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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Jamaican beef stew recipe

    Last Updated January 2, 2023. Published April 18, 2018 By Charla 37 Comments

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    Jamaican beef stew recipe - This delicious one pot meal (Stew Beef) consists of succulent pieces of meat seasoned and slow cooked with an abundance of herbs and spices.

    jamaican beef stew

    Jamaican beef stew

    I'm such a huge fan of one pot and slow cooker meals. Moreover, this Caribbean recipe certainly hits the right culinary buttons.

    This Jamaica beef stew recipe is probably my favourite beef recipe of them all.

    Why? Because it's packed with flavour, made using one large dutch pot (dutch oven) and brings back some old school memories.

    You can't really go wrong with a one pot Jamaican beef stew - the only biggest hurdle is the preparation and once you're over that hurdle, it's smooth sailing.

    **FOR THE SAKE OF GOOGLE SEARCH AND SEO TERMS THE TITLE IS "BEEF STEW" NOT "STEW BEEF"as the Jamaican linguistics would call it. I just wanted to clarify the reasons for that specific wording. It's not because I don't know what my own cultural cuisines are called**

    So hearty and rich. While the recipe to hand might remind you of the ultimate comfort food, in the Caribbean "stew/stewing" is big business.

    Jamaican beef stew

    If you don't believe just check out my Jamaican brown stew chicken recipe. The aforementioned is just one excellent example of Jamaican stewed meat at it's finest.

    Whether it's summer or winter, rain or sunshine, this Jamaican beef stew is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

    You may even want to check out my other Beef recipes - Jamaican Beef Curry (Curry Beef) and Plantain Pie. Both Recipes have a Caribbean flare to them.

    It's also a great way to impress your guests or family with a Jamaican cuisine that's not predictable i.e  Jerk chicken.

    In other words, it's a unexpected Jamaican dish, but one that your loved ones will adore. I know my family never get tired of this recipe and I don't get tired of making it either.

    How to prepare a tasty Jamaican stew beef recipe

    Speaking of making the dish, my choice of pot was something that's quite common amongst English speaking islands - a dutch pot or dutchie as some call it. If you don't own one that's fine because a heatproof casserole dish or dutch oven will work too.

    The key is to use a pot that's quite deep so it accommodates the large quantity of solid foods. You don't need the most premium cuts of beef to recreate this Jamaican style beef stew.

    Just some good old stewing steak that's precut into small cubes should suffice (that's what I usually use).

     

    jamaican beef stew

    What is Jamaican stew beef eaten with?

    Typically you'll find Jamaicans have a fondness for using Irish potatoes (white potatoes).

    I don't really promote the consumption of white potatoes simply because they cause an instant spike in glucose compared to white or orange sweet potatoes.

    From a nutritional standpoint sweet potatoes would be a more viable choice to use.

    You can also pair beef stew with boiled dumpling boiled dumpling  perhaps with some brown rice or even some mashed yam 

    How long does the beef stew take to cook?

    The beef although cut into small chunks, still takes awhile to cook. We are talking a total of 1 hr and 20 minutes from start to scratch (for someone who isn't a novice cook).

    With that being said, don't let this discourage you from making the recipe.

    If you're impatient or simply want the recipe to cook while attending to other chores, use a slow cooker instead or pressure cook the meat to fast track cooking .

    Alternatively, the dutch pot, stove method works which is what the recipe calls for and works just fine.

    Jamaican beef stew

     What seasoning is needed to make the stew?

    My Beef Stew Seasoning is required for flavour,

    I have listed all the ingredients needed to make the dry rub for the beef.

    Don't be scared to use a lot of seasoning especially for this recipe because the liquid will need to be absorbed during the first stages of cooking and also with the additional use of water.

    The generous amount of seasoning really balances it's self out in the recipe.

    Is it really necessary to use a coffee grinder for the seasoning?

    No, it's not crucial but highly recommended. There's a huge difference in flavour and taste when the seasoning is milled in a grinder versus just mixing them together. Alternatively, you can also use a mortar and pestle if you own one.

    If you don't have none of the aforementioned, don't worry as it you can still mix all of the ingredients together in order to create the beef seasoning.

    Jamaican beef stew

    You will need my homemade browning sauce  for the Jamaican beef stew to enhance the darkening of the meat.

    Notes and tips

    • Feel free to freeze down any leftovers for up to 3 months.
    • To give this dish a larger quantity of meat I recommend using 1 ½ -2 lbs of beef which I have updated in the recipe card.
    • If you are using my homemade browning sauce, you can add more to the dutchpot as the meat is cooking because it isn't as bitter as the store brought kind.
    • If you are using the store bought browning then use roughly 3 tsp instead as too much will make the stew bitter.
    • To make this recipe in the crockpot follow the instructions to step 11. Use 2 cups of hot water, set your crockpot on high, add the sweet potato 45 minutes before the finishing time and you may need to mix a slurry of 2 tablespoon of starch with 2 tablespoon of water to thicken the stew.
    • For the stovetop - you may want to add the softer ingredients like the sweet potatoes half way through the cooking time instead of when the meat is about to be simmered.
    • Use dried ingredients like dried thyme (1-2 tsp) and pimento if you can't obtain the whole version.
    • Always do a taste test prior to serving and adjust seasoning accordingly.
    • You may not need 2 ½ cups of water for the stovetop version but have this amount on standby start with 1 ½ cups and add ⅓ cup of water if needed
    • Always use hot water to replenish your pot to keep the temperature levels consistent.

    Jamaican beef stew steps

     Other recipes to try

    • Cuban Picadillo 
    • Brown Stew Turkey Neck
    • Jamaican Curry Goat
    • Plantain Lasagna
    • Slow Cooker Curry Goat
    • Smoked Turkey Neck
    • Jamaican Beef Soup
    • Turkey Patties

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    Jamaican beef stew

    Jamaican beef stew recipe

    Jamaican beef stew - Delicious Caribbean one pot Jamaican dinner
    4.96 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Entree
    Cuisine: Jamaican
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 1-2 lb of beef cleaned and rinsed with lime juice

    For the beef seasoning

    • 1 tablespoon of paprika
    • 1 tablespoon of black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon of coriander cilantro
    • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder/granules
    • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon of himalayan pink salt
    • ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
    • 1-2 tablespoon of homemade browning sauce see recipe post
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 3 scallion chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves chopped
    • 2 large carrots sliced or halved

    To cook the beef

    • 1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
    • 1 red or green bell sliced, can use half of both peppers
    • 3 pimento berries or ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice
    • 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together
    • 1 large tomato chopped
    • 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
    • 1 scotch bonnet
    • 2 ½ cups of  hot water
    • 2 tablespoon of coconut oil

    Instructions

    • If you have a spice/coffee grinder (high recommended) add all of the ingredients for the beef seasoning to the grinder and mill them into a fine consistency. skip this step if it doesn't apply.
    • Place the washed beef in a large bowl then proceed to add all of the ingredients which form the beef seasoning to the bowl.
    • Add the browning sauce, chopped onions, garlic, scallion.
    • Use your hands or a spoon to work the seasoning into the the beef to create a wet rub. The use of hands is so much better to really work those herbs and spices into the meat.
    • Set the bowl aside to marinate for several hours or overnight (recommended.
    • Melt the coconut oil on medium heat in a dutch pot or casserole dish. Then add the marinated beef to the pot (scrap off the onion, carrots etc.. don't worry if you can't scrap off all the onions ) and begin to sear. Stir the beef so all the beef pieces are evenly browned. This will take a few minutes to complete.
    • As the beef begins to brown add the thyme and reduce the heat to low and put the lid on the pot.
    • Let the beef continue to brown and cook through for 10-15 minutes. During the given time you may notice an increase in liquid.
    • Remove the lid, assess the liquids if it is too much then increase the heat to high so that some (NOT ALL) of liquid absorbs and decreases. This is done to further seal in the flavour. Keep a watchful eye and stir at times if needed to avoid the beef charring.
    • Once some of the liquid has evaporated add the excess carrots and onions and saute until soft.
    • Then add the bell peppers, pimento (all spice) sweet potatoes and scotch  bonnet - stir and combine.
    • Finally pour in 1 ½ cups of hot water to begin with (pour the water into the bowl which marinated the meat to collect the excess marinade) and add the chopped tomato and tomato puree to the dutchpot.
    • Then give another stir, add a bit more browning to the pot (about 1tbsp, this is something I now do for more depth in colour/flavour) before bringing to the boil then reduce the heat to low with the lid on.
    • Leave the stew to cook for up to an hour check frequently to ensure the meat liquid levels are constant. Add a ⅓ cup of water at a time if more is required
    • Once cooked, do a taste test and adjust the seasoning i.e. pink salt/black pepper etc.. if required.
    • Serve accordingly.

    Notes

    • Feel free to freeze down any leftovers for up to 3 months.
    • To give this dish a larger quantity of meat I recommend using 1 ½ -2lbs of beef which I have updated in the recipe card.
    • If you are using my homemade browning sauce, you can add more to the dutchpot as the meat is cooking because it isn't as bitter as the store brought kind.
    • If you are using the store brought browning then use roughly 3 tsp instead as too much will make the stew bitter.
    • To make this recipe in the crockpot follow the instructions to step 11. Use 2 cups of hot water, set your crockpot on high, add the sweet potato 45 minutes before the finishing time and you may need to mix a slurry of 2 tablespoon of starch with 2 tablespoon of water to thicken the stew.
    • For the stovetop - you may want to add the softer ingredients like the sweet potatoes half way through the cooking time instead of when the meat is about to be simmered.
    • Use dried ingredients like dried thyme (1-2 tsp) and pimento if you can't obtain the whole version.
    • Always do a taste test prior to serving and adjust seasoning accordingly.
    • You may not need 2 ½ cups of water for the stovetop version but have this amount on standby start with 1 ½ cups and add ⅓ cup of water if needed
    • Always use hot water to replenish your pot to keep the temperature levels consistent.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 27864mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 11178IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nikala

      February 02, 2022 at 2:36 pm

      Hi there, is it 347kcal per serving? How much is one serving of this recipe?

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 02, 2022 at 3:04 pm

        Hi Nikala, it's 347kcal per serving. All recipes are per serving unless stated otherwise. I hope that helps!

        Reply
      • Lucy

        January 16, 2023 at 5:09 pm

        So delicious! I followed the recipe using
        beef brisket and transferred the ingredients to a slow cooker, the end result was tasty and tender and it kept getting tastier each day after it was cooked. The family and I loved it, thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • Charla

          January 17, 2023 at 9:04 am

          Hi Lucy, thank you for your wonderful feedback, so glad you and the family enjoyed the recipe 🙂

          Reply
    2. Samantha

      January 16, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious! I omitted the bell peppers because I’m allergic but it was fine without. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • Charla

        January 16, 2021 at 3:29 pm

        Hi Samantha. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe without the bell peppers. It's okay to sub them with something that you aren't allergic to if you want to. I'm just glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    3. Kayleigh Jade Burton

      February 04, 2020 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this a few times now and I absolutely LOVE it! I get so many recipes from your website! Quick question - haven’t cooked it for a while, how long shall I cook this in the slow cooker for? 🙂

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 05, 2020 at 7:44 pm

        Hi Kayleigh. I haven't done this in the slow cooker before but it should be fine to slow cook on high for 4 hours. Just keep an eye on the liquid content!

        Reply
    4. Nick

      December 21, 2019 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      I loved your recipe. I used a slow cooker and turned out to be excellent as described. Thank you so very much you are great!!!

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 21, 2019 at 8:53 pm

        Hi Nick. I'm so happy to hear you liked the recipe!!

        Reply
    5. SHARON

      April 08, 2019 at 5:03 pm

      Am making this stew now. At what point do you add the chopped garlic? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Charla

        April 08, 2019 at 9:03 pm

        Hi Sharon. I've just updated the post! You add the garlic at the beginning when marinating the meat, so with the scallion, browning, onions etc...

        Reply
    6. Olga

      April 03, 2019 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      Charla, this looks tasty! These are absolutely mouth watering! It will quickly disappear in our house, very tasty and flavorful!

      Reply
      • Charla

        April 04, 2019 at 9:30 am

        Thank you

        Reply
    7. Alyssa

      March 28, 2019 at 7:39 am

      5 stars
      Charla, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 30, 2019 at 8:06 pm

        Thanks Alyssa. You will love this recipe!!

        Reply
    8. Neha Ejner

      March 13, 2019 at 1:10 am

      Hi ... I don’t see where you’ve added the Thyme....?
      Maybe I’m missing it???

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 13, 2019 at 10:05 pm

        Sorry Neha. I just updated the recipe, you add the sprigs of thyme after the beef has been browned and ready to simmer down.

        Reply
    9. Lee

      March 05, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. Turned out great

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 05, 2019 at 7:02 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad you liked the recipe Lee

        Reply
    10. Betsy

      July 05, 2018 at 4:38 pm

      Just wondering if this would work in a crockpot.

      Reply
      • Charla

        July 05, 2018 at 9:14 pm

        Yes this is a crock pot friendly recipe, Brown the meat prior to adding it to your crockpot though.

        Reply
    11. Krysten | Cooks with Soul

      June 25, 2018 at 3:38 am

      5 stars
      This looks so good, but can I substitute the scotch bonnet with another pepper? Can't even find it at my local store.

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 27, 2018 at 6:31 pm

        Yes. You can use another fiery pepper like a whole chilli or habarnero instead.

        Reply
    12. Mila Buckley

      June 24, 2018 at 5:32 am

      5 stars
      Everything about this reminds me of home! This recipe is spot on!

      Reply
    13. Jazz

      June 21, 2018 at 11:17 pm

      5 stars
      Yummm! I could have this for dinner tonight.

      Reply
    14. Erika | Black Girls Who Brunch

      June 21, 2018 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      I always appreciate the detailed notes you provide before getting in to the recipe. So helpful for those of us who are not familiar with these dishes from other cultures. AND thennnn it's SO good. I'm pinning this now 🙂

      Reply
    15. Marwin | Food Fidelity

      June 21, 2018 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      This stew looks well seasoned! I can smell the aroma and taste the flavor from my computer.

      Reply
    16. Tanya

      June 21, 2018 at 2:27 am

      5 stars
      I loveee stew beef and am so excited to see this recipe. Also, I have the same pot you used...it seems like a necessity for every Caribbean household. Can't wait to try this recipe.

      Reply
    17. Briana

      June 21, 2018 at 12:02 am

      5 stars
      Yes! This a true Jamaican recipe! Got to have that Scotch bonnet pepper in there giving some serious heat!

      Reply
    18. Aaron|My Culinary Window

      June 20, 2018 at 10:32 pm

      5 stars
      This stew looks absolutely delicious, and is a perfect year-round recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Crissie

        December 22, 2020 at 11:19 pm

        4 stars
        Great flavor in this recipe. A few adjustments. PLEASE PLEASE wait to add your veggies (bell peppers, potato, carrots) until the last 30 mins. You will thank me. Otherwise they fall apart after a whole hour of cooking. I also added a bit of ginger, an excellent spice for stewing red meat like pork and beef. Also be sure to add in the water 1/3 cup at a time and NOT all at once like I did...You'll end up with soup rather than stew otherwise.

        Reply
        • Charla

          December 22, 2020 at 11:32 pm

          Thanks for the feedback Crissie. You also reminded me to refresh this recipe with notes and tips as it's a few years old now.

          Reply
    19. Kimberly Baxter

      May 10, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      I loved this. Even my kids loved it. And they are hard to please.

      Reply
      • Charla

        May 10, 2018 at 10:32 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback Kimberly, so glad the kids liked it too.

        Reply
    20. Tom

      April 22, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      Making this now. It looks great.

      When do you add in the tomato purée?

      Reply
      • Charla

        April 22, 2018 at 9:28 pm

        Hi Tom. Apologies, add the tomato puree when you pour in the hot water. I've amended the post to reflect this missing step. I do hope you enjoy the recipe and any feedback would be appreciated.

        Reply

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    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes. Learn more about me

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