Nigerian Beef Stew: A classic rich aromatic tomato Nigerian stew. It is delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. All you need is a big pot and about an hour of your time.

NIGERIAN TOMATO STEW

Beef stew is one of the most popular and recognizable Nigerian stew.

It is loaded with beef, tripe, and beef liver. The whole stew comes together in one pot. Since this stew is tomato-based, it is sometimes also referred to as tomato stew.

MY TO-GO STEW

This stew is my to-go stew because it goes with almost anything from rice to yam, pasta, beans, bread, potatoes, and much more. It also stores well in the freezer, so I always make a big batch and store it in my freezer. Then, I reheat as I need it.

I’ve made quite a few stews on the blog – Chicken Peanut Stew, Chicken Stew, Turkey stew, and Fish stew, just to name a few. However, this one just hits home differently!

EASY TO MAKE

Don’t be intimated by the list of ingredients, it’s really an easy stew to put together. All you have to do is boil the beef, you can fry or grill if you wish. Then, make the stew by simmering the blended peppers, add the seasoning and beef. That’s it!

TYPES OF MEAT TO USE

You can use any meat cut for making the Nigerian stew. In fact, different families have their favorite meat cut choices – tough meat cuts, lean beef, or stewing beef. So it’s totally up to you!

You can use only beef or a variety of meat parts like tripe, ponmo (skin), beef liver, or beef kidney.

Personally, I like to use beef stew meat, but when I don’t find it in the grocery store, I use any meat cut on sale.

I love tripe especially because it acts as a sponge absorbing all the intense flavor of the stew.

THE SECRET TO MAKING A PERFECT NIGERIAN TOMATO STEW

In my opinion, the secret to achieving a deep, delicious Nigerian stew is a good stock coupled with the time given to the stew to simmer.

The stock enhances the overall flavor of the stew, while the simmering time is just as important because it gives the meat enough time to soak up the stew’s flavor.

ADJUSTING SPICINESS TO TASTE

I find this stew to be relatively mild. Despite its angry red color. That said, feel free to adjust the heat of the stew according to your spice tolerance.

Sometimes, I choose to roast my peppers when making this stew. Trust me; it hits home differently. You can check out my chicken stew recipe to learn how I roast my bell peppers.

WHAT IS NIGERIAN STEW?

First, let’s talk about what the Nigerian stew is. It’s a delicious, rich, and slightly spicy stew. It is made with well-cooked beef (or other meat types) together with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, seasoning, and spices.

The result is a delicious pot of red stew. It’s okay to drool at this point! It happens.

STORING THE NIGERIAN BEEF STEW

Refrigerator: This recipe keeps well in the fridge. Be sure to cool the stew to room temperature before refrigerating in a resealable container. Simply reheat in a pot over medium-low heat or microwave in a microwave-safe bowl when ready to serve.

Freezer: This stew also freezes well! Be sure to put the leftover in airtight containers, and leave about 1/2″ to 1″ air above the stew to allow it to expand while freezing. This beef stew can last up to 3 months in the freezer.

NOTE: In this recipe, I used a mixture of palm oil and vegetable oil. using both is not compulsory, it’s just a personal preference. You can use either of the two or use the mixture as I did. It’s delicious either way!

Note: This recipe was first published in June 2015. It was one of the few first recipes I published on the blog! I have since re-tested it, so here is the new and improved version, with new photos, clearer instructions, and metric measurements.