Spanish Beef Stew With Pimenton and Piquillo Peppers

This Spanish beef stew combines tender braised beef with smoky paprika, roasted peppers, and red wine for a hearty dish.

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published September 22, 2025
A bowl of Spanish beef stew served from a pot with a ladle featuring chunks of meat carrots and other vegetables

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Why It Works

  • A slow oven braise gently breaks down the beef’s connective tissue, yielding fork-tender meat.
  • Smoked paprika, roasted peppers, and red wine layer in depth, acidity, and sweetness, balancing the stew’s richness.

This Spanish beef stews lean on bold, smoky flavors and long, slow cooking to transform a tough cut of beef into something rich and spoon-tender. My version takes inspiration from regional dishes like estofado de ternera, building a base with onions, garlic, and plenty of smoked paprika before layering in piquillo peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. Dry red wine and tomatoes provide acidity and depth, while thyme and bay leaves perfume the stew as it gently braises in the oven.

A bowl of Spanish beef stew topped with sour cream served on a green tablecloth with a spoon nearby

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

The method is straightforward: brown the beef for flavor, sauté the aromatics, add everything else to the pot, and let the oven do the work. Over the course of four hours, the beef slowly breaks down, the vegetables soften, and the sauce reduces into a savory, brick-red gravy that clings to each piece of meat. A quick stovetop finish concentrates the sauce further, ensuring it's glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

A dollop of tangy sour cream or yogurt at the end lightens the flavors and adds a cooling contrast to the paprika and wine. Serve it with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, or over rice or potatoes for a heartier meal.

A hand serving Spanish beef stew from a pot into a bowl using a spoon

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Recipe Details

Spanish Beef Stew With Pimenton and Piquillo Peppers

Prep 5 mins
Cook 4 hrs 40 mins
Total 4 hrs 45 mins
Serves 4 to 6
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat or brisket, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 large yellow onion (8 ounces; 226 g), finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 3 medium cloves garlic (about 1/2 ounce; 15 g)

  • 1 (12-ounce) jar piquillo or roasted red peppers, drained

  • 1 large carrot (4 1/4 ounce; 120 g), peeled and cut into large chunks

  • 8 ounces (226 g) button mushrooms, quartered if large

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika

  • 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine, such as Rioja

  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste (1 1/4 ounces; 35 g)

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (8 ounces; 226 g), for serving

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 275°F (135°C).

  2. Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt and black pepper.

    Chunks of beef being patted dry with a paper towel on a baking tray

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

  3. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until shimmering. Cook half of beef until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to avoid burning. Transfer browned beef to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.

    Cooking beef chunks in a pot on a stovetop

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

  4. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and is lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

    Onions cooking in a pot on a stovetop

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

  5. Add peppers, carrots, mushrooms, paprika, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Add beef and juices from the plate to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 4 hours.

    Spanish beef stew in a pot with vegetables and herbs simmering on a burner

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

  6. Remove stew from oven and discard thyme and bay leaves. Reduce over medium-low heat until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Two stages of cooking a beef stew in a pot with utensils

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

  7. Let cool slightly. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.

    A bowl of Spanish beef stew topped with sour cream served on a green tablecloth with a spoon nearby

    Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Special Equipment

Large Dutch oven

Notes

If using jarred roasted red peppers, chop the peppers coarsely before adding them to the stew.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
714 Calories
46g Fat
21g Carbs
48g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 714
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g 59%
Saturated Fat 16g 82%
Cholesterol 183mg 61%
Sodium 333mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 48g
Vitamin C 58mg 290%
Calcium 147mg 11%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 1121mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes