Mechado (Filipino Beef Stew)
Comfort in the form of a hearty stew can be found in nearly every country’s cuisine, and the Philippines is no different. Mechado, Filipino Beef Stew, is the Philippine’s version of the ubiquitous comfort food with a wonderful depth of flavor that comes from browned garlic, marinated beef, and the complex flavors of patis, or fish sauce.
Mechado: There’s comfort food, and then there’s the kind of comfort that feels like home in a bowl. For me, that’s mechado — a rich Filipino beef stew with fork-tender meat, potatoes, carrots, and a tomato-based sauce that simmers low and slow until everything melts together. Flavor is layered in every step of the cooking process, making it flavorful and comforting! This is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with warmth and aromatics long before it reaches the table.
Note: This post was originally published on September 20, 2015. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
Mechado: Filipino Beef Stew
Nearly every cuisine has its version of a hearty stew, and in the Philippines, mechado is one of the classics. What makes it special is the depth of flavor: browned garlic, marinated beef, bay leaves, tomato sauce, and a splash of patis (fish sauce) that brings everything into balance. It’s savory, slightly tangy, and deeply satisfying.
When I first started dating my husband, our mutual friend clued me in — he’s a “beef and potatoes man,” she said. I knew instantly that Mechado would be the first dish I’d cook for him. In my little apartment, on that tiny little stove, I impressed him with my ultimate stick-to-your-ribs comfort dish. It seemed very appropriate for that early autumn day in the Midwest. The flavors of the Filipino beef stew were comforting and familiar, no matter where you were from.
Years later, mechado still comes back into our dinner rotation whenever the weather cools. It’s my idea of cozy cooking — slow braising, simple ingredients, and the kind of meal that quietly restores you after a long day.
What Is Beef Mechado?
Mechado is a traditional Filipino beef stew influenced by colonial Spanish cooking. The name comes from the Spanish word “mecha;” translated to “wick,” it refers to a classic technique of larding, or inserting strips of pork fat into beef before braising. While modern home versions don’t always include this step, the essence of mechado stays the same: beef cooked slowly in a tomato-rich sauce until tender.
What sets mechado apart from other Filipino stews is its bright tomato base paired with savory umami notes from soy sauce and fish sauce. Potatoes and carrots absorb the sauce as they cook, turning the entire pot into something deeply comforting.
If you’re new to Filipino cooking, mechado is a wonderful place to start. The recipe is familiar enough to feel accessible to home cooks, yet distinctly Filipino in flavor.
What Are the Best Beef Cuts for Mechado?
For the most tender mechado, choose cuts of meat with marbling and connective tissue that break down during braising. In my opinion, the best cut of beef for mechado is beef chuck for stew. It is typically easy to find, relatively inexpensive, and always delicious.
Lean cuts of beef like shoulder and bottom round tend to dry out too much for this dish, so avoid anything labeled “extra lean.” Mechado thrives on slow cooking and a bit of natural fat.
How to Make Mechado
There are certain key elements that layer flavors in this delicious stew:
- First, the beef is marinated in dark soy sauce, lemon juice, and freshly ground pepper. Try to marinate it for 30 minutes, or, if you are pinched for time, while prepping the remaining ingredients. You can also marinate it overnight, if you wish. Some of the marinade will be used later.
- Brown garlic in oil and set aside. This adds a beautiful depth of flavor the oil, and to the stew overall when it is returned to the pot later in the cooking process. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Working in batches, brown the beef. Take care not to overcrowd the pot, or the beef will steam rather than brown.
- Return the browned beef to the pot, add the onions and fish sauce (known as patis, in the Philippines). The fish sauce adds a delicious salty umami to the dish.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, followed by the Tabasco, beef broth or stock, some of the reserved marinade, water, bay leaves, and bell pepper. This will be followed by the reserved garlic.
- Let time play its role: simmer the stew for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the potatoes and carrots, and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender. The starch from the potatoes will thicken the sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
How to Serve Beef Mechado
Like many of the traditional dishes I ate growing up, we always serve mechado over rice. The rice absorbs the sauce, turning every bite into delicious comfort. But it’s equally satisfying as a stew on its own or with warm bread on the side.
Can You Make Beef Mechado Ahead of Time?
Like many stews, mechado improves with time. The flavors deepen overnight, making leftovers something to look forward to.
It’s an excellent dish for:
- Meal prep
- Family reunions and holidays (it’s a Christmas tradition on my mom’s side of the family!)
- Cold-weather weekends
- Hosting friends
Reheat your leftover stew gently on the stovetop, add a splash of water or stock if needed, and enjoy!
“This is better than my mom’s!! (Shhh. . .don’t tell her. . .)”
– Mary M.
READER COMMENT
Mechado vs. Caldereta: Traditional Filipino Recipes
While families may have different preferences for what makes a mechado recipe “traditional” or “authentic,” this recipe reflects the style I grew up with and how it was taught to me by my dear Tita Leah.
Mechado is similar to a closely related but distinct dish called Beef Caldereta (also spelled Kaldereta). Like mechado, caldereta is a tomato-based Filipino beef stew, but caldereta is traditionally enriched with beef liver or liver spread, which gives the sauce a thicker texture and deeper, more robust flavor. Caldereta is also traditionally made with goat meat, can include different vegetables, and can sometimes be spicier.
Both dishes are beloved in Filipino cuisine, but while mechado is rich and tomato-forward, caldereta is has a nuanced and different savory flavor profile. If you’re exploring Filipino comfort food, trying both is a delicious way to understand their subtle differences.
“This recipe became my specialty and most requested from family and friends at every special occasions.”
– Helena
READER COMMENT
Can You Make Mechado in an Instant Pot?
Part of the magic of mechado comes from the long and slow simmer time. To get the meat really tender, I try to simmer for as long as possible. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes!
Of course, life gets busy. When you want the comfort of mechado without the long cooking time, you can absolutely use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker of your preference to speed things up. And your mechado will still be delicious!
Instead of simmering the beef, cook it in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes at high pressure. Then add the potatoes and carrots and cook again for about 10-15 minutes on high pressure. Allow the mechado to simmer in your pressure cooker, uncovered, afterward to reduce the liquid. This step is critical since the seal of the pressure cooker does not allow the liquid to reduce to a thick gravy.
“Oh my goodness! Out of all of the recipes that I have made this last year, this recipes easily ranks in my top three! I absolutely loved this dish and could honestly eat it multiple times a week! It was so flavorful and delicious. This is going to be going in our family recipe book for sure Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!”
– Alexis
READER COMMENT
Why You’ll Enjoy Mechado Filipino Beef Stew
When the weather turns and the days feel heavy, mechado always finds its way back to the table. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t demand a lot of attention, only time. And in that time, something simple becomes extraordinary.
This stew has traveled with me through seasons, kitchens, and chapters of life. Every pot feels like a return to something steady and familiar. To me, that’s the quiet magic of Filipino comfort food, and I hope you enjoy it too.
This reminds me, on my mother’s side of the family, Mechado is also a Christmas tradition.
More Filipino Recipes
Filipino Crispy Tofu and Mushroom Adobo
Ensaymada: Filipino Brioche Bread
Filipino Pork Adobo
Instant Pot Beef Nilaga (Filipino Beef and Vegetable Soup)
Puto: Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes
Note: This post was originally published on September 20, 2015. The recipe has been updated from the archives with updated content and photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
Mechado Filipino Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs beef for stew
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup good dark soy sauce I like Silver Swan, found in Asian markets
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (patis)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- several dashes of Tabasco
- 2-3 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped in 2 inch pieces
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate beef in soy sauce, lemon, and black pepper for at least 30 minutes.
- Brown garlic in oil and set aside.
- Brown beef, working in batches if necessary (reserve the marinade).
- Return beef to pot, add onions and season with fish sauce (patis).
- When the onions are wilted, add tomato sauce and water and stir.
- After about two minutes, add Tabasco, beef stock, 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade, bay leaves and bell pepper.
- Let come to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add reserved garlic. Cover the pot with the lid, and let it stew for about 1 1/2 hours (see notes), stirring occasionally.
- When the meat is tender, add potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes more. The starch from the potatoes will thicken the sauce, giving it a silky texture.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
This has been my go-to pot roast recipe for almost 5 years! Super flavorful and comforting.
This warms my heart! I’m so pleased, Adrienne! Thank you!
I’m somewhere between a beginner and intermediate cook, and decided to try this recipe for my first attempt at menudo. Very easy to follow and tastes good! I did accidentally only have beef broth instead of stock, and saw some other reviews saying that broth made it too watery, so I ended up using 2cup of broth thinking it won’t be as watery if I start with less. Ended up with not as much sauce as I would’ve liked (but it wasn’t watery!), lol, so will probably use more next time if I don’t have stock.
Hi Allyzah, I’m pleased that you enjoyed the mechado! It’s a very forgiving recipe, and either broth or stock works (the broth does add extra flavor!), and I find that the sauce gets thickened from the starch of the potato, which is lovely. The sauce is perhaps my favorite part on the rice, so I hope you try it again with more sauce next time!
Made this last week and me and my partner got two giant yorkshire puddings and filled them with this wonderful stew, absolutely amazing and there was plenty left over the day after and it tasted fab heated up, it´s a keeper, perfect now for our English winter, thank you.
Rakel, your comment made me smile! I’m so glad you and your partner enjoyed the Mechado, and how brilliant to use it with your Yorkshire puddings! Thank you so much!!
This is my to go to Beef Stew every winter, needless to say it’s a family favorite.
Hilda, I’m so glad it has become your family favorite, too! Thank you!
Made this recipe for dinner! It was delicious! Adding this to our family menu
I’m so glad you liked the Mechado, Regine! Thank you!
Omg this is SO good! It’s warming and delicious and perfect over rice. It’s my new go-to recipe! I followed the directions exactly (with a bit more garlic, just tossed in with the onions and beef, and a wee teaspoon of white sugar at the end). Brilliant!
Thank you, Rachel, for your lovely comment! I’m so happy you love the Mechado recipe!!
The taste is just one of the most authentic tasting Mechado recipe that I have tried. Well done!
Thank you so much, Dave! It’s a well-loved recipe, so I’m happy you approve!
February newsletter
Thank you for this recipe! I accidentally used Beef broth so it was watery lol but after the instant pot finished, I put in some beef stew mix and also some cornstarch to thicken it. My very picky eater actually went back for thirds! Success!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad your picky eater had thirds, that’s the best compliment anyone could ask for!
This recipe is awful. 20 min to fully cook 2 inch cut potatoes and carrots? Seriously? Probably the worst recipe I have ever come across in my 36 years of life.
I’m sorry you feel that way about a beloved family and reader favorite. Have a good holiday season.
For Brandon who commented- the recipe says to cook for 20 minutes the potatoes and carrots or until fork tender. That was a harsh review. I happen to love this recipe and everything cooked beautifully.
I want to thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment, Fran. I’m so glad that you love this Mechado recipe, too, and I appreciate your support to very much! Xo
Ok! It’s simmering…..wish I could share a picture with you!❤️
Yay! I hope everyone liked it!!!
We’re trying this recipe tomorrow for our daughter in law’s birthday. She’s from the Philippines
I’m so glad you gave the recipe a try, Caroline!
Delicious! My first mechado and used instant pot to tenderize beef only. I did adjust the cooking time in IP but it worked well. Would this work for pork as well? What would you do differently? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sheryl! I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the mechado recipe, and that the IP helped. I’ve actually never tried this recipe with pork, since mechado is a beef dish, but if you give a try, let me know! I would try it with cubed pork loin!
Thanks for the recipe. I used the instant pot, so that my meat would cook faster and be tender. Followed your recipe but used just a little less water and beef stock. I was worried it would be soupy. After I had put the vegetables in the instant pot and cooked it for just 8 minutes, I took the lid off, so the liquid would thicken. It did a little bit, but it also continued to cook the vegetable some more. The potatoes were already soft and turning into mush. I think next time, after the beef has cooked, I will transfer the whole thing to a regular pot and continue to cook the veggies on the stove top. That way, the potatoes won’t overcook, and the sauce can thicken up. The red peppers also disintegrated. OH, I did have to use cornstarch, to thicken it up. It was taking a long time for it to thicken up. I mean a long time and I had used less liquid. It turned out real good and tasteful. I can’t say, it tasted like the mechado, that I am use to. But it was a real flavorful beef stew. I would use this recipe again. But use way less water, broth and cut my potatoes bigger, so they won’t disintegrate. I may just try cooking it on the stovetop. Maybe the results will be better than using the instant pot. My family did enjoyed it. The next day, I ate it with just some rolls.
Hi Emily, I will candidly say, making mechado on the stovetop is my preferred method, specifically for that sauce issue, but I do like the convenience of the instant pot when I’m in a hurry. If you find that the sauce is really soupy, another option is to add the vegetables to the instant pot and let it simmer uncovered. Unfortunately, there is no where for liquid to go when the instant pot is sealed! Regarding the red peppers, the mechado I grew up eating often had the peppers cooking down and melting in the sauce (which I love). If you don’t prefer this, then you could reserve adding the peppers along with the other vegetables, but I do think it adds to the sauce’s flavor. I hope this helps!
This recipe is so good! We’ve made it a few time already. Thank you so much for it! I’m trying it out in the crockpot tonight, will it still thicken the same as the stove top?
Hi Nadia! I’m SO happy you love the recipe! If you make it in the crockpot, it will thicken just like the stove top! The only time it would be very different is if you make it in an instant pot – and in that case, I suggest simmering it uncovered before serving to thicken the sauce. But you should be just fine in a regular slow cooker!
I don’t usually make reviews, so I just wanted to stop by here real quick and say that this Mechado recipe has been by far the most delicious Mechado recipe I’ve tried.. and I’ve tried out a lot of Mechado recipes. Thank you for your recipe, this will be on my fave list!
Katrina, your comment means the world to me! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how much you love the Mechado! I’m so happy that you love it as much as I do!
I followed all the measurements but mine came out soupy. It’s not thick like the video
Hi Nancy, the sauce tends to thicken as it simmers and also from the starch from the potato. Curious if, (1) did you cook it on the stove or did you possible use a slow cooker or Instant Pot? (2) how long did you simmer for? (3) did you make any substitutions? If using an Instant Pot, it is critical that you simmer uncovered to allow the sauce to reduce. As well, if you cook it on the stove, and if even after an hour of simmering, you find that the stew sauce is soupy, giving it some time to simmer uncovered will also allow the sauce to reduce to a thicker consistency. Hope that helps!
How would you cut down on the cholesterol and sodium?
Hi Dale, this version already eliminates the traditional larding of the beef, and uses beef for stew, which helps to cut down on the cholesterol. As for the sodium, I do recommend using a good quality soy sauce, however, you can try using a low sodium soy sauce and less fish sauce, however the flavor may not be as punchy. I hope this helps!
Mechado Filipino Beef Stew Recipe
Hi Rodney! I believe you probably meant to share/email this recipe, but it looks like you left a comment instead! Next time, there is an email button under the “Share This” part under the recipe card that should help. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Traditionally “mechado” has wick of fat from pork, cut in long strip, inserted through a big chunk of beef, cook slowly in tomatoe sauce after marinating. That is the difference between apritada and mechado. The picture looks apfridata.
Hi Lisa, this version does eliminate the larding of the beef, which is a common shortcut these days. I feel that the beef for stew, when braised, provides a very flavorful dish without the extra fat! The lines have definitely blurred between afritada and mechado (and some throw kaldareta into the mix, too), but this is the version I was taught to cook. I hope this helps!
I cooked this today and it’s wonderfully delicious. I used tomato paste since I didn’t have tomato sauce and added only water instead of beef stock because I also didn’t have it. Still sooo good! Ate it by itself without rice. Superb! It is now added to one of our favorite beef recipes. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the mechado, Lily!
Love this recipe and come back to it often!
Thank you, Julia!! I love hearing this!
Can you marinade the beef the night before as I’m making it the next day
Hi Tanya! Yes, you can definitely marinate the beef the night before. Enjoy!
So good! We skip the tabasco sauce and still very tasty.
Yay! Thank you, Vanessa, I’m glad you enjoyed the mechado!
Can this be made in a crockpot? I love this i cant remember the exact recipe but this use to be cooked in my house at least 2 times a week its one of my favorite Filipino dishes.
Hi Mary! Yes, you can definitely make it in a crockpot – I use my slow cooker often! I cook per usual until step 7 in the recipe, where it can simmer in the slow cooker until tender, then add the vegetables and continue cooking until the potatoes are done. Enjoy!!
What can you substitute for tabasco
Hi Jing – you can substitute your favorite hot sauce. Sriracha also works! And if you prefer no heat at all, you can also leave it out. Enjoy!
Simmering as I’m typing. Everything I need is readily available in the house. I’m betting it will turn out so yummy! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I bet the kitchen smelled amazing! Hope you enjoyed it!
We made this recipe last night. It’s super yummy. We made a large batch and froze some of it for later. Always nice to have some tasty Filipino food in the freezer when you’re lazy to cook it from scratch. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jacob! It’s definitely a great, freezer-friendly meal! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you made it!
This recipe hit the spot! So glad I tried it.
I am SO happy you liked it, Flor! Thank you!
I love this recipe❤️ Thank you so much for sharing this
You are SO welcome! I’m glad you love the Mechado!
You can IG this too. You’ll get more followers there.
Mechado means “wick.” I was taught that mechado has a wick of fat through the beef to help tenderize and flavor it. While your marinade sounds flavorful, where is the wick for which this dish is named?
Hi Val, you’re right, the Spanish origins of “mecha” does mean to wick — this version does eliminate the larding of the beef, which is a common shortcut these days. I feel that the beef for stew, when braised provides a very flavorful dish without the extra fat! I hope this helps!