Caribbean-style beef pepper pot with tender braised beef, peppers, carrots and lime

Recipe

Caribbean-Style Beef Pepper Pot

Published 09 October 2026 · Updated 11 October 2026

This Caribbean pepper pot is a slow, savoury beef stew with sweet peppers, ginger, thyme and allspice, finished with lime. A long covered braise tenderises the beef, while the final uncovered reduction turns the cooking liquor into a spoon-coating sauce.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.
Serves 4
Prep 25 min
Cook 189 min
Total 219 min

Timing: The 25-minute prep is active chopping and measuring. All browning, hob base cooking, braising and sauce reduction are sequential cook stages; the five-minute rest is separate.

Ingredients

  • Beef - Braising Steak — 1kg

    Beef - Braising Steak

    1 x 1kg pack

    Cut into 3cm cubes; the full 1kg pack gives four main-course servings.

    £26.40

Adds 1 items across 1 products — £26.40 total.

Pantry ingredients such as oil, salt and herbs are not included.

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Onion — 1 medium, sliced
  • Garlic — 2 cloves, finely chopped
  • Neutral oil — 2 tbsp, divided: 1 tbsp for beef and 1 tbsp for the pepper base
  • Fine salt and black pepper — to taste
  • Carrot — 2, diced
  • Beef stock — 750ml, with up to 150ml extra hot stock only if the pot dries before the beef is tender
  • Fresh thyme — 4 sprigs
  • Scotch bonnet chilli — 1, left whole
  • Fresh ginger — 15g, grated
  • Mixed peppers — 2 large, sliced
  • Lime — 1, juiced
  • Ground allspice — 1 tsp
  • Tomato purée — 1 tbsp

Method

Brown the beef

Cut the beef into 3cm cubes, season and brown in 1 tbsp oil in batches over medium-high heat. Set it aside; colour here builds the stew’s savoury base.

Cook the pepper base

Add the remaining oil. Cook onion, garlic, carrot and peppers for 8 minutes. Add ginger, thyme, allspice and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.

Braise with controlled liquid

Return the beef and add 750ml stock plus the whole Scotch bonnet. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours 30 minutes. The liquid should come halfway up the meat; add a splash of hot stock only if it is drying out.

Finish the pepper pot

Remove the chilli. Uncover and reduce for 15 minutes until the sauce clings to the beef, then add lime juice and adjust the seasoning. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with rice, fried plantain or dumplings to soak up the pepper-rich gravy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much beef do I need for four?

Use the full 1kg pack. A 340g pack is too little for four main-course portions once the stew is cooked.

How hot is the stew?

Leaving the Scotch bonnet whole gives fragrance with gentler heat; pierce it for more heat.