How to make the most DELICIOUS Nigerian Beef Stew recipe every-time!

I’m not one to blow my own horn but WOAH! I finished work on this Nigerian beef stew. This tomato-pepper spicy fusion gives us texture, spice, nutrition and most importantly a rich taste. It is the Nigerian staple and something I frequently whip up in my household .

Let me tell you a short story, I moved to Canada when I was 17 for college and I came here with the knowledge of one recipe and that was stew. For months I had stew back to back because first of all it was extremely easy and cheap to prepare; secondly, I could find all the ingredients in Walmart and lastly, I could pair it with anything- stew and bread, stew and rice, stew and pasta… it goes on.

I am on a mission to make it known to the world that Nigerian food is in fact “Elite” when it comes to flavours. This dish is so popular that you find a different variety in every household regardless of tribe. If you have been on this blog for a while then you will know that my parents forgot to give me the ” don’t eat in your neighbours house speech” and so my tastebuds have experienced all kinds of Nigerian stew

You should know that Nigerians have different kinds of stews

You should know that Nigerians have different kinds of stews…

Nigerian recipes are full of variety! We have recipes like Ofada stew , Native stew, bukka stew, Ewa agoyin sauce et.c but today we are going to focus on the staple which is the plain stew

Though it is referred to as “plain” stew. -don’t get it twisted- it is full of surprises . It is only plain when compared to its traditional counterparts and that’s because it doesn’t utilize any local spices

What goes into Nigerian beef stew?

Beef– Beef is the major ingredient in this Nigerian beef stew and the bones are as important. When you go to the store try to get the meaty bones. Make sure to have your meat prepped before starting your stew . This often includes seasoning, boiling and then oven-baking the meat at 400 degrees. This way, the meat holds its own independent flavour which then complements the stew. Click here to get the instructions on how I go about prepping meat for my Nigerian stew

Stock– the flavour from homemade spicy beef stock is the best. Many recipes skip this part but I urge you to keep at least a cup of stock handy from your prep for this recipe.

Tomatoes– Sweet juicy tomatoes are recommended for this recipe . you can use Roma or plum tomatoes if you like . if you do not have access to these tomatoes – maybe they are out of season then you can use good quality canned tomatoes

Bell peppers– we call bell peppers tatashe. In Nigeria tatashe is typically large, long and skinny but if you do not have access to this-don’t worry! The regular bell peppers work just as good. I also got into the habit of using one green bell pepper in my stew, the reason I use just one is so that I enhance the flavour without offsetting the colour too much.

Onion– one medium sized onion will do. I dont mind seeing onions in stew and that’s why I slice it. if you aren’t a fan of seeing onions then you can blend it along with the tomatoes and peppers

Garlic and ginger– they are optional but we push for maximum flavour and they make all the difference

Scotch bonnet/habanero– A little heat won’t do us any harm!

Vegetable oil– Just enough to fry the stew

How to Prepare a base

You will see this a lot in most of my recipes and that’s because it literally makes a huge difference. This small step eliminates the possibility of having a sour & watery stew .

How to do it

1. .Blending tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet, ginger and garlic.
2. pour it in pot and let it boil for 20 minutes or till dry
3. turn off your heat

See easy!

What to eat Nigerian beef stew with

Nigerian stew is so versatile. you can eat it with white rice, pasta, bread, yam , potatoes, beans …but whatever you do – DO NOT FORGET THE FRIED DODO!! it is man important side chic-I mean- Side dish

More Nigerian recipes

Craving more bold spices and Nigerian favourites? Here are some tasty recipes for you to try out…

• okra soup
• Jambalaya rice
• Nigerian beef stew
• Pepper soup
• Efo riro