Most beef stews are rich in flavor, but this Jamaican Beef Stew is so much more than that. It also packs in some veggies and has just the perfect balance of seasonings and textures, making it a great choice for someone who loves to enjoy home-cooked meals.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Delicious and Worth the Effort: My family loved this Jamaican-style beef stew recipe with rice when I tried it the last time, and it was worth the effort.
- Convenient: The best part about this recipe, in my opinion, is the fact that it is not only protein-rich but can also be prepped well in advance, which makes it an excellent weekday meal option.
📋 Ingredients
- Boneless Beef Stew Meat: The main protein, it's hearty and absorbs the stew's flavors well.
- Onion, Baby Carrots, Red and Green Peppers, Jalapenos: Add color, texture, and a mix of sweet and spicy flavors to the stew.
- Minced Garlic: Adds a savory punch that complements the beef.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Lend a smoky flavor and rich tomato base to the stew.
- Pineapple Juice: Adds a hint of tropical sweetness that balances the heat.
- Beef or Chicken Stock: Provides the liquid base for the stew, enhancing its flavor.
- Allspice, Cinnamon, Hot Pepper Sauce, Thyme, Bay Leaves: Give the stew a warm, aromatic, and traditional Jamaican flavor profile.
- Brown Sugar, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Steak Sauce: Create a sweet, tangy, and savory sauce that coats the beef.
- Cooked Long-Grain White Rice: Serves as a fluffy, neutral base that soaks up the stew's flavors.
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Basic seasonings to enhance all other flavors.
- Green Onions: Adds a pop of color and slight oniony flavor.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: I've used jalapenos for this recipe, but you can also use scotch bonnet pepper instead.
- Hot Sauce: To make the Jamaican beef stew with more spicy heat, you can add a dash of hot sauce into it!
- Irish Potatoes: Peeled and cut Irish potatoes can also be a wonderful addition to this meat stew. Make sure you cut the potatoes into ½-inch cubes so that they are all cooked perfectly.
- Jerk Chicken: Adding jerk chicken to your Jamaican beef stew recipe adds a smoky, spicy twist that complements the rich flavors. Shred it and add it during the last hour of cooking to infuse the stew with its distinctive Caribbean zest.
🔪How To Make Jamaican Beef Stew With Rice?
Step One: Prep The Dutch Oven
In a Dutch oven add the olive oil and heat over medium to high heat.
Step Two: Season Beef And Cook
Season beef with salt and pepper. Add beef to Dutch oven and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Step Three: Add The Veggies And Cook
Add the onions, peppers, carrots, jalapenos, and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook this for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Step Four: Add The Fire Roasted Tomatoes And Simmer
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes to the beef mixture, and toss to combine.
Step Five: Add The Seasonings
Add the chicken broth, ground allspice, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and steak sauce. Stir to combine.
Step Six: Cover The Dutch Pot And Cook
Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Adjust seasoning if needed. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Garnish and serve with rice.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Tomato Variation: While this recipe calls for the use of fire-roasted tomatoes, you can use your favorite simple diced tomatoes too.
- Herbs Removal: If you want, you can also remove the bay leaves and the thyme from the stew before you serve it.
- Flavor Boosters: I also like to add some extra carrots and garlic into the stew- I find that they just add so much more flavor, to the stew.
- Slow Cook Without Dutch Oven: For Jamaican beef stew without a Dutch oven, use your slow cooker or Crock Pot to meld flavors beautifully. Slow cooker meals ensure tender beef and rich, spicy aromas.
💭 FAQs
You sure can! This delicious stew packs in delicious Jamaican flavors, and is a great protein rich recipe that you need to make more of. You can prepare the stew ahead of time and refrigerate or even freeze it if you want to.
Allow your Jamaican stew beef to cool down. Transfer the cooled stew into a small covered bowl or an airtight container and refrigerate. This can be kept for up to 2 days.
To modify the heat level, consider reducing the amount of scotch bonnet peppers or substituting them with milder chili varieties. Remember, scotch bonnets contribute both heat and unique flavor to the dish.
While marinating the beef overnight enhances the stew's depth of flavor, a minimum of one hour is sufficient if you're short on time. However, longer marination is recommended for the best taste.
Yes, you can adapt the recipe for a slow cooker. After browning the beef and sautéing the aromatics, transfer them to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the beef is tender.
Traditionally, this stew is served with steamed white rice. For added flavor, consider pairing it with coconut rice or rice cooked with beans, which are common accompaniments in Jamaican cuisine.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Jamaican Beef Stew With Rice:
- Jamaican Festival Bread: These sweet fried dumplings make for a tasty and satisfying side.
- Instant Pot Feta Pasta: Enjoy a fusion of flavors by pairing creamy feta pasta with spicy Jamaican beef stew, for a delightful contrast that's sure to please your palate.
Jamaican Beef Stew with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds Beef Stew Meat diced into small ½ chunks
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 cup Baby Carrots sliced
- 1 Red Pepper seeds removed and diced.
- 1 Green Pepper
- 2 Jalapenos seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Pineapple Juice
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- ½ teaspoon Allspice
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon Steak Sauce such as A-1
- 2 cups White Rice Long Grain
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Green Onions
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven add the olive oil and heat over medium to high heat.
- Season beef with salt and pepper. Add beef to Dutch oven and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the onions, peppers, carrots, jalapenos, and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook this for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes to the beef mixture, and toss to combine.
- Add the chicken broth, ground allspice, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and steak sauce. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Adjust seasoning if needed. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Garnish and serve with rice.
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