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Home » Recipes » Spicy Beef Vindaloo

Spicy Beef Vindaloo

by Mike Hultquist · Feb 22, 2019 · 75 Comments

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This beef vindaloo recipe is always a popular curry dish. My version is wonderfully spicy, though you can easily adjust the heat and spice to your preference.

Beef Vindaloo Recipe

Beef Vindaloo Recipe

We've been going crazy for curries in the Chili Pepper Madness household, and any sort of "vindaloo" recipe is usually a first choice.

My wife, Patty, has really developed a taste for it and you don't know how happy that makes me. It's gotten to the point where she actually requests it for special meals.

BONUS! Because I LOVE a good Vindaloo!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I've shared with you recipes for Chicken Vindaloo and Lamb Vindaloo, and now I have for you a version made with beef that gets huge flavor from my Vindaloo marinade. It cooks low and slow in the pan until the beef is fall-apart tender.

It has loads of flavor, a nice level of spice, and plenty of HEAT because I'm also using ghost pepper powder to season things up. You can skip the ghost peppers if they're too spicy for you.

Or add extra! I know how crazy you are, my chilihead friends!

Beef Vindaloo, in a pan with extra spices

"Vindaloo" is very often made with pork, though  any meat is good for vindaloo. Try it with pork, goat, beef, chicken, even potato and/or chickpeas for a vegetarian version.

It's all good!

What is Vindaloo?

"Vindaloo" originally was a meal of meat marinaded in wine and garlic. It comes from the Portuguese dish, "carne de vinha d'alhos, which translates to "meat in garlic wine marinade".

Portuguese sailors brought it to India, where the locals adopted it and transformed it with local ingredients, including the addition of dried chili peppers and other spices.

As Vindaloo spread to other regions, it continued to change as locals adopted new spices.

Even though it has transformed in its travels around the world, most styles still offer that spice level and flavor we all crave.

Let's talk about how to make Beef Vindaloo, shall we?

Beef Vindaloo Curry in a hot pan

Beef Vindaloo Ingredients

  • Beef Chuck.
  • Olive Oil. Or use ghee (more traditional).
  • Onions.
  • Peppers. Use spicy Indian peppers, or use serrano peppers. You can use hotter peppers to your preference.
  • Tomato Paste.
  • Beef Stock.
  • Salt and Pepper. To taste.
  • FOR THE MARINADE
  • White Wine Vinegar.
  • Garlic.
  • Spices. Spicy red pepper flakes, paprika, ginger, coriander, turmeric, mustard powder, cumin, cinnamon.
  • OPTIONAL OTHER SPICES. Garam masala, brown sugar, black pepper, mustard seeds, ground cloves.
  • FOR SERVING. Cooked rice, fresh herbs, extra chili flakes

How to Make Beef Vindaloo Marinade

The marinade is a very important part of this dish. It offers an immense amount of flavor that all of us spicy food lovers crave.

Vinegar is hugely important, as is garlic. Then we add in all of our pungent spices to make this dish top notch, including paprika, ginger, coriander, turmeric, mustard powder, cumin, cinnamon, and a healthy dose of spicy red chili flakes.

I'm also using ghost pepper powder from ghost peppers I grew in my garden. I dehydrated them then ground them into powder. It's very hot this way. You can skip them if ghost peppers are too hot for you. Learn how to dehydrate chili peppers for making chili powders.

You can use this blend to make your own Vindaloo Curry Seasoning to use anytime you'd like.

Vindaloo curry powder in a bowl and on a measuring spoon.

Whisk all of the seasonings together with the vinegar and fresh garlic, like so. Garlic powder works, too.

Vindaloo marinade in a bowl

Next, pour the Vindaloo marinade over the beef in a bowl, or use a sealable plastic bag. Add the meat and marinade.

Refrigerate the beef for at least 1 hour, though you'll get better results if you let it marinate overnight.

Marinating the cubed beef in our Vindaloo marinade

More marinade time = more flavor.

You can very easily prep this recipe together the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until dinner time the next evening.

When you're ready to cook, just pop it out of the fridge and get cooking. Super easy weeknight meal.

How to Make Beef Vindaloo (Recipe) - The Method

Making Beef Vindaloo is simple once your beef has marinated. First, heat some olive oil in a large pan to medium heat. Any vegetable oil is good, too. Ghee is more traditionally used.

Next, add the onion and peppers and cook them down a few minutes to soften them up. I used spicy serrano peppers here, though you can use milder peppers for a version with less heat. Jalapeno peppers are always a great option.

Cooking down onions and serrano peppers

Next, add the marinated beef and stir. Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring here and there. You want to brown the beef all over.

Browning the beef

Add in the tomato paste and give it a quick stir, along with about 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth to form a sauce.

Also add in salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat and let the whole pan simmer at least 30 minutes, until the beef cooks through and the flavors develop.  You can let it simmer longer if you'd like. I usually go 40 minutes or longer.

The main thing is to let the beef soften up to your personal taste.

If the sauce becomes too thick, just stir in a bit more water or broth until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Spicy Beef Vindaloo in a pan, ready to serve

BOOM! DONE!

Serve it up over rice with some fresh herbs and extra spicy chili flakes. Spice it up, my friends!

Recipe Variations

Some cooks like to include a bit of sugar in the seasoning blend if you'd like, either white or brown sugar, though I didn't use them this time.

Other popular ingredients with Vindaloo seasonings are garam masala, mustard seeds, ground black pepper or ground cloves. Feel free to include those if you'd like.

You can also adjust the seasonings ratios to your own preference.

Adjusting the Heat and Spice Levels

As mentioned, this is an extra hot recipe because of the ghost peppers. Even without ghost peppers, vindaloo spice mix can be pretty spicy for some.

If you'd like to keep the heat to a minimum, omit the ghost pepper powder and go easy on the cayenne. Cayenne has a decent level of heat.

If you'd like to up the heat factor a bit, you can add more cayenne. You can also experiment with amounts of ghost pepper powder or flakes to your own preference.

If it gets TOO spicy, serve it alongside this Traditional Indian Raita recipe, which is made from spiced yogurt. It has a nice cooling effect.

Extra spicy Beef Vindaloo in a pan

Patty's Perspective

I really do love vindaloo. I'll take it any way I can, with chicken, lamb, beef, even vegetarian. I just love all the spices and the flavors. Don't forget the naan. Better than any Indian restaurant.

Try Some of My Popular Curry Dish Recipes

  • Chicken Vindaloo
  • Lamb Vindaloo
  • Ghost Pepper Chicken Curry
  • Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
  • Homemade Vindaloo Curry Powder
  • Phaal Curry (the Hottest Curry in the World)
  • Beef Rendang
  • Bo Kho (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew)
Beef Vindaloo in a pan

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Beef Vindaloo Recipe
Print

Spicy Beef Vindaloo Recipe

This beef vindaloo recipe is always a popular curry dish. My version is wonderfully spicy, though you can easily adjust the heat and spice to your preference.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: curry, ghost pepper, one pot, recipe, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Calories: 357kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6
Tap or hover to scale
4.96 from 21 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef chuck cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or use ghee (more traditional)
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 serrano peppers chopped, or use Indian peppers if you can obtain them
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE MARINADE

  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon spicy red chili flakes I used ghost pepper flakes for an EXTRA kick
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

OPTIONAL OTHER SPICES: 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

FOR SERVING: Cooked rice, fresh herbs, extra chili flakes

Instructions

  • Add the beef to a large bowl.
  • Mix your marinade by whisking together the vinegar and all of the seasonings. Pour it over the beef and rub it into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Longer is better, such as overnight.
  • Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook about 4-5 minutes, until they soften up.
  • Add the beef along with the marinade and cook another 5 minutes to nicely brown up the pieces.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook another minute, stirring.
  • Add the beef stock (You can also use chicken or veggie stock, or just water) and stir until the mixture thins out and becomes a sauce. You can add more broth or water if needed. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the beef is cooked through and tender.
  • Serve as is or over rice with fresh herbs and sprinkled chili flakes. Make it rain!

Video

Notes

This is definitely a hot and spicy dish. Some would say very hot, though you can dial back the heat by using milder chilies and going easy on the red chili flakes. If you're looking for an even HOTTER version, go with habanero peppers, or fiery ghost peppers, which will REALLY heat things up.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 357kcal   Carbohydrates: 6g   Protein: 31g   Fat: 22g   Saturated Fat: 8g   Cholesterol: 104mg   Sodium: 370mg   Potassium: 824mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 2g   Vitamin A: 1075IU   Vitamin C: 4.4mg   Calcium: 52mg   Iron: 4.5mg
Beef Vindaloo Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Angela Win says

    June 20, 2025 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    this is yum, used all the spices, only used 1tsp of my own dried chillies which I knew was hot. perfect!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 20, 2025 at 3:51 pm

      Nice! That'll bring some heat right there! Thanks, Angela!

      Reply
  2. Meleah & Eric says

    January 02, 2025 at 9:15 am

    Hi, thank you for all your wonderful recipes! Would you be doing a Prawn/Shrimp Vindaloo anytime soon? We love it, but only found a couple places that make it to where it is _not_ just pure hot tomato sauce that tastes a lot like the paste. Unfortunately, Bombay Brasserie closed and they had the best around our area. Not sure what their recipe was.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      January 02, 2025 at 2:01 pm

      That is actually a great idea, Meleah & Eric. Not on the agenda right now, but hopefully soon!

      Reply
  3. Pete R says

    November 25, 2024 at 1:16 pm

    How can it be a VINDALOO without potatoes?
    Potatoes (aloo) are an integral part of the dish!!!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      November 25, 2024 at 1:30 pm

      You can easily add them, Pete, but also, many places don't add potatoes to Vindaloo. Heck, most places around me don't. But feel free, of course. One note, you are incorrect in assuming "aloo" in the name indicates potatoes. FYI, as mentioned in the post that you seem to have missed: "Vindaloo" originally was a meal of meat marinated in wine and garlic. It comes from the Portuguese dish, "carne de vinha d'alhos, which translates to "meat in garlic wine marinade".

      Reply
  4. Bryan says

    May 24, 2024 at 5:44 am

    5 stars
    Looks YUMMY, Mike. Gonna make it today!

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      May 24, 2024 at 7:23 am

      Sounds like a plan, Bryan. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Randy Gierach says

    April 07, 2024 at 8:43 am

    Can you use garlic from a Tube and how much?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      April 07, 2024 at 12:06 pm

      You can do that, Randy. Try a teaspoon, then adjust from there.

      Reply
  6. Jim says

    March 26, 2023 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    Hi Mike-
    New to Indian cuisine but could this be cooked at braising temp in the oven covered as opposed to stove top? I loved the flavors and depth but my meat could have been a little more tender.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      March 26, 2023 at 12:45 pm

      You can surely adapt it that way, Jim. And you can also use other cuts of beef to your preference.

      Reply
  7. Peter says

    March 11, 2023 at 7:08 am

    5 stars
    Hi Michael, thanks for this awesome recipe. I see you use some ghostpepper powder, but is it also possible to use fresh ghosts or reapers instead of the powder?

    btw I love your site and some of your dishes are a go-to if I ever lose my cooking inspiration. Keep it up!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      March 11, 2023 at 8:07 am

      Hi, Peter. Thanks!! Glad to be helpful! Absolutely, fresh ghost peppers are GREAT here. Nice and spicy! Just add them in when you add the onion and serranos. Let me know how it turns out for you.

      Reply
      • Peter says

        March 17, 2023 at 10:01 am

        Mike, this dish smells and tastes so nice. I used two reapers and a Naga. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but I like my food extra spicy.

        Reply
        • Mike Hultquist says

          March 17, 2023 at 10:22 am

          Boom! Yeah, that's some great heat, Peter! Definitely a SPICY Vindaloo. I love it. Glad you enjoyed it!

          Reply
  8. Maria says

    October 26, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    Hello
    Can I replace the beef with lamb in this recipe?
    I have made the beef and chicken vindaloo many times. I have a leg of lamb and wanted to make a curry with it.

    Thanks

    Maria

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 27, 2021 at 7:27 am

      Maria, absolutely! I have a great Lamb Vindaloo recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/lamb-vindaloo/. Enjoy!!

      Reply
  9. Kevin says

    August 01, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    The best recipe I have found for Vindaloo, great balance of flavor…..added all the extra suggestions…..have now made using pork, chicken, lamb, pork, and even Wagyu beef. I have converted to instant pot (char first in cast iron ) to really bring out the flavors! 30 minutes for beef, pork, lamb, 15 for chicken……so tender and melts in your mouth. If you find you over did the heat (once in a while your peppers will surprise you), it can be toned down with either coconut milk or Greek yogurt. Thanks for sharing the recipe !!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 02, 2021 at 5:19 am

      Awesome! Thanks, Kevin! Super happy you enjoyed it.

      Reply
    • Zach says

      September 17, 2021 at 6:19 pm

      Hey Kevin - interested in trying this in the IP. How did you adjust the amount of liquid?

      Reply
  10. Terry says

    June 28, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Mike,

    This recipe is excellent! I followed the recipe fairly closely. No super hot ghost pepper powder, but I doubled the Serrano peppers and added a few jalapeños. To me the heat was perfect. The wife tasted it and asked me to make a Riata to serve on the side. Your Vindaloo turned out well and will be a permeant addition to my meal plan rotation. Tried it on rice the first time and Naan the second time. We loved both but Naan is an especially good way to serve your Vindaloo. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 29, 2021 at 3:04 am

      Thanks so much, Terry! I'm very happy you enjoyed it. Glad it made it to the rotation! I appreciate it.

      Reply
  11. Moocdz says

    May 24, 2021 at 9:25 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is fabulous! I made it tonight and it was awesome. Yummy to da tummy!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 24, 2021 at 9:59 pm

      Great! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
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