Baked Beef with Orzo (Giouvetsi)

This is one of those dishes that feels like home from the very first smell.

By Alexandra's Home

@home.alexandras

January 14, 2026

Baked Beef with Orzo (Giouvetsi)

By Alexandra's Home

Ingredients

3

lbs (1.5–2 kg) beef with bones, cut into 5–6 cm pieces
1/3

cup (100 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/2

cup (120 ml) Gratsi Red
2

medium onions, blended
2

garlic cloves, blended
3

ripe tomatoes, blended (or 1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes)
3

tbsp (60 ml) tomato juice
1/2

tsp sugar
1/2

tsp black pepper
1/2

tsp hot paprika
1

tsp sweet paprika
3

cups (600-700 ml) hot water
1/3

tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/3

cups (280 g) orzo (manestra)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan or kefalotyri, for serving

Instructions

TOTAL TIME

3 hours

4-6 servings

This is one of those dishes that feels like home from the very first smell. Slow-cooked beef, a rich tomato sauce, warm spices, and tender orzo come together in the oven to create something deeply comforting and unmistakably Greek. It’s a meal made for sharing — best enjoyed straight from the pan, with grated cheese melting on top and a glass of good red wine on the side.

A pot filled with a tomato-based stew containing chunks of meat, orzo pasta, and topped with fresh parsley sprigs. The dish appears hearty and freshly cooked.

STEP 1

Prepare the base

Blend the onions and garlic until smooth. Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

A bowl of finely chopped purple onions sits on a wooden board, with a plate of raw, seasoned beef short ribs and a glass of red wine labeled “GRATSI” in the background.

A bowl filled with raw, chunky pieces of red meat sits on a wooden surface. Behind the bowl, there is a small container of coarse salt with a lid resting nearby.

STEP 2

Brown the meat

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the beef in batches, browning well on all sides (about 2 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.

Chunks of raw meat are browning in a large metal pot with oil on a stovetop. The meat is beginning to sear, with some pieces showing red and others starting to change color.

Chunks of beef are searing in a stainless steel pan, browning on the outside in hot oil and forming a crust. The meat is partially cooked and surrounded by bubbling fat.

STEP 3

Build the sauce

In the same pan, sauté the blended onions and garlic for 1–2 minutes, scraping the bottom to release all the caramelized bits. Return the beef to the pan and stir gently so the flavors begin to combine. Add the red wine and let it simmer until it evaporates.

Minced onions and garlic are sautéing and browning in a stainless steel pan on a stovetop, with some oil visible around the edges.

Chunks of beef are browning in a stainless steel pan on a stovetop, with some pieces showing a seared, golden-brown surface while others are still slightly pink.

STEP 4

Slow cooking

Add the hot water, hot paprika, sweet paprika, and black pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1½ hours.

Chunks of beef simmer in a brown, bubbling broth inside a metal pot on a stovetop, with steam rising from the surface.

STEP 5

Tomato stage

Add the tomato juice, blended tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Continue cooking over low heat for another 30 minutes.

A glass bowl filled with blended red liquid sits on a wooden surface next to a small cup containing a similar red liquid.

A pot of stew with chunks of meat simmering in a rich, reddish-brown broth, topped with a layer of freshly blended tomato paste.

STEP 6

Add the orzo

Remove the lid, scatter the orzo evenly around the meat, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the sauce is rich and glossy.

STEP 7

Rest & serve

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan or kefalotyri and enjoy with a glass of Gratsi Red.

A pot of cooked orzo with chunks of meat in a rich, reddish sauce, garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley. The edges of the pot show some browning from baking.

A plate of orzo pasta with tomato sauce, meat, and grated cheese, garnished with parsley. A glass of red wine and a striped napkin are in the background.

Baked Beef with Orzo (Giouvetsi)

Baked Beef with Orzo (Giouvetsi)