By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on October 2, 2026
Serves 6
546 cal · 205 min
Spiced Beef Stew with Carrots and Chickpeas
Recipe GLPR7169e58aa57f79
Rate this recipe
Average rating: 4.3 (1)
A deeply savory and warming beef stew enriched with berbere spice, red wine, and tomato paste, studded with tender carrots and chickpeas. Chunks of grass-fed beef chuck become melt-in-your-mouth tender after slow braising in the oven. Fresh mint adds a bright herbal note to each bowl. Serve over couscous for a complete, satisfying meal.
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Ingredients
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons berbere seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup dry red wine
3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 carrots (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Fresh mint leaves, for serving
Cooked couscous, warmed, for serving
Directions
Season the beef chuck pieces generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust lightly with all-purpose flour, then shake off any excess. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, tilting to coat evenly.
Place half of the beef pieces in the pot in a single layer—do not overcrowd. Allow them to sear without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown on one side, then turn and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes until browned in multiple spots. Transfer the browned beef to a clean plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot. Repeat with the remaining beef pieces and transfer to the plate.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and return it to medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and red bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and berbere seasoning, cooking and stirring constantly until the tomato paste deepens in color and becomes slightly caramelized, approximately 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the red wine, allowing the mixture to come to a boil and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Return the seared beef and any juices that accumulated on the plate back to the pot along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer it to the preheated 350°F oven, and braise for 1 ½ hours. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and stir the carrot pieces into the stew. Replace the lid and continue braising in the oven for about 1 hour more, until the beef is fork-tender and the carrots are easily pierced with a knife tip. Stir in the drained and rinsed chickpeas, cover, and return to the oven for 5 minutes just to heat them through.
Ladle the stew into shallow serving bowls, top with fresh mint leaves, and serve over warm couscous. The stew may be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Comments
Berbere seasoning is the catch here; you'll need a specialty stop at ALDI or Harris Teeter, or a trip to one of Charlotte's African markets on Central Avenue. The dish itself is honest about its 205 minutes—that's 30 minutes active prep and 175 minutes unattended cooking, which suits a weekend—but a weeknight stew this is not. Beef chuck, carrots, chickpeas, and broth are rock-solid at any of the six chains, and the cost per serving lands around $3.50 to $4.00, driven mainly by the chuck. It reheats beautifully, actually improving overnight, and feeds a family of six generously without fussing once the pot is on.
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