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Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef is a rustic, Italian, comfort food dish with humble origins. Beef is seared and braised in a rich, garlic, herb and wine-infused tomato sauce until fork tender, then combined with sautéed mushrooms for an earthy finish. It’s rich, hearty and ultra-satisfying!
If you’re looking for a dish that’s big on flavor with minimal cost, make this beef with pizzaiola sauce. Juicy and tender, this old school, Italian staple calls for slow-cooking seared chuck steaks in a fragrant and rich sauce infused with the essence of pizza–tomatoes, oregano, basil, wine and mushrooms. Rustic and drool-worthy.
If you love slow-cooked, tender meat dishes as much as I do, also check out Beef Brisket Ragu, Wild Boar Bolognese, Pork Rib Ragu and Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder.
What is Pizzaiola?
Pizzaiola means “pizza maker” in Italian, referring to Italy’s famed, specialized pizza chefs. Here, it refers to a dish cooked in the pizza style with the traditional flavors of pizza and pizza sauce, including tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and sometimes white wine, mushrooms and/or peppers.
For a fun, pasta version of the pizzaiola flavor profile, check out Pizzaiolo Pasta with Crispy Pepperoni!
Also known as carne alla pizzaiola, this recipe has roots in the southern Italian province of Naples. It was originally made with inexpensive cuts of meat cooked low and slow in a rich tomato sugo with lots of garlic and oregano for a long time until melt-in-your-mouth tender. The recipe was originally intended to disguise the poor quality of some tough cuts of beef and horse meat. It’s a classic example of peasant food turning out fabulous. Not only does the slow cooking break down the tough proteins in the meat for a perfect texture, it also develops a richly flavored sauce and beautiful aromas wafting through the house in the process.
What is the Best Cut of Beef to use for Pizzaiola Sauce?
Though it originated with cheap, tough cuts of meat that braised for hours in tomato sauce, the recipe has been interpreted by many Italian-American red sauce restaurants across the northeast US, especially in New York and New Jersey, as a more premium, tender cut of steak that is quickly seared then cooked briefly in a light tomato sauce. Cuts of beef like tenderloin, flank steak, dry-aged ribeye and porterhouse are often used.
However, I prefer to keep this dish close to its peasant origins using the low, slow and long cooking technique. (If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know how much I love braising and slow cooking!)
Here, I use chuck steak (a tough cut from the shoulder) and pound it out to about ½” thickness before searing it and cooking it in tomatoes until tender. I also smother the dish with sautéed mushrooms for added texture, nutrients and earthiness, but you can leave them out if you’re not a fan.
Regardless of the cooking method, the whole basic idea is the same across the different versions of pizzaiola–tender and juicy beef in a well-seasoned, savory and aromatic tomato sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget Friendly: With a tough cut of meat like chuck steak as the base of this dish, pizzaiola sauce with beef is fairly inexpensive to make for a family. Serve it with pasta and a simple green salad for a very budget-friendly meal!
- Easy: Anybody can make this dish! You just need some time to properly braise the beef until it is fork tender. It’s almost impossible to mess up this recipe!
- Great for Meal Prep: As this is a braised dish that cooks for a while, it is perfect for making in advance. You can make this entire dish the day (or a few days) before serving it and then just reheat it on the stove over medium low heat or in a 350°F oven with a little bit of water, covered, until heated. You’ll have an amazing dish on the table in about 15 minutes this way!
Bookmark this recipe for your next Sunday dinner!
Ingredients for Beef with Pizzaiola Sauce
To make this Steak Pizzaiola, we’ll be using:
- Beef: Either bone-in or boneless chuck steak, which are cut from a chuck roast, or any tough (i.e., braising) cut of beef can be used in this recipe, such as bottom round, top round or blade steak. Chuck steak is a cut of beef that is from the shoulder area of the cow, a muscle that is used a lot and, therefore, a muscle that needs to be cooked for a long amount of time to break down than, say, a cut from the loin. This makes it a perfect and budget friendly choice for the braising technique in this recipe.
- Tomatoes: I always opt for whole tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed and because I prefer a chunky texture. Having said this, diced or crushed tomatoes are perfectly acceptable.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms in this recipe, while not traditional, really contribute to the overall hearty, delicious meatiness of the dish, plus add some nutritious veggies and texture. Use either cremini or white mushrooms, which are also the key mushrooms in Rigatoni Boscaiola and Lentil Soup with Sausage. Be sure to remove them before braising, as indicated in the recipe, and then add them back at the end. If you’re not a mushroom fan, just leave them out and you’ll still have an amazing dish!
- Dry white wine: Contributes to the earthiness and rounds out the other flavors. A dry white wine, such as pinot grigio, should be used. If you prefer to cook without wine, use a low- or no-sodium broth (beef, chicken or vegetable).
- Garlic: Always use fresh (not the pre-chopped, jarred stuff) cloves garlic and the more the better in my humble opinion!
- Fresh and Dried Herbs: While the fresh herbs are optional, they really make the dish so much better! Dried oregano is a key ingredient that gives the pizzaiola sauce its signature pizza flavor.
- Olive Oil: As we are searing the beef at a high temperature, pure or regular olive oil is a better choice here than extra virgin olive oil. If you prefer to use extra virgin, just sear the beef on medium heat instead of medium high.
How to Make Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef, Step-by-Step
Here are the main steps for how to make this steak pizzaiola recipe:
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Place the pieces of beef in between plastic wrap.
- Use either a meat tenderizer/mallet or a rolling pin to CAREFULLY pound the beef thinner–to approximately ½” thickness.
- Then, pat both sides dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and black pepper.
- PRO TIP: If the pieces are too large for you after being pounded, cut them down into smaller pieces, as desired.)
- Sear beef in hot oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until browned on both sides, approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the seared beef to a plate once browned and set it aside.
- PRO TIP: Only turn the beef once and try not to move it around too much as it is browning.
- PRO TIP: Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
- Next, add more oil to the pan, then the mushrooms. Spread the mushrooms out over the surface of the pan. Cook them at medium-high heat for about 2 minutes without touching them. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan for a few minutes to speed up the mushrooms releasing their liquid.
- PRO TIP: Use a pan or Dutch oven large enough to sear the beef and to be able to spread out the mushroom in a single layer. If the pan is overcrowded, then the mushrooms will steam instead of brown.
- After a couple minutes, remove the lid and give the mushrooms a stir. Deglaze with the mushroom liquid, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Continue to cook until all the liquid that the mushrooms release has evaporated and the pan is basically dry. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and sprinkle them with salt and black pepper. Set them aside.
- Add more oil to the pan, along with the garlic, crushed red pepper and half the fresh oregano and basil (if including). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, to allow the garlic to brown lightly. Take care not to burn the garlic!
- PRO TIP: The fresh herbs are optional but do include them if possible as they truly make the dish better!
- Pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Simmer the wine for about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and black pepper and stir.
- Return the meat and its juices to the pan and nestle the pieces of meat in the tomato sauce. Adjust the heat to a low simmer, mostly cover the pan (just have a sliver open), and let the beef braise until fork tender. This could take anywhere from 2 to 2½ hours.
- Check on the beef periodically and turn the pieces over every 30 minutes.
- PRO TIP: Add a little water or beef broth to the pan as needed during the cooking process in case the sauce reduces too much.
- PRO TIP: This part can also be done in a 325°F preheated oven, if desired.
- Once the beef is tender enough to be cut with a fork, you should skim the fat off the top so you will not have a greasy sauce.
- PRO TIP: Just take a paper towel (or piece of white bread) and gently tap it over the surface of the sauce a few times to remove some of the fat. You can also use a spoon or turkey baster to remove the excess fat.
- Then, return the mushrooms and their juices and the remaining fresh herbs to the pan, spreading them out over the surface of the beef. Cover and continue to cook just long enough to reheat the mushrooms, 4 to 5 minutes. Then, it’s ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
Pizzaiola means “pizza maker” in Italian, referring to Italy’s famed pizza chefs. Here, it refers to a dish cooked in the pizza style and generally refers to a dish made with the traditional flavors of pizza, such as tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and sometimes white wine, mushrooms or peppers.
This dish, also known as carne alla pizzaiola, has roots in the southern Italian province of Naples. There, it was made with inexpensive cuts of meat cooked in a rich tomato sugo with lots of garlic and oregano.
Either bone-in or boneless chuck steak, which are cut from a chuck roast, or any tough (i.e., braising) cut of beef can be used in this recipe, such as bottom round, top round or blade steak. Chuck steak is a cut of beef that is from the shoulder area of the cow, a muscle that is used a lot and, therefore, a muscle that needs to be cooked for a long amount of time to break down than, say, a cut from the loin. This makes it a perfect and budget friendly choice for the braising technique in this recipe.
Pizzaiola sauce with beef can definitely be made in a slow cooker. Once the beef is seared on the stovetop, it can then be added to a slow cooker. (Searing locks in a ton of delicious flavor.) Then, mix the beef and other ingredients (except the mushrooms) together and add them to the slow cooker with the wine and tomatoes. Cover and set on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Sauté the mushrooms on the stovetop and hold them aside until the very end, as in the recipe below.
Leftover pizzaiola sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in an air-tight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat it, covered, in a skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through. When reheating from frozen, you will need to cook longer to heat through.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Use Bell Peppers or Onions. If you are not a fan of mushrooms or would just like to try something different, try bell peppers (red, yellow or orange, not green) and/or onions instead.
- Leave the Veggies Out: Or, you can leave the mushrooms out with no substitution and you will still have the most amazing and flavorful dish.
- Add Olives or Capers: Olives and/or capers added to the sauce along with the beef will give the overall dish more brininess, umami and a puttanesca-like feel. Hot or sweet pickled pepperoncini can also be used.
- Increase the heat: If you prefer things a bit picante like pasta arrabbiata, then double or triple the amount of red pepper flakes or add some Calabrian chile paste at the beginning of the cooking process (or both) for increased heat.
- Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned–a great option in summer when fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes are in abbondanza. Red plum or roma tomatoes are a great option. For best results, fresh tomatoes will need to be blanched in boiling water, shocked in ice water, and then peeled before using, and some tomato paste may need to be added as well.
- Use a different meat: Make this same dish with chicken, pork chops or veal.
Serving Suggestions for Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef
This tender, fall-off-the-bone beef with pizzaiola sauce is great with a simple mixed green salad and some crusty bread to mop up al the sauce (fare la scarpetta) or some sauteéd broccoli rabe and spaghetti aglio e olio. It would also be a great pairing with some cheesy polenta, buttered noodles or roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Sprinkle it with some grated pecorino romano cheese for a touch of sharpness. And, drizzle it with some homemade spicy pepper oil to kick the heat up a notch!
Turn this dish into a pasta with a ragu-like sauce. Chop the tender meat into smaller pieces and toss the whole dish with some cooked pasta. You may want to double the amount of tomatoes in the recipe if you’re thinking of doing this.
Also, some people like to “parm” the pizzaiola. Top the dish with shredded mozzarella and let it it melt. Then, put it in a long roll and stack the meat like a meatball sub with lots of sauce. These are my kind of people.
TOP BEEF PIZZAIOLA SAUCE TIPS
- If you prefer to cook without wine, use a low- or no-sodium broth (beef, chicken or vegetable).
- Pound the steak with a meat mallet to approximately ½” thick before pan-searing.
- Be sure to remove the mushrooms from the pan. Then, add them back at the end to maintain their texture.
- Use a paper towel or one of the other methods noted in the recipe to skim excess fat. This prevents a greasy sauce.
- Increase the amount of tomatoes if you’d like to serve the steak with pizzaiola sauce with pasta.
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Pizzaiola Sauce with Beef ~ Steak Pizzaiola
Equipment
- 1 Large Frying Pan (or Dutch oven)
- 1 Dutch oven (or large frying pan)
- 1 Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 thin boneless or bone-in chuck steaks (about 2 pounds boneless/2½ pounds bone-in)
- Salt and black pepper
- 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
- ¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided + more for garnish (optional)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided + more for garnish (optional)
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 (28-ounce) can can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Place the pieces of beef in between plastic wrap and use either a meat tenderizer/mallet or a rolling pin to CAREFULLY pound the beef thinner–to approximately ½” thickness.2 thin boneless or bone-in chuck steaks
- Then, pat both sides dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and black pepper. (NOTE: If the pieces are too large for you after being pounded, cut them down into smaller pieces, as desired.)Salt and black pepper
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Then, add the beef and sear it until browned on both sides, approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side. Only turn the beef once and try not to move it around too much as it is browning. Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the seared beef to a plate once browned and set it aside.1 pound cremini or white mushrooms,
- Add another 2 Tbsp oil to the pan, then the mushrooms. Spread the mushrooms out over the surface of the pan. Cook them at medium-high heat for about 2 minutes without touching them. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan for a few minutes to speed up the mushrooms releasing their liquid.
- After a couple minutes, remove the lid and give the mushrooms a stir. Deglaze with the mushroom liquid, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Continue to cook until all the liquid that the mushrooms release has evaporated and the pan is basically dry, stirring occasionally. This may take about 8 to 10 minutes or so. At this point, they should be completely tender. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and sprinkle them with salt and black pepper. Set them aside.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil to the pan, along with the garlic, crushed red pepper and half the fresh oregano and basil (if including). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, to allow the garlic to brown lightly. Take care not to burn the garlic!¼ cup chopped or thinly sliced garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup chopped fresh oregano leaves,, ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves,
- Pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Simmer the wine for about 3 minutes.1 cup dry white wine
- Add the tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and black pepper and stir.1 (28-ounce) can can whole tomatoes,, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- Return the meat and its juices to the pan and nestle the pieces of meat in the tomato sauce. Adjust the heat to a low simmer, mostly cover the pan (just have a sliver open), and let the beef braise until fork tender. This could take anywhere from 2 to 2½ hours. Check on the beef periodically and turn the pieces over every 30 minutes. Add a little water or beef broth to the pan as needed during the cooking process in case the sauce reduces too much. (This part can also be done in a 325℉ preheated oven, if desired.)
- Once the beef is tender enough to be cut with a fork, you should skim the fat off the top so you will not have a greasy sauce. See NOTES below for a few ways that you can do this.
- Then, return the mushrooms and their juices and the remaining fresh herbs to the pan, spreading them out over the surface of the beef. Cover and continue to cook just long enough to reheat the mushrooms, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat; taste and adjust the sauce with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve and enjoy while hot. Include some grated pecorino cheese on the side. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The fresh herbs are optional but do include them if possible as they truly make the dish better!
- Either bone-in or boneless chuck steak, which are cut from a chuck roast, or any tough (i.e., braising) cut of beef can be used in this recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, just leave them out and the dish will still be so delicious. On the other hand, (red, yellow or orange) bell peppers would be an appropriate substitute for the mushrooms.
- Since chuck steak has a fair amount of fat, the resulting sauce may be a bit greasy. To easily fix this, just take a paper towel (or piece of white bread) and gently tap it over the surface of the sauce a few times to remove some of the fat. (See photo above.) You can also use a spoon or turkey baster to remove the excess fat.
- Use a pan or Dutch oven large enough to sear the beef and to be able to spread out the mushroom in a single layer. If the pan is overcrowded, then the mushrooms will steam instead of brown.
- If you’d like to serve the beef pizzaiola with pasta and would like additional sauce, just double the amount of tomatoes in the recipe.
- Use a stainless steel non-stick frying pan or a dutch oven for this dish.
- If you prefer, you can braise the beef in a 325°F preheated oven instead of on the stove. Be sure to cover it with foil and rotate the beef at least once during the cooking process.
- As this is a braised dish that cooks for a while, it is perfect for making in advance. You can make this entire dish the day before serving it and then just reheat it on the stove over medium low heat or in a 350°F oven with a little bit of water, covered, until heated.
- Leftover pizzaiola sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in an air-tight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it, covered, in a skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through. When reheating from frozen, you will need to cook longer to heat through.
Another Mangia with Michele hit! Fantastic. Nicely balanced sauce , although reading the amounts of herbs used, it would seem a lot, but no, just right. Also living in South Carolina, most of my herb garden never died off and I had so much beautiful fresh oregano growing, which made it all that much better. The beef was wonderfully tender and both myself and my husband were so surprised. This will now be a family staple. We ate it with garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini and an arugula/dandelion side salad with Kalamata olives and artichoke hearts. My quarter Italian heart was singing sweet songs!!
This makes me so happy, Maryeileen! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
My first time making this dish and making one of your recipes! Followed exactly and it was so tender, flavorful , and delicious, well worth the 3 hours it took me! Definitely recommend to use the fresh herbs! And I have to thank you for including the ingredients under each instruction! It’s so annoying when I have to pause and scroll back up to the ingredients for measurements, lol
Definitely will make again!
Just wondering why chuck steak? Isn’t that a tough piece of meat?
Hi Camille. Yes–chuck steak is a tough cut of meat that works well with the slow cooking (braising) cooking technique in this recipe. While lots of versions of this recipe in restaurants are quickly cooked using tender. more premium cuts of beef, such as flank steak, rib eye or filet, this recipe is more akin to the origins of this dish using tougher cuts of meat cooked over a longer period of time. Hope you give it a try!
One of the best versions of this recipe I have seen.
My mom used to make this dish often when we were growing up and it never disappoints.
This recipe is an absolute winner! I live in Rome and enjoy this dish frequently; it was the very first dish my Italian husband ever cooked for me!
Most recently I had the pleasure of cooking this recipe by Michele! Needless to say she’s an amazing cook, but her custom recipe for this dish is over the moon delicious! Michele, thank you for sharing your delicious recipe!
Love your version of this dish! I was always intimidated to make this, but your instructions were very easy to follow. Can’t wait to make this again!