This beef stew is a classic dinner recipe that everyone enjoys. It’s a hearty and cozy stew that turns simple, humble ingredients into a flavorful dish. Made up of chunks of tender beef, onion, carrots, and potatoes, it comes together in one pot on the stovetop.
You’ll love how easy it is to make this beef stew. Simply brown the beef, cook the aromatics, and then simmer until all the flavors have blended together. It’s true comfort in a bowl! You’ll be warmed from the inside out with this stew. It’s a foolproof recipe you’ll want to make again and again. Want to make this even more hearty? Serve it with my easy breadsticks, dinner rolls, or French bread to soak up all the delicious broth.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Beef — I recommend using a boneless chuck roast to make beef stew. Pre-cut stew meat sold at the store tends to be lower in quality and won’t be as tender. Buying a chuck roast with some nice marbling and cutting it yourself will give you the best flavor.
Balsamic vinegar — the vinegar helps enhance the flavors of the stew, and you can use it to deglaze the pot.
Tomato paste — you don’t need a lot of tomato paste but don’t skip it. It adds richness to the stew and helps to thicken the broth. Not to worry, it won’t make the stew taste like tomatoes.
Flour — cooking the flour will help thicken the stew. You don’t need anything fancy, just all-purpose flour.
Beef broth — use a good-quality beef broth as it’ll be the stew’s base. If you’re concerned about the sodium in the stew, you can use low-sodium beef broth to control the amount of salt in the stew. You can always add more salt to taste afterward.
Wine — use a dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.
Potatoes — Yukon gold potatoes or baby potatoes work best in this recipe because they hold their shape while cooking. Russet potatoes don’t work well because they tend to fall apart.
Herbs — you’ll need a bay leaf and fresh thyme for the stew.
How to Make Beef Stew
1. Season the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, garlic, and vinegar.
5. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you stir. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth, wine, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, and thyme to the pot and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until beef is tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Don’t skip browning the beef first. It only takes a few minutes and the caramelized bits left in the bottom of a pot add so much flavor to the finished stew.
- If you do not want to use red wine in this easy beef stew, then you can replace it with additional beef broth.
- Make sure to brown the beef in batches for the stew. Adding too much beef into the pot at once will lead them to steam due to the lack of space.
- Cooking flour is how you end up with a velvety and thicker broth. Make sure not to skip it, as adding flour directly to the broth later on won’t give you the same texture.
- If your beef stew isn’t as thick as you’d like, you can simmer it on the stove, uncovered, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Before you season the beef, pat it dry. This will ensure the salt and pepper stick to the beef and brown nicely in the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
A good beef stew needs time to simmer. Cooking it low and slow will allow all of the flavors to blend together and make the beef melt in your mouth. Make sure you give the stew at least an hour to simmer.
You sure can! Follow the instructions until you finish cooking the tomato paste, then transfer everything into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours until the beef is tender and cooked.
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the leftover stew to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Yes, you can. This beef stew freezes wonderfully. Wait for the stew to cool before transferring it to freezer-safe bags or containers. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If you do not want to spend more time cooking down the stew, you can make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the stew. To make a slurry, mix together equal amounts of water and cornstarch. Around 1 to 2 tablespoons will be enough.
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If you’ve tried this Beef Stew recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Beef Stew
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 1-inch pieces (1134g)
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 4 cups beef broth (907g) (1L)
- 2 cups dry red wine (480ml)
- 1 pound Yukon potatoes peeled and cubed (450g)
- 4 large carrots sliced into ½-inch rounds (340g)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, garlic, and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you stir. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth, wine, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil.
- Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip browning the beef first. It only takes a few minutes and the caramelized bits left in the bottom of a pot add so much flavor to the finished stew.
- If you do not want to use red wine in this easy beef stew, you can replace it with additional beef broth.
- Make sure to brown the beef in batches for the stew. Adding too much beef into the pot at once will lead them to steam due to the lack of space.
- Cooking flour is how you end up with a velvety and thicker broth. Make sure not to skip it, as adding flour directly to the broth later on won’t give you the same texture.
- If your beef stew isn’t as thick as you’d like, you can simmer it on the stove, uncovered, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Before you season the beef, pat it dry. This will ensure the salt and pepper stick to the beef and brown nicely in the pot.
