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Caribbean

Guyanese Slow-Cooked Pepperpot

Guyanese pepperpot with beef, cassareep, warm spices, and Scotch bonnet heat.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Guyanese Slow-Cooked Pepperpot

2 hr 15 mintotal

35 min hands-on1 hr 40 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Pepperpot needs about 100 minutes of slow simmering for the beef to soften and the cassareep sauce to deepen.

Method

  1. Heat Cooking Oil in a heavy pot and brown the Beef Chuck pieces on all sides.

  2. Add Onion and Garlic, then cook for 4 minutes until softened.

    4 min

  3. Stir in Cassareep, Brown Sugar, Thyme, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, Ground Allspice, Bay Laurel Leaf, Salt, and Water.

  4. Add the whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper, cover, and simmer gently for 100 to 110 minutes.

    1 hr 40 min–1 hr 50 min

  5. Remove the Scotch Bonnet Pepper, Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves, and Bay Laurel Leaf.

  6. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is dark, glossy, and lightly syrupy.

    10 min

How to tell it's done

The beef should be fork-tender and coated in a dark, glossy sauce with warm spice aroma.

Getting it right

Tip

Cassareep is central to pepperpot; do not replace it with soy sauce or generic browning sauce.

What to serve it with

Serve with bread, rice, or boiled provisions to soak up the dark sauce.

Common mistakes

The pepperpot sauce is thin and the beef is still chewy.
Keep simmering uncovered until the sauce turns glossy and the beef gives easily to a fork. Cassareep needs time to coat the meat.

Substitutions

  • Beef Chuck — Use Beef Roast if Beef Chuck is unavailable, but keep the slow simmering time.
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper — Use Habanero Pepper if needed, but keep it whole for controlled heat.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate pepperpot for up to 3 days and reheat it gently until hot. It freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.