and curry. Taste for salt before adding any.
- Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- When blending the vegetables, it helps to blend the tomatoes first because it releases enough moisture which helps to blend the other vegetables. After the tomatoes are well pureed, add the bell peppers, habanero pepper, and onions and blend again.
- Nigerian beef stew tastes much more flavorful if the blended mixture does not contain a lot of water. If it turns out watery when you blend it, pour it into a pot and let some of the water evaporate over medium heat.
- This recipe calls for one habanero pepper. If you think it might be too spicy for you, use half a habanero pepper. Do not omit it as the taste will be drastically different if you do.
- If it is still too spicy, remove the core and seeds of the habanero pepper before using it.
- Alternatively, you can add an extra tomato or two, to tone down the heat of this Nigerian stew.
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Would this work in a crockpot?
I haven't tried it in a crockpot before so I'm not sure. But if you try it, please let me know!
It's good to learn that you'll need to use a habanero pepper when cooking Nigerian beef stew. My wife is wanting to learn some new recipes and she was wondering how she could start cooking Nigerian food. I'll be sure to tell her that she should use habanero peppers when cooking Nigerian beef stew.
This was so easy to make (I simply followed the instructions) and was delicious - thank you!
Thank you for the feedback, Chi! I am so happy you enjoyed the stew 🙂
Made this last night using flank steak. Outstanding recipe. Wonderful flavor and good for the soul food.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Mike. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey! I was wondering if there is a replacement for the bouillon powder if you can’t have it? Should I add more chicken stock?
Yes, you can use more chicken broth and add any of your favorite spices.
Chicken stock???
what part of the beef did you use it ?
I use the shoulder cut but you can using any cut of beef you like.
OMG! It's so delicious! I haven't tried cooking African food before but this is pure heaven. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us
Hi Linda, I'm so glad you enjoyed the beef stew. It is truly so versatile and goes great with many dishes!
Made this for my husband & he absolutely loves it! We just used precut beef stew meat, and served the stew over brown rice. Fabuloso!
I'm so glad you both loved it, Patti! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
I would like to stew this in the oven. Can I just brown the meat and then stew it in sauce for a couple of hours without boiling it first?
I never tried it that way, so I'm honestly not sure. If you do it that way, please let me know how it turns out.
Qould possibly be even better flavor braising for longer time rather than boiling...
I prepared this last night using a choice boneless chuck roast cut into pieces...
Found it necessary to boil for 2+ hours, then simmer in sauce for another 2 hours to have the desired tenderness...great flavor!!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the stew!
Made it for supper and was amazed! Followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. This amazing recipe will be a regular in my family...thanks for sharing!
You're so welcome, Nick. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight for my husband and I...YUMMY!! I pretty much followed the recipe other than adding some garlic cloves to the sauce. We served it over cauliflower rice & it was delicious. Thanks so muc h.
I'm so thrilled to hear that Wendy! Glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
thank you 🙂 going to have tonight
This looks amazing, but I was surprised that this is a side-dish? It looks like a perfect main course!
Yes, it's a side dish because it's almost never eaten alone and is usually a complement to something else like cauliflower rice. Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for sharing this sounds amazing. I appreciate that you included tips on meal prepping it.
You're welcome, Kim. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Not a fan of curry, could you suggest a different spice in iot's place?
You can use any of your favorite spices or herbs.
I've never cooked Nigerian food before, but this recipe is explained in a really straightforward way for a kitchen novice like me.
I'll add it to my list.
I hope you enjoy it!
hi, this sounds amazing, can i do it with chicken? and what would the cooking differnce be if so?
Yes, you can use chicken. Chicken has a shorter cooking time and it depends on the part of the chicken (breast vs thighs). I'll say just cook the chicken till its a bit tender and then use for the stew.
What kind of curry do you use here?
I use the McCormick brand and have updated the link in the recipe card. Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I would like to know as well.
Nevermind, I see your reply now.
No worries! You can actually use whatever your favorite brand is.