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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.

Spoon in a bowl of beef stew with carrots and potatoes.

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

Stew ingredients including carrots, tomato paste, and beef broth.

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

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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.

Knife cutting beef on a cutting board.

Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Seasoned beef on a cutting board.

Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.

Pieces of beef in a Dutch oven.

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.)

This step is a bit time-consuming  but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew.

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.

Onions cooking in a Dutch oven.

Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.

Tomato paste in a Dutch oven with onions.

Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

Flour in a Dutch oven with beef.

Stir until the flour is dissolved.

Beef mixture in a Dutch oven.

Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.

Broth and seasonings in a Dutch oven.

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.

Broth boiling in a Dutch oven.

After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.

Carrots and potatoes in a Dutch oven with broth.

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.

Dutch oven of beef stew.

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.

Bowls of beef stew.

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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.

Servings: 6
Total Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • I am making this today! For the future, any way this can be made in a crock pot?

    • — Lindsey on March 26, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure, for a crockpot you’ll need to go all through all the steps until you’re ready to add the water, wine, and broth. At that point, you add everything to the slow cooker and cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).

      • — Jenn on March 26, 2024
      • Reply
  • I made this Beef Stew for the fourth or fifth time yesterday. It has been delicious every time. My family loves it all year, but especially in wintertime. The recipe is a classic. Thank you!

    • — Marylu on March 24, 2024
    • Reply
  • I have been making beef stew for over 40 years. It was always okay, yet ordinary. My husband and I made this recipe together and it was incredibly delicious! I had to sneak in a little less garlic, as he is not a fan of it. Thank you so much for the recipe. Cutting up the beef does take a little time, but so worth the effort. Making it again today!

    • — Cheryl D on March 24, 2024
    • Reply
  • Delicious! Instead of 2 cups water and 2 cups broth, I used 4 cups low sodium beef broth. I only used about a cup of wine and also added a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.

    • — Doralee on March 22, 2024
    • Reply
  • I made this stew the first time exactly as written and it was too “winey” for my taste, so I added an extra cup of beef broth and it was delicious. My husband said “This is the best thing you’ve ever made.” 🥰🤗 Today I made it and cut the wine (merlot) in half (1cup wine), and used 3 cups beef broth, and it came out FANTASTIC. I love that there are pics of each step with instructions. I’m so glad I found your recipe/site, and I will tell all my friends how delicious this is! Thank you so much.

    • — Laura H. on March 21, 2024
    • Reply
  • hey, does anyone know what I can substitute the red wine with?

    • — Jerusha Maqdas on March 20, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Jerusha, You can use more beef broth in place of the wine.

      • — Jenn on March 20, 2024
      • Reply
  • I have had many beef stews in my lifetime, this blew my socks off. Great building of flavors and ingredients. BRAVO! This will be the only Beef Stew recipe I ever use again! Thank you!

    • — Kristan Tobin-Darbinian on March 19, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    If I’m making this to be served the next day, would you make any modifications so it’s not too watery or not too thickened? Or any tips to store it?

    • — Veronica on March 16, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Veronica, You don’t need to make any changes if you make this a day ahead. I’d just store it in the fridge. If you have room to keep it in the pot you cooked it in, that obviously would be easiest for you, but if not, any airtight container will work.

      • — Jenn on March 18, 2024
      • Reply
  • Loved it I only used half of cup of wine.

    • — Jennifer on March 16, 2024
    • Reply
  • i followed this recipe exactly and ended up with the best beef stew of my life, 87 plus years.

    • — don Adams on March 13, 2024
    • Reply
    • I agree!

      • — Kristan on March 19, 2024
      • Reply
  • I cut this down to feed two as my husband always comments that I still cook for feeding the neighborhood, lol. Thus is one time I wish I wouldn’t have. It was the best beef stew I have ever made or eaten! Restaurant quality! The beef was so tender. I did precook the potatoes and carrots in the microwave as we were getting hungry. Then added them and let them simmer in the stew for another half hour. Delicious!

    • — Luann Renteria on March 10, 2024
    • Reply
  • Fabulous. Added fresh rosemary because I had it. Otherwise prepared as written.

    • — Christina Schroeder on March 10, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    Love your recipes!!
    I need some help please.. My husband bought Angus Bottom Round instead of chuck, is there anything I should do different or just follow the recipe?
    Thank you,
    Patty

    • — Patty on March 8, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Patty, I’d just follow the recipe. The stew will still be good but the beef won’t be quite as tender.

      • — Jenn on March 12, 2024
      • Reply

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