Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
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This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
With over 4,000 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the all-time most popular recipe on my website. It is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Chunks of well-marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce. It takes a few hours to make, but the recipe is mostly hands-off. Go ahead and make it a day or two ahead of time; the flavor improves the longer it sits.
This stew is part of my classic French recipe collection, which includes similar slow-cooking comfort food recipes, like coq au vin and braised short ribs, and impressive main courses, like steak au poivre or roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce.
what you’ll need to make beef stew with carrots & potatoes
The most important thing is to start with the right cut of meat. You want to buy chuck roast that is well-marbled—that means it should have a good amount of white veins of fat running through it. Stay away from meat generically packaged as “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean (I can guarantee you it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it).
For the wine, use any dry red (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
How To Make Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
Begin by removing any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to (like the one my knife is pointing to below), but don’t overdo it with the trimming, as the fat helps make the beef tender.
Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.
This step is a bit time-consuming but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew. (Note: it’s important not to crowd the pan — if you try to brown all the meat at once, it will steam instead of sear and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.)
Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pan. The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor.
Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.
Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.
Stir until the flour is dissolved.
Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.
Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking. You can leave out the potatoes and serve it over buttered egg noodles, or toss in some frozen peas or sautéed mushrooms at the very end. Either way, it’s soul-satisfying comfort food for a cold night.
You may also like
- Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
- Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Guinness Lamb Stew with Vegetables
- Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
- Coq Au Vin
- Meatloaf
Video Tutorial
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on a diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
- Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
- Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the stew warm -- or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
- Note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven or covered pot that is appropriate for the oven, the stew can be cooked on the stove. The timing will be the same and it should be cooked over the lowest setting.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 539
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 54g
- Sodium: 1189mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I like how you cut the onions you should show people how you did that
Hi Jenn,
This recipe sounds amazing, thank you for sharing! I plan on cutting the recipe in half since I will be the only one eating it. Should I adjust the cooking times at all?
Hi Spencer, Good question. It may cook a little faster, but not much. In the beginning, you’ll save time searing the meat, and the onions won’t take as long. But the meat will still need a long time in the oven…I can’t say for sure how long so just keep an eye on it — when the meat is tender, it’s done. Hope you enjoy!
Oh my!
Ha ha! We have balsamic vinegar. Now question time. From which part of the poor cow is chuck meat from. What on earth is a Dutch oven and a crock thingy? Forgotten the word. We don’t get ready made stock!!! I have to use soup powder. What ratio of the powder to the water would you suggest? Do you put the onions and garlic in at the same time as the balsamic or fry them first? Otherwise they’re boiled no? But it sounds delicious. I’ve been thinking about stews but I’ve forgotten how to make it. Many thanks.
Hi Judy, Chuck is from the shoulder…a Dutch oven is a heavy oven-safe pot with a lid…for the powder, just use the ratio called for on the package…and, yes, you cook the onions and garlic first. Hope you enjoy!
Your illustrations and tips are outstanding!
Thank you, Cilla!
I have made this recipe 3 times and it keeps getting better. I am currently making it right now. The only changes I have made are the addition of 1 1/2 tsp. of Beef Soup Base. I also substituted Beck’s Sapphire Beer instead of wine. It works out really well. I will be trying out more of the recipes. My wife loves when I make this.
Love your suggestions, Anthony. Thank you!
This is in the oven as I type. If it taste half as good as it smells, I will be very happy!
I let this cool and then refrigerated overnight. Just heated up as directed and served with a fresh baguette. I think it is one of the best things I have ever eaten! It was delicious and looked exactly like the pictures. Thanks for the recipe and tip regarding chuck roast in lieu of stew meat.
Made it. Loved it! Family requesting again…good sign;)
regarding gluten free -do you think rice flour would work? I am thinking I will make this but thicken it and serve it with a sheet of pastry on top (like a skillet pie)
Hi Ian, I think it’d work fine. You could also just leave it out for a thinner sauce. Please come back and let me know how it turns out!
I used tapioca flour and left our the sugar to make it gluten free. Worked well. And this stew is so good I want to make it all winter long!
Hi Jenn,
This looks amazing! I eat gluten-free, can you recommend a replacement for the all purpose flour?
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes! The Peruvian chicken was delish!
Hi Elizabeth, So glad you enjoyed the Peruvian Chicken…that’s one of my favorites! For this recipe, you can use cornstarch (be sure brand is gluten free) instead of the flour, but don’t add it at the same time. You’ll want to cook the stew, omitting the flour, until the very end (the broth will be thin). Then make a “slurry” by combining a 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; mix until completely smooth. Whisk half of the slurry into the stew and bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop and simmer until the broth is thickened and any starchy taste has been cooked away. If you want the broth thicker, add the remaining slurry and repeat.
We had this for dinner on Tuesday night, it was so good! Very good! I actually tripled the onion and just halved them, and seared the cut side.
Love this recipe, I have made it countless times! Usually I add an extra pound of beef and double the carrots so that we have lots of left overs. Works great in the crock pot as well.
Mary…I would love to make this in my crock pot as I do not have a dutch oven (I plan on purchasing one in the not-too-distant future). Do you modify the recipe at all for the crock pot? Thank you in advance….
I have made this twice. I found the instructions for this receipt to be perfectly written for a novice like myself – at making a stew. The time in the oven and the overnight in the refrigerator make this a great dish.
I varied this with blue potatoes. Yummy.
I tried this out – it was so good! I left out the potatoes (because I didn’t have any on hand) and served it over buttered egg noodles. That took care of the starch portion of the meal! Delicious!
I am a stew lover and this recipe is my new favourite. Using Chuck roast and de-glazing the pot is essential. I have both slowed cooked it in the stove and on top of the stove, both worked well. Actually I had had a stew in a restaurant famous for its stew in Northern New York and I had to replicate it, so i went in search of that flavour. This recipe was even better, thank you.
What does de-glaze the pot mean? Sorry for being ignorant? Does that mean when you put the vinegar in and scrape off the brown stuff because I totally messed that up this time!
Hi Nicola, That is a good question!You are correct — it is when you put the vinegar in and scrape the brown stuff off the bottom.
If you skip the flour and serve over mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, this works as a hearty paleo comfort food.
I made this beef stew today for my family’s dinner and they really enjoyed it. It was perfect for the snowy weather we had today. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Once again you exceeded my expectations!
Looks good! Planning on a version of beef stew tonight and was browsing for tips.
That looks so good -(presentation ) i am going to make this Saturday everyone will be home. I haven’t made Beef Stew in years. thanks for perkining up my tastebuds
My 20 yr old daughter n I shared a bonding memory over this recipe yesterday while snowed in here in KC. We pretty much determined that adding the correct cut of meat, balsamic vinegar n wine n flour made all the diff along with the slow cookin oven process. Thank you dearly. My only regret is that we are not able to imbibe with Lenten meat fast today! What a sacrifice waitin for Saturday. 🙂
I have been cooking for 40 years and this is the first time I have made beef stew in the oven. I used my cast iron Dutch oven. I had a small rump roast and cut it into cubes. This is delicious! I tasted it and will have it tomorrow night. Nice complexity of flavors.
Our favorite! We like thicker stew so I leave out the water. Also, I roasted the potatoes and carrots on a baking sheet for the last hour and just toss with the beef before serving. Thanks for a winning recipe!
Hiya – love the recipe with Balsamic. I always have it in the kitchen to dunk bread in but never tried in stew ill do this recipe tomorrow 🙂
Please help though – when i add frozen veg they NEVER soften??any ideas or tips?
Thanks 🙂
x x
Hi Chelsea, The only thing I can think of is that maybe you’re not cooking them long enough. Can you be more specific as to which vegetables?
Made this tonight. My husband had been ice fishing all day and came home cold and hungry. He came through the door and said, “Wow, what is cooking?’ He yum, yummed all the way through the meal.
I have a question about smashing the garlic cloves. I took it literally, smashed the clove w/ the side of my big knife and through them in just like that. Is that what you do? And do you try to fish the out later? I didn’t, and didn’t notice any in my bowl.
Thank you for the recipe. It will be added to my collection.
Hi Denise, So glad you and your husband enjoyed! Yes, that is exactly what I do with the garlic and it just dissolves into the stew since it cooks for so long.
Thank you for your reply. It is below zero here today so your stew is once again on the menu!
I bought cooking red wine can I use that in place of the wine?
Hi Laura, The stew will be much better with regular red wine. You can buy a package of 4 small bottles if you don’t want to open a regular-sized bottle.
I just have to say GREAT STEW!! I ve tried numerous recipes for stew but this one by far takes 1st place 😉 Hubby and kids loved it!! Thank you
Quick question, any way to get around the wine? My husband can’t have it and even though it cooks out it still makes him nervous. Could I substitute with something else?
Hi Kaidee, I’d substitute beef stock – it will work just fine.
Hi, can I make this stew in the slow cooker? If so, do you know for how long, or if I would need to decrease the liquids at all? Thanks,nit looks delish!! Was thinking about making it for part of our Chrisytmas yummys!!
Hi Kristie, I’ve never made it in a slow cooker so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out, but I believe the rule of thumb is to reduce the liquid by half.
This looks and sounds so wonderful, but I would need to cook it in the slow cooker.. Any tips on how to change the recipe?
Hi Jessica, I believe the rule of thumb is to reduce the amount of liquid by one-half. For this recipe, I don’t think you’d need to adjust anything else. Please let me know how it comes out!
Just made this stew last night and it was incredible. By far the best stew recipe I have stumbled upon. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Sorry to ask a silly question, but here goes…. I don’t own a dutch oven! I have a big oven safe stock pot, but would have to put my oven rack on the lowest position. Would that work or should I just wait until I get a dutch oven?
Hi Rebecca, Not a silly question at all! It’s fine to use your stock pot w/the oven rack on lowest position – just be sure to stir the stew every so often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. You can also cook the stew over low heat (covered, stirring occasionally) on the stovetop. Hope you enjoy!
Followed recipe correctly, tastes nice but put carrots/ potatoes in after two hours and in for an hour and still not ready! Too hard ahhh! Back in again hoping meat doesn’t overcook now.
No worries, Sharon, the meat will not overcook.
Finally a basic but hearty stew with nothing in it but what makes a stew. Thank you for posting. I can’t wait to try your version and see what my husband thinks. He is soup/stew cook around here so this should be interesting. Looks amazing. Wish they had smell a monitor.
🙂 Okay, so came across a few hiccups today when trying this recipe for the first time. All my own fault. I had no balsamic vinegar, and since I had all the other ingredients, I really really did not want to run out to the store for any. So…I took 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and mixed it with orange blossom creamed honey. Then…I thought I had tomato paste (I was pretty darn certain I bought it last week to make a seafood paella) but, it was no where to be found. I did however have strained tomatoes (much like paste, but thinner.) So, I simply doubled it up. Put it in as the recipe called for, but, cooked a little longer for the liquid to cook out a bit. We don’t really like wine to much (and my mother is allergic to it… asthma) so, I only added 1 cup, and instead added 3 cups of beef broth. I like the glazed looking stews, rather than the thicker paste looking stews, (which for some reason always happens for me when I use flour) so, I did not add the water and also left out the flour. I added a couple squirts of Merlot cooking sauce. Its right now at the braising stage and has been braising for 1 hour. It smells amazing in here, and my husband keeps rubbing his hands together saying he “can’t wait” (we make dinner early on Thursdays due to my daughters having dance classes at 5pm, with both of them being in the classes, we don’t leave until 8pm!) We usually skip lunch on this day. Can’t wait to taste it!
Hi Jennifer,
Can the balsamic vinegar be substituted for another vinegar, or be left out all together? Thanks!
Hi Amber, You can either substitute red wine vinegar or leave it out — won’t make much difference at all. Hope that helps!
Making this tonight for some visiting family. After searching for a flavorful recipe I am confident this will be a huge hit! It has inspired me to make my own bread just for this!
I am currently cooking this recipe for tonight’s dinner, the aroma in my apartment is wonderful. Having read the previous reviews of this dish I had to try it and I’m hoping my efforts are just as delicious…
the best!!!!!!
This was a great dinner! I found the recipe a bit long, but I followed along and we all enjoyed a great dinner! Thanks!
Best beef stew I have ever made in 45 years of cooking! It is an official family favorite! I love that it is a do-ahead meal, too. When a crowd is coming, I can just pop it in the oven to re-heat. I so appreciate your teaching the techniques involved, i.e. selecting the proper cut of beef and cubing it, searing the beef in small batches, et.al. It’s a little time consuming but the end result is worth every minute!
This recipe was fabulous, always looking for stew recipes! It is very important to sear the beef cubes, as instructed. Don’t cut corners! the flavor is wonderful!
Every time i make this the pot is cleaned out. It may be the best beef stew ever. Can’t wait for winter…just to make this of course.
My husband I LOVE this recipe. I normally make stew in a crockpot but since making this recipe I will never go back. This recipe is so worth the extra effort. Yum!
Talking about a big hit, I am working in Manila, Philippines and the culture here when is your birthday, you must invite the people to a blowout (dinner or lunch), let me tell you very happily that out of 63 people I had invited 63 of them loved it. I can not thank you enough for your recipe. It was one of my greatest birthday, thanks to you and my friends.
Mario
This comment was so nice to read, Mario. I’m so glad your guests loved the stew. Happy Birthday!
This has got to be the best stew recipe ever! My husband isn’t usually a big fan of stew but he loved this one. Thanks for another great recipe!
Just Awesome!!! Made for a special dinner with my folks and was a big hit. Thanks for the recipe
Excellent stew recipe! I use my own homemade beef broth but otherwise follow this to the letter. Easy and delicious.
The Beef Stew with Carrots and Potates was the first recipe made in our home from this website. It was superb! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
OMG, this looks so good. I getting hungry just looking at the picture. I’m making this tonight!
The Cook’s Illustrated Beef Stew recipe is 4 pages long. When did cooking peasant food get so complicated? This recipe is simple, the ingredients true, and the results are amazing.
believe it or not some people do not know how to cook and do need those pictures…I work in food service and had to stand there and teach some how to cook step by step, the pictures will help those who need help to cook