This Brazilian Beef Stew is more than just comfort food, it’s a taste of home for me. Made with tender beef, sweet potatoes, plantains, yuca and cabbage, every spoonful is hearty, nourishing and deeply satisfying.
If you’re craving a dish that’s hearty, comforting, and bursting with authentic Brazilian flavors, you’ll love this Brazilian Beef Stew. Made with a rich blend of tender beef, root vegetables, and tropical produce, this stew is the kind of meal that warms you from the inside out.
Brazilian beef stew is cooked much like traditional beef stew, but instead of wine in the broth, it uses fresh aromatics and regional spices. The vegetables reflect local agriculture, sweet potatoes, plantains, okra, and cabbage are common, and sometimes sweet potato is swapped for yuca (cassava), a staple starchy root in northeastern Brazil.
This Brazilian beef stew recipe is perfect for Sunday dinners, meal prep, or whenever you’re looking for a one-pot meal packed with nutrition and comfort.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this stewed beef (full amounts in recipe card below):
- Beef Chuck Roast – a favorite cut for stews. Generally I prefer to buy it whole and then cut the meat myself into chunks.
- Onion and Garlic – the starter aromatics that helps build flavor into the broth.
- Broth – for extra beef flavor I recommend using beef broth, however vegetable broth works too or you can use a homemade bone broth for an extra boost of flavor.
- Vegetables – sweet potatoes or yuca, cabbage, okra and no Brazilian stew is completed without plantains.
- Seasoning and Aromatics – a blend of paprika and oregano add so much flavor to the stew with a hint of warmth from the cumin, a must in Brazilian cooking!
- Tomato Paste – adds color, flavor and builds texture.
- Bay leaf – adds a subtle earthy flavor. Bay leaves releases a gentle mix of minty, peppery note as it simmers in stews.
helpful tips from my brazilian kitchen
👉🏻 Make Ahead: This stew tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
👉🏻 Choosing Plantains: This can be a personal choice. Use green or just-turning-yellow plantains for a starchy texture. I prefer fully ripe plantains will tastes sweeter and softer.
👉🏻 Working with Yuca: If swapping sweet potatoes for yuca, peel carefully (the skin is thick and waxy) and cut into chunks or buy frozen yuca. Boil until tender before adding to the stew. See my full guide on how to cook yuca.
👉🏻 Okra Tip: To reduce sliminess, trim the ends and briefly soak in vinegar water before cooking.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerator:
- Allow the stew to cool completely before storing.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or individual containers for meal prepping.
Freezer:
- For longer storage, portion the stew into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Note: Avoid boiling the stew when reheating, as high heat can make the beef tough. Gentle reheating keeps the meat tender and the vegetables intact.
What to serve with Brazilian Beef Stew
In Bahia this hearty stew is often served with:
Rice and Beans – the perfect everyday combo.
Farofa – toasted cassava flour. In Brazil we add farofa (or farinha) to most of our meals to add crunch and thicken a brothy meal.
Hot sauce or malagueta peppers – if you like a little extra heat
Cheese bread or Pão de queijo – to soak up the broth.
Brazilian Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast cubed
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups beef broth or bone broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 large sweet potato cubed
- 2 plantains sliced
- 6 oz okra ends removed
- 1/2 head cabbage
Spices
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot like a dutch oven. When hot add the beef chunks and brown on all sides. Transfer beef to a plate.
- To the same pot, add the onions and cook until soft (about 3 mins). Add garlic, cook until fragrant (2 mins). Stir in the tomato paste. Add about 1/2 cup broth to deglaze the pan. Then whisk in seasoning, that's the paprika, oregano and cumin.
- Transfer the beef back into the pot. Top with remaining broth. Add bay leaves. Stir well.
- Add the vegetables to the pot. Let them sit on top of the beef undisturbed. The broth level should cover about 3/4 of the meat/ veggies. It doesn't have to be fully submersed in liquid.
- Cover the pot and let the stew simmer gently over medium heat for about 1 ½ hours, undisturbed. About 30 minutes before it’s done, start checking on it. If the liquid has reduced too much, add a little water or broth to keep everything moist. This is also a good time to give it a gentle stir, move the vegetables around so the ones on top rotate to the bottom, ensuring everything cooks evenly
- When done, add a bit of fresh herbs of choice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This stew sounds delicious, but your photography is what really catches my attention. The food styling is gorgeous! So simple, homey, and comforting – just gorgeous.
Mmm, I love that you took something so comforting like beef stew and put an exotic (to me!) twist on it with Brazilian flavors and ingredients. I love plantains and love the idea of adding them to stew since I often add them to soups. But I have never actually cooked with okra! I’ll watch for it in the store next time!
I was talking about beef soup/stew this week with an old classmate. It is one of the best things. The addition of the plantains really reminds me of stew from the Caribbean. We would add anything we can find in there. This looks hearty and delicious
This beef stew must be my favourite comfort food, l make something similar myself and it’s so flavourful and filling. I love your presentation, l get hungry only by looking at your photos. Brilliant recipe!
I love how each country in the world has a take on a stew – this Brazilian one looks fantastic. I love the addition of okra!
I know right? I find it fascinating too! glad you liked the Brazilian take on Beef Stew 🙂
What a beautiful, hearty dish! I love the idea of using a Plantain in this stew. There is nothing like a beef stew loaded with fresh vegetables. I can’t wait to try this new recipe!
Awesome! Hope you like it Heather 🙂
It seems forever since I used some Okra for cooking so I was delighted to see it in your yummy stew! Judging by the ingredients, I can almost taste how delicious this stew is!
Thank you my Dear, tasty indeed!
So much of vegetables! Love to see all the vegetables on your board. My favorite one is plantain and okara. I use every month in my cooking:)
Oh cool, I love that you also cook with plantain and okra! Thanks so much Uma 🙂
Excellent
Awesome, happy to hear!