This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission from purchases made through the links.

Beef stew is one of the greatest ways to eat beef. It is a perfect option between the quick pan-seared steaks and the slow pot roasts. Yet, it is packed with flavor and juiciness and is versatile enough to be served with just about any side you can think of. This Kenyan beef stew, which is often served with ugali, white rice, or chapati, is one of the tastiest stews you’ll ever make. The recipe calls for just a few easily accessible fresh ingredients, and the result is a sumptuous dish that can be shared by the whole family, from toddlers to the elderly.

Beef stew is perfect for meal prep

It is easy to make this beef stew in a large amount and it refrigerates and freezes perfectly well. You can refrigerate it for short-term usage or freeze it for the long term. Secondly, it is an easy-to-eat dish which makes it perfect for packed lunches (for work, school, etc.) Easily scoop it with just a spoon. No additional cutlery is needed.

Beef stew is a kid-friendly dish

You can make this flavorful Kenyan beef stew using just fresh vegetables, with no ground spices or stronger ingredients that could potentially bother those young tummies. The thick and tasty sauce from the stew makes a perfect addition to kids’ meals like white rice, mashed potatoes, chapati, and so much more. Besides, the small chunks of beef from the stew can be served to older kids as is or cut up further and incorporated into a rice bowl for smaller kids to scoop with just a spoon. For additional nutrition, consider adding mashed eggplant into such a bowl, especially if feeding a toddler.

Rice, Eggplant, and Meat Stew — Rice, Eggplant, and soup

Beef stew recipes in Kenya and East Africa

Beef stew is extremely popular in Kenya and other East African countries. Often, you may find slight variations in the beef stew recipes depending on what starchy dish one plans to serve it with. A beef stew that is meant to be served with white rice or chapati may have a lot of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, green peas, etc., in it, and in large chunks. However, a beef stew that is to be served with ugali, such as this one, often requires much less vegetables and preferably, less conspicuous ones too. That is because the goal is usually to allow the flavor of the meat to pop, and the vegetables that are added to the stew are meant to enhance the beef flavor rather than compete with it.

Seasonings for Kenyan beef stew

This Kenyan beef stew recipe can differ from others by the types and amounts of seasonings added to it. Some may add seasonings like garlic and ginger and ground spices like coriander powder, garam masala, and onion powder among others. I do this too sometimes, but I chose to keep this specific recipe simple so that it is kid-friendly. For this recipe, I only used fresh vegetables: onions, carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and I added coconut milk to enrich the flavor. If you wish to add the aforementioned seasonings, please watch this recipe video in which I do so too.

How to make that perfect and kid-friendly beef stew

This is a more detailed step-by-step description of the beef stew recipe with images for clearer guidance. You can also print the summarized version of the recipe towards the end of this blog post.

Preparation

Step 1: Wash the beef and dab dry with a paper towel. Then, cut it into bite-size chunks. You can choose to keep the chunks larger or smaller depending on whom you will serve them to. If planning to share with kids, it is a good idea to keep the chunks smaller.

Step 2: Wash and chop the onions, tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. These vegetables do not be chopped extremely finely but try and keep them small enough that they can blend well into the stew sauce. As I mentioned earlier, this particular stew has meat as the main character and the vegetables only play a supporting role. Keep the vegetables separate because you will add each at a different time.

Cooking

Step 3: Place a cooking pot on medium-high heat and add cooking oil. Add onions and fry them until golden brown. Stir frequently for uniform cooking. Add the ginger-garlic paste if using it. Then, add carrots and all bell peppers and fry until fully cooked. The vegetables will appear shriveled. Note: If you wish to add ground spices, add them at this point and fry them for about a minute. Frying ground spices usually maximizes their aroma.

Step 4: Add beef chunks and cook for about three minutes or just until it loses the redness on the outside. This allows the beef to cook in the oil and seasonings mixture before more moisture is introduced. I find that this step significantly boosts the flavor of the stew as opposed to, for example, boiling beef or adding it after adding the tomatoes.

Step 5: Add tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are well mushed. You can stir in the tomatoes and cover the pot for 1 or 2 minutes for quicker softening. Alternatively, stir the stew continuously until the tomatoes are well-cooked and mushed.

Step 6: Add coconut milk, stir, and simmer for 2 minutes to allow the flavor to seep into the beef.

Step 7: Add water and salt to taste. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes. You can add time if you would like the meat to be much more tender.

Step 8: Ready to serve. This stew would go well with ugali, white rice, chapati, leafy greens, as well as crunchy vegetables among other dishes. Find serving suggestions with links to more delicious recipes at the bottom of this post (below the recipe card).

Storing and preserving leftover beef stew

Store any leftover beef stew in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge if you intend to use it up to five days later. Otherwise, freeze in single servings. If you do a meal prep that includes beef stew, you can absolutely freeze the meals as long as the sides are also freeze-friendly.

Reheating leftover Stew

It is a good idea to thaw frozen beef stew fully before reheating as it will heat more quickly and uniformly. You can then reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

In the microwave: Place the stew in a bowl or plate, cover, and microwave for two minutes or until hot enough. Note that beef stew pops in the microwave, so make sure to cover it to minimize mess.

On the stovetop: Place the stew in a pot and heat on medium-low until thoroughly hot. You can add a few tablespoons of water so it does not dry up.

Print The Recipe