Tas Kebab (tas kebap) is a simple spiced beef stew with Persian, Armenian, and Turkish origins. This is my late aunt's recipe for a family favorite! It's extremely easy to make, and ideal served over a bed of rice pilaf.
(This recipe was originally published in November 2018, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
My aunt Roza passed away in September 2018. Like any good Armenian woman, she loved to cook and feed people. Roza was most famous for her rice pilaf, baked Armenian macaroni and cheese, baklava, and her tas kebab.
We would always task my aunt with making her tas kebab for family gatherings and special occasions. She made it the best, and we left it to her knowing it would never disappoint. Sadly I was not able to make it with her to see her methods or learn her secrets. I knew the list of ingredients she used and the general method of prep, and decided to recreate her recipe in her honor and write down the recipe so we will always be able to make it.
Through trial and error, I eventually got it perfect! There may be other ways to make this Persian beef stew, but this is my aunt's version. It's incredibly simple, but the broth is very flavorful, and the beef is so tender it falls apart. This dish is hearty, comforting, and deliciously spiced with whole peppercorns, allspice berries, and ground cinnamon.
Serve it over a mound of rice pilaf so the broth can soak into the rice. Tasting this tas kebab brings back so many memories of my aunt. It tastes just like hers, and I'm sure she would be so proud that I was able to recreate this beloved dish. Even though she's gone, I'm happy I can now feed my stomach AND my soul with her recipe.
Ingredient notes
- Beef: Beef chuck is our preferred cut of meat for this recipe. Many supermarkets also sell pre-cubed nondescript “beef stew meat” which will work fine also. The original recipe used 3 pounds of beef, but there is enough liquid that you can increase the amount of beef to 3 ½ with plenty to spare. I have included a range in the recipe since it's quite flexible.
- Spices: You’ll need whole black peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaves, and ground cinnamon for this Persian beef stew.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste comes in cans or resealable squeezable tubes. If you have leftover tomato paste to use up from making this tas kebab recipe, use it to make Chicken Saag, Czech Beef Goulash, Individual Beef and Mushroom Pies, Autumn Vegetable Soup with Sausage and Green Lentils, or Armenian Lentil Soup with Macaroni.
How to make it
Rinse the cubed beef with cold water. Drain and add to a large pot. Cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat, skimming impurities off the surface. When the water starts to boil, remove from the heat, drain into a colander and rinse the beef with water.
Wrap the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with kitchen string.
Wipe the pot clean, add the beef back (PHOTO 1) along with 6 cups of boiled water, butter (if using), tomato paste, salt, cinnamon, and the spice bundle (PHOTO 2). Return to high heat and bring to a boil (PHOTO 3). Lower the heat to simmer covered for about 2 ½ hours or until the beef is easily cut with the side of a spoon (PHOTO 4).
My aunt would cook it until the meat was actually falling apart so aim for significantly longer than fork tender.
Serve the tas kebab spooned over rice pilaf in wide serving bowls or plates.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
My aunt never used a spice bundle for the spices. When she would make tas kebab we would pick the peppercorns and allspice berries out of the stew as we would eat it. Although there is a nostalgic memory in doing that, using the spice bundle is much easier for diners. I've made the dish both ways to compare results, and both taste the same. Use the spice bundle method. You'll thank me.
My aunt always added butter to her tas kebab, and it adds good flavor and richness, however we sometimes omit it when we need to make it dairy free. It still tastes fantastic, which is why I have noted the butter as optional.
This Middle Eastern beef stew is best when made a day or more ahead of time and reheated prior to serving, as this allows the flavors to develop. If you make this in advance, leave the spice bundle in the stew until right before you are ready to serve. Then remove the spice bundle, squeeze out excess juices, and discard before serving.
Other recipes you may like
- Sulu Manti (Manti Soup)
- Armenian Meatball Soup
- Giouvetsi (Greek Beef Stew and Orzo Casserole)
- Chakhokhbili (Georgian Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and Herbs)
- Chi Kofte (Armenian Steak Tartare)
- Ishli Kofte (Stuffed Kofte)
- Red Lentil Kofte (Vospov Kofte)
- Yalanchi (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
- Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves with Meat and Rice)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Roza’s Tas Kebab (Middle Eastern Beef Stew)
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 ½ pounds beef chuck cubed into 1 ½-to-2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Rice pilaf for serving
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Set aside.
- Rinse the beef with cold water. Drain and add to a large pot. Cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat, skimming impurities off the surface. When the water starts to boil, remove from the heat, drain into a colander and rinse the beef with cold water.
- Wrap the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it with kitchen string.
- Wipe the pot clean, add the beef back along with 6 cups of boiled water, the butter (if using), tomato paste, salt, cinnamon, and the spice bundle. Return to high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer covered for about 2 ½ hours or until the beef is easily cut with the side of a spoon (my aunt would cook it until the meat was actually falling apart so aim for significantly longer than fork tender).
- Serve the tas kebab spooned over rice pilaf in wide serving bowls or plates.
Notes
- My aunt never used a spice bundle for the spices. When she would make tas kebab we would pick the peppercorns and allspice berries out of the stew as we would eat it. Although there is a nostalgic memory in doing that, using the spice bundle is much easier for diners. I've made the dish both ways to compare results, and both taste the same. Use the spice bundle method. You'll thank me.
- Tas kebab is best when made a day or more ahead of time and reheated prior to serving, as this allows the flavors to develop. If you make this in advance, leave the spice bundle in the stew until right before you are ready to serve. Then remove the spice bundle, squeeze out excess juices, and discard before serving.
- Beef chuck is our preferred cut of meat for this recipe. Many supermarkets also sell pre-cubed nondescript “beef stew meat” which will work fine also.
- The original recipe used 3 pounds of beef, but there is enough liquid that you can increase the amount of beef to 3 ½ with plenty to spare. I have included a range in the recipe since it's quite flexible.
- My aunt always added butter to her tas kebab, and it adds good flavor and richness, however we sometimes omit it when we need to make it dairy free. It still tastes fantastic, which is why I have noted the butter as optional.
- This recipe uses kosher salt (aka cooking salt, kitchen salt, coarse salt outside of the US). If you are using table salt, definitely scale down the salt as that is a saltier type of salt! The type of salt will make a big difference in how salty your food tastes, so keep that in mind.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
JeanneL says
I just discovered your Tas Kebab recipe on the Mirror Spectator website. I plan to make it tomorrow. You mention your Aunt's rice pilaf. I was looking for the recipe on this blog but couldn't find it. I make it the way my mother made it but was curious how your aunt made it.
Victoria says
Hi Jeanne,
Glad you found my site! I don't have the exact measurements for my aunt's pilaf (I can see if any of my cousins have it written down), but I know she used a lot of butter and she used orzo instead of vermicelli. My mom does it this way too from time to time (orzo vs vermicelli) and you just toast the orzo in the butter the same way you would with your vermicelli for traditional Armenian rice pilaf, and then add the rice, and then simmering chicken broth.
I hope you enjoy the Tas Kebab! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Victoria
Paul says
Actually made this today along with pilaf using my grandma's recipe. Just tasted the Tas and it tastes exactly how my grandma used to make it.
As for the pilaf, two cups of rice, one cup of orzo, one stick of butter (I use 2/3), and 1 can of chicken broth. Melt the butter, brown the orzo in it while stirring constantly, then mix in the rice and broth, bring to a boil and then turn it to low and simmer covered for 20 min. Make sure you don't take the top off the pot at all during the 20 min.
Victoria says
Hi Paul,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe for the Tas Kebab! It's such a comforting dish for our entire family. I'm happy it tasted like your grandmother's 😀 Your pilaf sounds a lot like the one we make too! They key is lots of butter, of course. Butter makes everything better. Yum.