Beef tinaktak

Beef tinaktak

Tak-tak-tak! The sound of the knife hitting the board as it's chopping meat is what gave Tinaktak its name. This comforting low carb stew from the island of Guam isn't only fun to say — it's a feast to eat, but an easy feast! We've made it even more manageable and taken the tak-tak-tak out of the equation, using ground beef for a quicker but no less tasty result. With only five minutes of prep and 20 minutes to the table, we know what we're having for dinner tonight!

Beef tinaktak

Tak-tak-tak! The sound of the knife hitting the board as it's chopping meat is what gave Tinaktak its name. This comforting low carb stew from the island of Guam isn't only fun to say — it's a feast to eat, but an easy feast! We've made it even more manageable and taken the tak-tak-tak out of the equation, using ground beef for a quicker but no less tasty result. With only five minutes of prep and 20 minutes to the table, we know what we're having for dinner tonight!
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onionyellow onions
  • 3 3 large garlic clovelarge garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 lbs 900 g ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1½ tsp 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 14 oz. 400 g coconut milk
  • 14 oz. (123 cups) 400 g (400 ml) canned cherry tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
  • 113 lbs 600 g fresh green beans
  • ½ cup (¼ oz.) 120 ml (8 g) fresh cilantro
  • 1 1 red chili pepper, slicedred chili peppers, sliced (optional)
  • 1 1 lemon, wedgeslemons, wedges (optional)
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Instructions

  1. Dice the yellow onion and finely chop the garlic cloves.
  2. Heat a large frying pan, or preferably a wok, over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil.
  3. Add the yellow onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
  4. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper to the pan. Break up the meat into smaller pieces with a spatula while frying.
  5. When the meat is cooked, add the coconut milk and canned cherry tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and the sauce to thicken.
  6. Trim and chop the green beans into bite-sized pieces, add them to the stew. Give it a stir and simmer for 3 more minutes. The beans should still be "al dente". Taste and add more salt if needed.
  7. Transfer the stew into individual bowls or to a big serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro, red chili, and lemon wedges (if using).

Tip

This is a great dish for meal prepping.

Double or triple the recipe and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze in serving-sized portions for up to 3 months.

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5 comments

  1. Andrea
    you guys... never disappoint. just delicious. I added some beef consommé paste and soy sauce to add to the salt content. I added a squeeze of lemon (after reviewing authentic tinaktak recipes from Guam) to cut the fat taste and it balanced deliciously. Great job. i love this site.
    Reply: #2
  2. Jill Wallentin Team Diet Doctor
    Yay! 😍🙌🏼 Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the tips. I added lemon wedges as optional in the recipe now. Thanks!
  3. Sarah Hart
    Easy to make, and tasty, thank you xx
    Reply: #4
  4. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Easy to make, and tasty, thank you xx

    So glad you enjoyed this dish!

  5. Nereda
    Sorry I found this dish boring and bland, made it without the chilli (as others that don't like chilli were eating it), even adding it later didn't rescue it. Good news is there haven't been many recipes that haven't been a hit.

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