Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Kabab Halla is Egyptian slow-cooked beef stew bathed in a velvety caramelized onion sauce—pure comfort, especially when scooped up with rice or warm baladi bread.

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Kabab Halla is a beloved classic in Egyptian cuisine — a hearty beef and onion stew that epitomizes home-style comfort food. Tender chunks of beef simmer slowly in a caramelized onion sauce until melt-in-your-mouth soft, creating a dish that’s both rich and deeply satisfying. A favorite among meat lovers and families across Egypt, Kabab Halla is often served with white rice or warm baladi bread to soak up every drop of its velvety sauce. It’s the kind of meal that embodies the warmth, generosity, and soul of Egyptian home cooking.

Recipe at a Glance 

Cuisine: Egyptian
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Vegan
Key Flavors: Warm & Bold 
Skill Level: Intermediate

Ingredients & Substitutions 

Onions: The soul of the dish, slowly caramelized until golden and velvety, creating a rich, sweet base.
Garlic: Adds warmth and depth, infusing every bite with aromatic intensity.
Beef: Tender, melt-in-your-mouth chunks that soak up the luscious onion sauce.
Spices: A gentle blend of cumin, coriander, and black pepper for a balanced, earthy flavor.
Fat: Ghee is ideal to cook this dish, alternatively use a combination of butter and oil that browns the meat, caramelizes the onions and enriches the stew and enhances its silky texture.
Vegetables: Creamy potatoes are ideal that absorb the stew’s deep, savory essence. However, swap in sautéed mushrooms if you want to avoid starchy carb altogether. 

How to Make Kabab Halla  

Use beef chunk in 1 x 1 inch

Salt and pepper the meat cubes.

Sizzle some ghee in the pan.

Brown the meat in the hot ghee.

Add the warm spices to the meat.

Caramelize the onions on low heat.

Add crushed garlic to caramelized onions.

Transfer the beef and onions to the slow cooker.

Cook the kabab Halla on low for 2 hours.

Serve it with rice or aish baladi.

Tips to Make the Best Kabab Halla  

Here are some key tips to make the best Kabab Halla (Egyptian Beef and Onion Stew):

1. Choose the right cut of beef: Use well-marbled cuts like chuck or brisket — they become tender and flavorful after slow cooking.

2. Brown the meat properly: Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. This step builds the stew’s signature depth and umami flavor.

3. Go slow on the onions: Caramelize the onions patiently over medium-low heat until golden and soft — they form the velvety sauce.

4. Don’t rush the simmer: Let the stew cook gently until the beef yields easily to a fork; this slow process thickens the sauce naturally.

5. Deglaze the pan: After searing the meat, splash a bit of water or stock to scrape up the browned bits — they hold incredible flavor.

6. Season in layers: Add salt, pepper, and spices gradually at different stages to balance flavor as it develops.

7. Use ghee (if possible): It adds a rich, nutty aroma that enhances the dish’s authenticity and smooth texture.

8. Add potatoes at the end: Stir in the potatoes once the meat is almost tender, so they don’t overcook or break apart.

9. Rest before serving: Let the stew sit for 10–15 minutes before serving — the flavors meld beautifully.

10. Serve it right: Pair with white vermicelli rice, baladi bread, or buttery mashed potatoes to soak up every drop of that caramelized onion sauce.

What to Serve With Kabab Halla 

• Vermecilli Rice 
• Ducthess Potatoes 
• Aish Baladi 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Here are some key tips to make the best Kabab Halla (Egyptian Beef and Onion Stew):

1. Choose the right cut of beef: Use well-marbled cuts like chuck or brisket — they become tender and flavorful after slow cooking.

2. Brown the meat properly: Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. This step builds the stew’s signature depth and umami flavor.

3. Go slow on the onions: Caramelize the onions patiently over medium-low heat until golden and soft — they form the velvety sauce.

4. Don’t rush the simmer: Let the stew cook gently until the beef yields easily to a fork; this slow process thickens the sauce naturally.

5. Deglaze the pan: After searing the meat, splash a bit of water or stock to scrape up the browned bits — they hold incredible flavor.

6. Season in layers: Add salt, pepper, and spices gradually at different stages to balance flavor as it develops.

7. Use ghee (if possible): It adds a rich, nutty aroma that enhances the dish’s authenticity and smooth texture.

8. Add potatoes at the end: Stir in the potatoes once the meat is almost tender, so they don’t overcook or break apart.

9. Rest before serving: Let the stew sit for 10–15 minutes before serving — the flavors meld beautifully.

10. Serve it right: Pair with white rice, baladi bread, or buttery mashed potatoes to soak up every drop of that caramelized onion sauce.

More Beef Recipes 

• Waraket Lahma (Beef en Papillotte) 
• Bouftek (Fried Steak)
• Koussa Bel Bechamel (Zucchini Bake)
• Steak Au Poivre (Steak in Pepper Sauce)
• Kofta (Beef Skewers)
• Lesan Asfour Bel Lahma (Orzo-Beef Bake)
• Manti

Kabab Halla (Egyptian Beef Stew in Caramelized Onion Sauce)

Nermine Mansour

Kabab Halla is a slow-cooked beef stew bathed in a velvety caramelized onion sauce—pure comfort, especially when scooped up with rice or warm baladi bread.

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Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Egyptian

Servings 6 people

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Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 2 ¼ pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 4 tablespoons 30 ml ghee or a combination of oil and butter
• ▢ 4 medium yellow onions, 8 ounces, 225 g each, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
• ▢ 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ▢ ½ cup homemade beef stock

For Garnish

• ▢ Roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish (optional)

For Serving

• ▢ Cooked white rice, preferably Egyptian misri or other long-grain rice such as basmati, for serving
• ▢ Aish Baladi (Egyptian Pita Bread) , for serving

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Instructions

 

• Pat beef dry with paper towels and season all over with Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat ghee over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add beef in a single layer and cook until evenly browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Add onions to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften and brown, about 5 minutes; add additional ghee or oil if pot becomes too dry. Add the garlic along with the allspice, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cumin, and nutmeg, and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. (You don’t need to caramelize the onions all the way as they will brown further during the slow cooking process.)
• Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir in the broth along with the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until meat is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, checking every 20-30 minutes to make sure that the braise does not become dry and adding more water or broth if necessary (you want the braise to be moist but the meat should not be submerged in excess liquid). Once meat is tender, uncover, increase heat to medium-low, and simmer gently to reduce the sauce until thick and jammy, 20 to 30 minutes; season with salt, if needed. The braise is ready when the meat is fork-tender and the onions have completely melted into a thick sauce.
• Transfer to a deep serving dish. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves, if desired, and serve hot with vermicelli rice and fish baladi.

Nermine's Notes

1. The buttery flavor of ghee is preferable, but a combination of butter and canola/olive oil will work too. 
2. The cooking time of this beef braise depends on the meat cut used. So adjust the cooking time accordingly and add more water or broth if necessary.
3. Kabab halla can be made 1-3 days in advance and kept refrigerated.
4. You can make a big batch of kabab halla and freeze it in zipper-lock bags.

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Keyword beef recipes, beef stew, Egytian beef stew, meat recipes

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