Warm up with a comforting bowl of beef and chickpea stew, a flavorful dish layered with fragrant spices, hearty beef, chickpeas, and carrots all in one pot.
Key Ingredients
- Spices: Season beef and chickpea stew with a warm combination of sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin, green cardamom powder, and ground cinnamon.
- Chuck Roast: The success of a stew heavily depends on the beef. I love boneless chuck roast because it’s readily available and affordable. Chuck is naturally tough, so it benefits from being slow or pressure-cooked, making it perfect for stew. There are a few things to consider when buying a chuck roast. Look for beef with a good amount of marbling. I recommend purchasing a whole chuck roast and cutting it yourself rather than buying pre-cut stew meat.
- Garlic: I go all-in on this recipe and use an entire garlic head to flavor the stew.
- Onion: Use yellow or white onions.
- Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the flavor and deepens the color of the broth.
- Marmite: Marmite has a distinct flavor profile, similar to soy sauce, but in paste form. Whisk marmite into the beef and chickpea stew for a salty boost to highlight the savoriness of the beef.
- Beef Better Than Bouillon: I use Better Than Bouillon and water instead of stock for this recipe. It’s flavorful, easy, and an ingredient I always keep in my pantry.
- Carrots: Carrots complement the hearty beef and chickpeas perfectly.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas are filling and an excellent addition to beef stew recipes.
- Kale: Fresh kale added at the very end brightens the stew.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest provides the right amount of acidity to create balance for the dish.
Additions and Substitutions
Enjoy the creaminess of plain yogurt as a topping for beef and chickpea stew, but if you’re in the mood for something different, try freshly chopped cilantro or mint. Oh, and don’t forget the sweet addition of golden raisins.
How to Make Beef and Chickpea Stew
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix paprika, turmeric, cumin, cardamom powder, cinnamon, two teaspoons of salt, and one teaspoon of black pepper. Reserve half the mixture and massage the beef with the rest. Set the meat aside.
Step 2: Cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact.
Step 3: Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
Step 4: Stir in the tomato paste, Marmite, Better than Bouillon, and the remaining spices. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 5: Add the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Nestle the beef and garlic into the pot, cut-side down. Cover with the lid slightly ajar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle bubble.
Step 6: Add the carrots and continue cooking, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Use tongs to remove the garlic head and squeeze it over the stew, releasing the cloves. Whisk to combine, then stir in the chickpeas and spinach. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the spinach wilts.
Step 8: Add lemon juice and zest to the mixture. Taste it, then season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Make Instant Pot Beef and Chickpea Stew
- Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact. Warm butter in an Instant Pot in sauté mode. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, Marmite, and the remaining spices. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add water and bring the mixture to a boil in sauté mode. Nestle the beef and garlic into the pot. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual low pressure for 50 minutes, with a 10-minute quick release.
- Add the carrots, secure the lid, and set the Instant Pot to manual low pressure for 3 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the garlic head and squeeze it over the stew, releasing the cloves. Whisk to combine, then stir in the chickpeas and spinach.
Make Slow Cooker Beef and Chickpea Stew
- Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact. Add it to a crockpot with butter, onions, tomato paste, Marmite, Better than Bouillon, and the reserved spice mixture.
- Nestle the beef into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 7 1/2 hours.
- Add the carrots and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the garlic head and squeeze it over the stew to release the cloves. Whisk to combine, then stir in the chickpeas and spinach.
If you enjoy Moroccan beef and chickpea stew, try more African-inspired recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Top the beef and chickpea stew with a spoonful of plain yogurt, and serve it alongside classic sides such as couscous and marinated olives.
The hearty stew also tastes delicious with white or brown rice, sweet potatoes, or a buttery slice of Dutch oven sourdough bread.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Beef and chickpea stew freezes for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the stew in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a vegetarian version of this stew? Can I make it Vegan?
I know, I know, beef is in the title. But, with a few modifications, you can easily create a delicious vegetarian or vegan stew using similar ingredients. Try potatoes instead of beef or double the chickpeas, use vegetable Better Than Bouillon as a substitute, and replace butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.
Can you put chickpeas in a stew?
Chickpeas are a fantastic addition to a stew. They add texture and flavor, and they provide extra protein and fiber.
Whether you’re making hearty beef and chickpea stew or a flavorful curry like chana masala, tossing in some chickpeas is something you won’t regret.
When to add chickpeas to stew?
For our recipe, I stir the canned chickpeas into the stew toward the end of the cooking time. However, if you’re using fresh chickpeas, I recommend adding them at the beginning to ensure they become soft and tender.
More Beef Recipes:
Beef and Chickpea Stew
- Small Bowl
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom pods, greens removed and seeds ground
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 pounds chuck roast, boneless, trimmed of fat, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 whole garlic head
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon marmite
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon beef Better Than Bouillon
- 1½ cups baby carrots
- 2 cans (15 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- lemon juice and zest, about 2 lemons plus one teaspoon of lemon zest
- plain yogurt, for garnish
- Mix paprika, turmeric, cumin, cardamom powder, cinnamon, two teaspoons of salt, and one teaspoon of black pepper. Reserve half the mixture and massage the beef with the rest. Set the meat aside.
- Cut off and discard the top third of the garlic head, leaving the head intact.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the tomato paste, Marmite, Better than Bouillon, and the remaining spices. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Nestle the beef and garlic into the pot, cut-side down. Cover with the lid slightly ajar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle bubble.
- Add the carrots and continue cooking, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the garlic head and squeeze it over the stew, releasing the cloves. Whisk to combine, then stir in the chickpeas and spinach. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the spinach wilts.
- Add lemon juice and zest to the mixture. Taste it, then season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Kristina
Friday 1st of August 2025
Can you use ground cardamom instead of the pods?
Kristina
Saturday 2nd of August 2025
@Tressa Jamil, awesome! The whole pods are a little intimidating so I didn't know if I also used the pods as aromatics and then fished them out afterwards or not. Cant wait to try this today!!
Tressa Jamil
Friday 1st of August 2025
Sure, use about 1/2 teaspoon.
Paul Thompson
Friday 26th of May 2023
I can't get enough of this stew! Paul Thompson here, and I've made it twice this month. The combination of beef, chickpeas, and carrots is something I wouldn't have thought about. Highly recommend trying it out!
Tressa Jamil
Monday 17th of July 2023
Twice in one month? Wow! Sounds like you've found a keeper.
Ali
Friday 26th of May 2023
This became a quick family favorite. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Djamila
Friday 18th of March 2022
This was a fantastic recipe! I did the instant pot version, so everything cooked a little faster. I didn't have the marmite, but it still turned out really flavorful. My two kids gobbled it up and my spouse said it was better than any stew he's ever made (not that we're competing ;) ) I spent two weeks in morocco and this is on par with many of the tagine recipes I enjoyed there. Definitely making again!
Tressa - Jamil Ghar Team
Saturday 19th of March 2022
Wow, what a review. Thank you for taking the time to comment and for your kind words!