Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
We had the best snow day last week. School was cancelled, work wasn’t happening, and the only thing to do was hunker down in the house or go outside to play. With little kids, we didn’t have much choice, so we dug our saucers and sleds out of the garage, bundled up, and invited friends over for a day of sledding. Not surprisingly, the boys (and I’m including husbands in this category) took charge of the fun, creating a luge-like course on a steep hill in our backyard, risking life and limb to see who could get to the bottom the fastest. When we finally came back inside, it was almost dark and everyone was starving. By chance, I’d made a big pot of this beef stew the day before so we warmed it up in the oven for an impromptu dinner party. Everyone agreed: it hit the spot.
It’s a classic French beef stew, otherwise known as Beef Bourguignon. Beef chuck is seared in olive oil first, and then slowly braised with garlic and onions in a wine-based broth. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich, deeply flavored sauce.
It takes some time to make (about an hour of active cooking), but I promise you it’s well worth the effort. Aside from being delicious, it’s a one pot meal that feeds a crowd. You can also make it a day ahead—in fact, you should because the flavor improves the longer it sits.
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. As someone who has fed an entire pot of leathery stew to her dog, I can guarantee you it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it. Go ahead and remove 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!
Begin by seasoning the meat generously with salt and pepper.
Next, heat a bit of oil in a large soup 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.
My Recipe Videos
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1-1/2-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
- 1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into one-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. 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 or in a 350°F oven. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just omit the potatoes because they don’t freeze well. If you’d like, boil some potatoes separately when you defrost the stew and either add them into the stew or serve them on the side. 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 
- 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.
Great taste
Today I made this beef stew for the second time. Holy smokes. It is hands down the best beef stew I’ve ever had.
My only footnote: at the end I scoop out all the beef chunks and veggies onto a platter. Then I run the liquid through a fat separator to get some of the grease out.
Thanks for your great recipes. They bring me joy.
I am in the process of making this for 40 people. I figured 1/4 beef per person, browned in bacon fat (a suggestion from another recipe for additional flavor) …w/o crowding – used the appropriate amount of wine, did onions and celery, the tomato paste and added beef stock and am cooking it all in two HUGE stockpots overnight in the oven. (Kinda a spin on a slow cooker- I like it) We have a TON of carrots/potatoes to add and may even run to the grocer to get a couple more onions. I do not want to add the flour yet as in another ‘stew blog’ I read that adding flour too soon before serving will cause the stew sause to become ‘grainy’. Dinner is at 3 and I will keep you posted. Did I miss anything, suggestions? I reviewed at least 20 recipes and found this to be ‘one’ to do and with just subbing the oil to bacon fat and the overnight cook thing(Because frankly…..I’m exhausted already, lol), I hope it will be as good as everyone says it is! So far so good.
Thank you for another great recipe! Made this last night and it was wonderful and loved by all! As always easy to follow instructions make your recipes a delight to try.
do you bake it in convection mode?
Hi Sally, No, I use the regular setting on my oven for all my recipes, so I’d recommend that here for the most predictable timing. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe, your instructions made it simple. It takes time so don’t rush the process. I included all the liquid ingredients, excluding the balsamic vinegar, and tweaked the recipe with a few substitutions to use what I had available. Granular garlic (4T), red wine vinegar, crushed tomatoes(1 can), Better Than Bouillon (2T), 1.5 lbs potatoes, 2-16 oz bags of frozen Broccoli Normandy (broccoli, cauliflower, orange & yellow carrots.) This stew is very versatile so add whatever veggies you like; more veggies and longer cooking time will thicken the stew. The frozen veggies increased the cooking time by 1 to 1.5 hours but it was worth it. I made it late last night/early morning, the Russet potatoes weren’t quite done so I left the pot in oven and turned it off. The stew was still warm this morning. I heated up the thick stew, toasted some French bread….WOW…ABSOLUTELY AMAZING FLAVOR!
Thank you
This was excellent on a rainy winter night. I subbed 2 additional cups of beef broth for the water and used 10 whole garlic cloves instead of 7 because, well, garlic! Instead of salt and pepper I ground dried Italian spices over the raw meat before I browned it (this was in addition to the thyme the recipe called for later). I tossed in three small bay leaves. Also used a Cabernet Sauvignon wine and strained a lot of the end liquid through a fat separator before serving since the stew was very oily, like not in a good way, when I took it out of the oven. Then I poured the defatted broth back over the meat and veggies in individual serving bowls (If i was making this a day ahead, I would refrigerate overnight and scrape fat off the top.). Total hit with all involved. My husband asked me what I’d done different. I’ve always made pretty good stew in the Dutch oven. Only thing different was the balsamic vinegar. I think that added an extra richness to the flavor. …
Could I make this in An instant pot? If so what would be IP settings/cooking time ?
Hi Camelia, I’ve never made this in an instant pot, but a number of readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results. One recent comment indicated: “I cooked at high pressure for 35 min, although next time I will add 5 more min, then depressurized, added the potatoes and carrots, and cooked for another 10 min. Also added a bit less liquid, since you lose none in the pressure cooker.” Hope that helps and that you enjoy if you try it!
How can you adjust this to serve 10 people and still have the same flavour
Hi Dil, You can make 1.5 or 2 times the recipe and still get good results. If you don’t have an oven-safe pot that is large enough, you can cook the stew completely on the stove. Just give it a stir periodically while it simmers so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Hope everyone enjoys!
I was excited shopping for all the ingredients and followed recipe exactly. Mine dish came out under seasoned and there was way too much liquid. Would like to try it again. How do you suggest I tweak the recipe?
Hi Jack, So sorry you found the stew to be lacking in flavor. Did you by chance make any adjustments to the recipe?
Waaay too liquidy! I’m still cooking it for 3 and a half hours already. Had to add roux to it, otherwise wouldn’t thicken. My personal touch was adding turnips.
I made this stew yesterday for my husband, and it was AMAZING! And I don’t even like stew, or so I thought! Made the recipe as written, and it was fabulous. Takes time to make, but sooo worth it! I am a transformed stew lover! Thanks Jenn!
I live in Quebec and I cannot find the McCormick spices. What can I use to replace it?
Hi Julie, you definitely don’t need to use McCormick spices here. Any brand of spices that your grocery store carries should be fine. Hope you enjoy the stew! 🙂
I am going to make this tonight. Can I do it on the stove top? If so how would you suggest I do it?
Sure, Ashley – just simmer it on low, covered, and give it a stir every so often to be sure the bottom doesn’t burn. Cook time will be about the same. 🙂
I had this stew at my uncles house many years ago and loved it. I’ve never cooked a stew before, what’s the difference if I pot my pot in the oven vs leave it on the stove?
No difference, Vik – if you simmer it on the stovetop, just be sure to give it a stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn. Enjoy!
Great recipe!. I did it exactly as described and my family loved it.
Accompanied by a glass of Pinot Noir, perfect food for a cold Sunday evening.
Thanks!
I might do a few peas next time for color, and find a way to work in some mushrooms, but this is all you need for a fantastic beef stew.
I made this yesterday and served it tonight for an early Valentine’s dinner, and it was truly incredible! I added peas and sauteed baby bella mushrooms at the last minute, like you suggested, and every bite was perfect. I’ve wanted to make beef bourguignon since the movie Julie & Julia came out in 2009, but I never did because I couldn’t find a reliable-looking recipe without bacon (I don’t eat pork). Then I noticed this on your suggested Valentine’s meal list, and seriously, this dish was 100% worth the ten-year wait! Thank you, Jenn!
First time I ever made a stew was using this recipe in November. I’m now making it for a 2nd time because I loved it so much. I cook a 1 1/2 recipe and cook it on the stove top. I get 10 servings and freeze the other 9 portions for future yummy dinners. I do use potatoes and I have not had any issues with freezing.
Made this for a weekend family get-together & it was wonderful. Fantastic thick, tasty gravy & the meat was meltingly tender. We just dipped crusty bread into the juices, it didn’t need anything else (well, we did drink a glass of red wine too!) Another totally reliable recipe, thank you Jen!
2 cups of wine?
Yes, that’s correct. Have no fear though – the finished stew won’t taste strongly of wine. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I’m making this for tonight’s dinner (SO excited!) but was wondering what I can prep in the morning as I will be out of the house for part of the afternoon. I’ll have about 2 1/2 hours before dinner at home, so hoping I can do an hour or so before to get things rolling Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth, You could cut and season the meat and prep all the veggies. Other than that, there’s not much you can do ahead of time… unfortunately, partially cooking the meat is not advisable from a food safety standpoint. Hope that helps at least a bit!
Throw out all your other beef stew recipes! This is the keeper. Absolutely delicious! Thanks, Jenn.
Making it for the 2nd time for a dinner party, pairing it with a crusty French baguette and a pear, avocado and blue cheese Bibb lettuce salad. It is definitely my favorite winter recipe!
I made this stew for the first time & it was absolutely delicious!!! The flavor was so amazing! I tweeked a few things…like only put 3 garlic cloves, added more potatoes. I used sirloin tip steak instead & it turned out nice & tender. Also cooked it over the stove. I would definitely make it again. Thx Jenn this is 5 star
Hi Jenn
I have your fabulous beef stew in the oven as we speak. I made a double batch and it fills the pot to about an inch or so from the top with the liquids added.
If I cook the carrots and potatoes separately and then add when the stew is tender will the flavor of the stew be drastically different because the carrots and potatoes weren’t cooked in it?
I have a very small oven and cant fit two pots of stew in at once.
I didn’t realize the double batch would fill the biggest oven-proof pot I have as much as it did before the first 2 hour cook. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I’m not serving it until tomorrow.
I love your website, recipes and cookbook. Thank you so much for sharing them!
Hi Jan, I hope I’m not too late to help! It would be fine to divide the stew between two pots and cook it on the stove for the remainder of the time. Just give it a stir periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Also added some cubed sweet potato and a turnip.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious.
Don’t change a thing, make exactly as per recipe.
Hello! I am planning on making this tonight. Can I simmer it on the stovetop covered instead of braising it in the oven? I don’t have an oven proof pot large enough for the recipe.
Yes, that’s fine, Alexandra. Enjoy!
Best stew recipe ever! Is there an instant pot version?
Hi Rachael, Glad you like this. I’ve never made this in an instant pot, but a number of readers have remarked in the comment section that they have and have been happy with the results.
The BEST beef stew ever!!!!!
Jenn, I am planning on making this delish sounding stew but need to add Herbed Dumplings. Will there be enough liquid to simmer them in at the end? Thanks for all the help. Cathy Galbraith
Yes, Cathy, there should be sufficient broth for that. Hope you enjoy!
Very much looking forward to trying out this recipe. I wanted to first ask however: If I wanted to increase the amount of potatoes in the stew (let’s say, for example, if I doubled it), should I then also change the amount of any other ingredients?
Hi Eric, While your stew will be a lot chunkier if you double the potatoes, I don’t think you’ll need to make any other changes. Hope you enjoy!
Cold day in Chicagoland but this stew was the perfect Sunday dinner dish. As usual with your recipes, the flavors were delicious. Felt like a proper French cook!
I,ve been feeling like a beef stew for awhile ,so got on my iPad and found your recipe ,lm in Melbourne ,Australia and its the middle of summer and today is hot about 111 degrees ,so not a day to be making a stew but made it anyway , l don’t have air conditioning so it was hot in my kitchen but l can tell you it was well worth it, what a stew, fantastic so much flavour well done, will be making it from now on .
What can l replace for the wine in the stew
Hi Violet, you can replace the wine with additional beef broth. Hope you enjoy!
Well worth the time and effort! Followed recipe almost to the letter (opted for homemade beef stock and was out of thyme so substituted Penzy’s Bavaria Blend) – made for a dinner party and everyone said it was the best they’d ever had.
This recipe is a new favorite in our house! We’ve made it about 5 times and my kids keep asking for more!
Hi Jen, could I use a Sirloin Tip Roast? My concern is it’s not as tender as the Chuck Roast. Thanks
Hi Scott – I’d definitely stick with the chuck roast here – sorry!
I followed the recipe to the letter. It was absolutely amazing!! It is so rich and delicious, you definitely need some good crusty French bread to round it out. My whole family loved it. I’ll be making this for many years to come.
Absolutely the best beef stew recipe. I add celery and parsnips in w the onions
I believe every recipe I try, for the first time, deserves to be made exactly as written. It’s a matter of respect to the recipe developer. Let me say I am a GF caterer and have over 50 years of cooking/catering experience {yes I am that old}. This recipe was one of the best I’ve ever made. Period. What I loved the most about it was the simplicity of it…but it had wonderful flavor…a hard combination to obtain. I will be making this in the future…exactly as written. Thank you Jenn for a wonderful new addition to “my” repertoire. 🙂
I decided to try a new beef stew recipe and chose yours, it’s a real keeper! Other than a few tweeks to satisfy our taste preference, it stands on its own merit without any changes at all. We have made it several times now. My husband would love it weekly, but gets it monthly due to time issues. We use the stovetop. I have been changing dry red wines, each brings something new to the flavors.
It’s on the stove now as temps have fallen in the low teens here.
Will be trying your other recipes too.
Best recipe I’ve tried in a while – absolutely delicious. Few tweaks that worked really well. 1) Double the balsamic and tomato paste 2) 4 cups beef broth – no water 3) Add parsnips prepared same as the carrots – cutting back slightly on the potatoes 4) Buy 3.5-4 lbs beef – I lose quite a bit in trimming 5) Add a few splashes of Worcestershire 6) Increase cook time with veggies to 1.5 hours (depending on your preferred texture) 7) Have some good bread/rolls for sopping the delicious sauce – not a drop should be wasted!
Absolutely amazing! made the day before which was great so i could skim some of the fat from the top! Added some extra garlic and all else exactly as written!
Wow! Wow!
Was this the BEST stew ever. I’ve been making stew for 15 years, tried so many recipes , but never this good. I didnt use red wine but substituted cranberry juice. Everything else was followed as written. SOOOO delicious.
Thank you
If you make the stew on a Tuesday afternoon/evening, can you refrigerate it and serve three days later? Or should it be frozen, and then thawed as needed?
Hi Carole, 3 days in the fridge should be fine. (If it’s going to be much longer than that, I’d suggest freezing it – it freezes nicely.) Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely love this stew! Two questions: 1) Just out of sheer curiosity, why do you opt to sprinkle the flour on the beef after it’s been seared? Almost every other recipe that I’ve made calls for coating the cubes in flour just prior to searing. 2) How did this fabulous recipe not make it in your cookbook? 🙂
Glad you really like the stew, Amy! You really can go either way here, but I like to add the flour when I do as it helps to thicken up the mixture a bit before adding the broth and wine. And I could only include a limited number of recipes in the cookbook and because I included the beef and barley vegetable soup, I decided to just keep the stew on the blog. 🙂
This stew is fabulous. I have been making a my own variation for 35 years and think sprinkling the flour is the best part of the recipe. This way the meat gets truly seared and not gummy which can happen when it is floured first.
Best beef stew I’ve ever had! Deep, rich savory flavors. I’m not so great in the kitchen, so when this came out as outstanding as it did, I was amazed!
I have made this beef stew twice now, and my family absolutely loves it! There is NEVER any left overs! I actually just made it last night! It really hits the spot and is perfect for a cold cozy fall/winter night. I will definetly be making this for the rest of my life.
Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Phenomenal. Made it exactly as listed and it turned out fantastic. For the record, I’m not a great cook and I’m not good with recipes. But this one, wow(!) sensational. Thanks for sharing this one. Didn’t like it, LOVED it.
I’m excited to make this! I’ve made a similar beef stew with worcestershire sauce and loved it, so I’m very curious about the results with balsamic. If you don’t mind, I have a few questions. I don’t have a proper pot for the oven, I assume cooking it on the stovetop will be fine? I only have the option of russet potatoes here, should I put them in earlier and peel? Thank you.
Hi Beena, You can cook this on the stove – just keep the heat at a simmer and stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn. And russet potatoes will work here; just cut them into bite-sized chunks so they cook through. You can peel them but it’s not absolutely necessary (more of a personal preference). Hope you enjoy!
Would mashed potatoes work well as a side, to soak in the juices, or perhaps would polenta be better since the dish already has potatoes?
I like the idea of polenta here, Beena, because of the potatoes that are already in the stew. Hope you enjoy!
I’m curious about the sugar as I’ve never added sugar to beef stew? I cut it from 1.5 to 1 tsp and still find the broth too sweet. Do you really think sugar is necessary when you get natural sugar from the balsamic, carrots, and tomato paste. While the texture of the broth is lovely I’m disappointed by the sweet taste.
Hi Debra, I like how the sugar balances out the savory flavors of the stew, but if you find it too sweet, feel free to omit the sugar.
This was wonderful and exactly what I was craving. I needed to speed it up a bit for weeknight cooking so I modified the recipe for my pressure cooker. Used crushed tomatoes instead of water (to make it thicker) and decreased the 2 oven sessions to 25 minutes and 10 minutes on high pressure. So. So. Very. Good.
Can’t wait to try it as written here!
Absolutely delicious! In order to feed my family I would need closer to 6lbs of meat. Would I double all of the ingredients…. including the wine, broth and water?
Yep 🙂
I found this recipe a few years back and we’ve been using it ever since. We follow the ingredients just as is and it has come out PERFECT everytime. The only change is we’ll increase or decrease amounts based on how many servings we’ll need. We’ve made it for ourselves–friends–meals for senior home bounds and have received nothing but THAT WAS SO DELICIOUS(and we do tell everyone where we found it 😁)
My only complaint is that I can only give this 5 stars. Jenn it truly is a great-great recipe. Thank You for sharing it with all of us and have a Happy and Healthy New Year !🎉
Hello, what could be used instead of alcohol?
Hi Anne, you can just use additional beef broth here. It will still be delicious!
We’ve made this several times now. It’s time to rate it 🙂 This is a fantastic recipe that we always look forward to! My husband had decided he didn’t like stew before trying this, but this is one of his favorite dishes now! Mine too. Even my ridiculously picky 16-year-old boy likes it (although he doesn’t eat much of the vegetables).
Thanks so much, Jenn! You’re known as “our favorite chef” in our household. We regularly use several of your recipes.
❤️
This is a fantastic recipe! Made it for the family and everyone LOVED it. I added a few extra carrots and potatoes. Also added a cup of peas and celery. I wouldn’t change a thing with the seasoning and prep, it will turn out great. The wine really makes this a savory dish. Well done Jenn!
Pitiful to admit it, but this is the first time EVER that I’ve made a really delicious stew!! Thanks for taking the time to add all the detail – it made such a difference!
Will be starting chemo in the next couple of weeks and need to get some meals in the freezer ahead of time and this will make a great start.
So glad you enjoyed it, Pam. Sending you a big virtual hug and wishing you strength as you start chemo. ❤️
I hope your chemo is going as well as can be expected! ❤️
Making the stew for about the fourth time this afternoon
Am making this today and my husband asked if we could sub the wine with Guinness. Can you? I’m not sure of the Guinness with the balsamic.
Sure, Elizabeth – Guinness will work well here.
Fantastic!
Delicious! I made for Boxing Day dinner (yesterday) and I just polished off the leftovers for lunch. Mmmm mmmm! I’ve made many stews in my day but this is the best. I don’t think I’ll deviate from this recipe ever. The flavor is gorgeous and the meat gets so tender and juicy. I did add the peas (and also a handful of cranberries just because I had some that needed using…and they’re festive). Thanks for having this out in the world for people to find and enjoy 🙂
I made this with half of the ingredients and ended up with a terrible sludge. Perhaps if using half the meat, you don’t actually use half the liquids? Either way, I wish that had been specified for those of us using less than 3 pounds of beef. Otherwise I’m sure it’s a great recipe.
Hi Ben, Sorry you had trouble with this. Did you also halve the flour and use a smaller pan?
Thought I’d try this as a quicker / easier version to Julia Child’s BB, which always comes out incredible. Followed this recipe exactly. Result was quite watery (as I feared, with the extra 2 cups of water). I prefer a thicker, richer outcome, but worth trying…
A definite keeper! This was my first time cooking using the braising method. My husband even commented the next day,”that was really good”! Thank you !
I’m making this tomorrow to serve on Christmas Eve. It’s a family favorite but I’ve never served the next day. How do you recommend reheating or at what step should I continue the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Marianne, I’d cook it all the way through tomorrow, then just reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot on Christmas Eve. It will be even more delicious on day two. Enjoy!
Do you recommend peeling the potatoes or just washing them?
No, no need to peel them, Elan – enjoy!
I bought all the ingredients and about to make this for a big family gathering tomorrow, but i forgot to see if i can make it in the slowcooker? I dont have pans bog enough. Making a double batch.
You can, Sheelah – just be sure to start it on the stovetop then transfer to the slow cooker at the point you would put the pot in the oven.
I’ve made this stew several times and it always gets rave reviews from guests who ask for the recipe. I double the carrots and potatoes, add some celery, and reduce the water to 1 1/4 Cup. Deep, rich flavor. Great on a cold, winter evening.
Made this over a snowy weekend. Absolutely wonderful!!! The only change I made was to grate the onion to hide it from the hubby as he swears he doesn’t like onion. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt me, lol.
This is the best beef stew recipe and has become a winter staple and family favorite since making it the first time a few years ago. Flavors are perfectly balanced. We like a veggie-filled stew so I always add frozen peas and fresh or frozen green beans. And make sure you have crusty bread on hand to sop up the yummy gravy.
Made this a few weeks back. Pretty simple to follow and SO delicious. Will do again!
Made this beef stew many times. It is my go to for entertaining guests. I have substituted more broth for the wine when we have guests you can’t have any alcohol. Still delicious.
I made a double batch of this stew and gave half to a family with a new baby. Everybody loved it. The stew had a nice depth of flavor and was rich and meaty. The leftovers were even better the next day. It took some time to make, but wasn’t a difficult recipe. I served it with a green salad and biscuits.
This recipe is top notch! My husband is from France and has lived in the states for nearly 25 years now, but every time I make this dish it takes him back to the familiar aromas of Beef Bourguignon from his childhood kitchen. The red wine and balsamic vinegar truly add a richness to the sauce unlike any other. Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes is a must-make recipe!
This is the very best stew I have ever made! So flavourful and easy. I skip the thyme and add peas. Jenn is correct about the meat selection. Always use chuck. Make this recipe soon. I’m having it tonight!
This is an amazing recipe! I love making it a day ahead and having the flavors even better the next day. I like to buy a chuck roast and cut my own beef cubes to use in the recipe. At the moment, I am making the recipe to take to a friend along with freshly baked corn muffins. Definitely a must try if you haven’t made it yet!
great recipe! followed exactly, family raved about this dish, made 3-4 times since always great so impressed with this recipe bought your book
Excellent recipe! I add some frozen peas about 10 min. before removing from oven.
Literally the best beef stew I’ve ever had. I’ve made it twice now, and it’s the only beef stew recipe I’ll ever use from now on. My husband says it’s one of the best things he’s ever eaten. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely the best beef stew I’ve ever tasted
This is a phenomenal recipe and is now our forever beef stew. The flavors and the resultant gravy are exceptional, especially when paired with a nice crispy roll. I love that the meat is simply browned in oil and that the flour is added later. The balsamic vinegar takes this dish to another level. I followed the recipe completely as written and everyone raved over this stew. Another added plus is that it freezes well. Thank you! P.S. I regret that there are only 5 stars!
Hi Jennifer,
I made your stew last night for family. We come from a “restaurant “ family, my Dad was a chef. My grown sons are the cooks in their households. Every recipe I’ve ever made of yours gets raves reviews! I haven’t eaten beef in 30 years. Your stew was fantastic! My son said he’d never made such a delicious stew! Thank you for the fun and rewarding experience of feeding all these”foodies” with your wonderful recipes, fast becoming family favorites. Robin Gabrielle
❤️
This beef stew is amazing. Like you said, the beef was melt-in-your-mouth good. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I made this last night for my husband and he declared it one of the best things he’s ever eaten!! That pretty much says it all. This would be a perfect meal for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. Quintessential comfort food. Thanks Jen!!
My husband wants to give this recipe ten stars! I made it EXACTLY as written and couldn’t have improved on it one iota. I could taste the hint of balsamic which added another dimension. The amount of sauce was perfect. I agree to add sugar to recipes like this to round out the salt and this delivered every cooking technique to bring out the best flavor and textures. The cooking times were perfect as well. My husband may not ever eat pot roast again!
I’ve made a ton of different stew recipes. This is my go to recipe now. It’s marvelous! I’ve been extremely happy with everything I’ve made from Jenns web site. I generally don’t change her recipes cause they are so perfect but my husbands loves mushrooms in stew so I do add a few to this dish.
Fantastic! As an English man, I grew up on this type of food back in the UK. It is a little chilly here in Florida today so I made this. I recommend this with Yorkshire Puddings!
Jenn – I’ve tried a lot of your recipes and I’ve loved them all. I bought your book too. Keep up the good work and keep the great recipes coming!!!
☺️
Dear Jenn, This recipe looks absolutely yum and your reviews are wholehearted–but, I need to make a gluten-free stew. Would you suggest substituting corn flour, or gluten free flour….or trying something else altogether? Kind Regards, Heidi
Hi Heidi, gluten-free flour would work perfectly here. Hope you enjoy!
I made this a few weeks ago using a gluten free “cup for cup” flour and it was fantastic!!! My daughter is celiac and said this was the best gravy she’s had since her diagnosis.
Hi Jenn
I would like to know the pot put inside the middle rack of oven or lowest rack? Thanks
Cheers
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne, You’ll want it in the lower middle position. Hope you enjoy!
Cue the hallelujah chorus, this is an excellent stew! It was my first time making beef stew and I wasn’t sure about using red wine (I used a shiraz) and balsamic vinegar, but it was soooo good! The flavour profile has a lot of depth and richness. Thanks very much for sharing this amazing recipe, I will definitely make it again!
I’ve made a lot of stews and tried many recipes. Beef stew is one of my favorite meals. This recipe is by far the best I’ve tried. I’ll bookmark it and do it over and over again. FYI I never comment but this earned a shout out.
Delicious. And easy to cook. Thank you for the recipe.
Delicious! Just finished making it for dinner tomorrow evening. I always make it the day before to allow the flavours to develop. I have never frozen the stew but was wondering how the potatoes fare in the freezer? Would you suggest removing them?
While potatoes in some dishes change texture when frozen, they actually freeze just fine in the stew. 🙂
This sounds so good! I can’t have wine, would it be just as good with all beef broth? Thanks Jenn! Your recipes are always a hit!
Glad you like the recipes, Robin. 🙂 Yes, this will still be delicious with additional beef broth in place of the wine. Enjoy!
THE BEST!!
Simply Amazing Beef Stew as is, no changes needed.
I agree!
Had it last night for dinner and looking forward to leftovers tomorrow night!
A 5 star recipe. Won’t let me do so.
Thanks for this delicious recipe Jenn, it turned out really good! This recipe is for keeps, we all enjoyed it. I was afraid that my beef would turn tough as it was not so marbled but I followed your instructions not to crowd while browning. Very satisfied with the result, thanks again.
Definitely a keeper….so sophisticated and easy at the same time! I Love this recipe!
Best beef stew recipe! Husband and son agree!
Was amazing I didnt have red wine but I just used more broth and it turned out really good!
Easily the best stew I’ve ever eaten, let alone made myself. The simple list of ingredients makes sense, yet the technique of braising was new to me. But I trusted the recipe and I’m SO glad that I did! Raves from the whole family! Can’t wait to make another batch!
Really stunning with grass fed beef
Hands down—best beef stew recipe ever. Thank you, AGAIN, Jenn!
This was fantastic, and as with all of Jenn’s recipes, as written. Make sure you have the pan/oil heated sufficiently before browning the meat. I may have added my first batch too soon as it stuck like heck even after having been browning for five minutes, whereas the next two batches didn’t. Such rich and wonderful depth of flavor. Next time I may add the sauteed mushrooms and maybe one more carrot. Also, i used red bliss potatoes as that’s what I had on hand, which I quartered. I even accidentally added 1 teaspoon of thyme instead of the 1/2 t. called for, still excellent.
Can you make this without wine or does it alter the end result? I have a guest who abstains from alcohol.
Hi Lori, It won’t be quite the same but you can use more beef broth instead of wine. Hope that helps!
Awesome!! Best beef stew ever!!!!
I made this yesterday for dinner, and everyone thought it was really wonderful. The sauce has an incredible depth of flavor that only comes with a “slow cooked” dish. The only change I made was that when the liquid was added, I started by adding the two cups of red wine first, and then I let it boil for about 3 minutes to allow the alcohol to “boil off”. Then I added the rest of the liquid and continued to follow the recipe as written. This will be my new “go to” beef stew recipe. 5 stars for sure!
I made this recipe last night and it failed sadly. It came out soupy instead of that savory thickness. anything I can do now? I cooked it in my dutch oven for 3 hours covered. I’m thinking of simmering it on the stove tonight uncovered for 2-3 hours?
Thank you!
Hi Anna-Marissa, sorry to hear you had a problem with this! Simmering it uncovered on the stove should definitely help. If you’d like it even thicker, you can make a paste with 1 T soft butter and 1 T flour; whisk it in and bring the stew to a simmer. Hope that helps!
Mine came out thinner than expected too, but I still thought it was perfect and didn’t need to be thickened.
I’m not a huge cook so this recipe is a work out but SO worth it! I’ve made it 3 times and it never fails! I have started cutting the potatoes in quarters instead of halves. I use the small potatoes but like the potatoes covered in the wonderful sauce! Great recipe!
would like to make this for a dinner party for 8- do you think this recipe would feed 8 adults (it is written for 6) but hoping that included extra for leftovers!
Hi Meredith – I think you’ll short. I’d increase the recipe by 1.5. Sorry!
I want to cook this tomorrow but I don’t have a dutch oven can I cook this on the stove top?
Sure, Diana – just keep the heat at a simmer and stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn. Enjoy!
I would like to make this for someone on a restricted sodium diet-so most of my ingredients will have to be low or salt free. I made a different recipe last year omitting the salt and no matter what I did, it lacked flavor. Do you have any suggestions of what I could substitute for all of the sodium. Many thanks.
Hi Susan, This stew has a ton of flavor but, unfortunately, anything will taste bland with no salt. You could cut the salt in half but I wouldn’t omit it completely. Hope that helps!
The reviews don’t lie. I went with this recipe based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews and having made multiple versions of beef stew in my lifetime, this was the best one I’ve EVER made. Trust the recipe, even the salt measurement was near perfect (I was skeptical and added about 1/2tsp more salt on the beef) it came out delicious, but just ever-so-slightly over salted bc of my addition. Im so impressed and can’t wait to try more recipes from Jenn.
Hey Jenn,
Any tips on freezing this and how to heat it back up??
Made this last week for a cold Chicago night and it was AMAZING
Glad you enjoyed it! The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
This was a huge hit for the family. The prep time was about 50 minutes, but probably because I got a little overwhelmed. NO NEED TO STRESS!!!! This recipe is very forgiving. I accidently added the wine instead of the vinegar, but sucked it out with a turkey baster and got right back on track. This is our new favorite for snow days in New England for sure. I cannot wait to start making some of your other recipes. We almost didn’t try it because there were a lot of ingredients, so so, so glad I did.
This was amazing. My husband loved it. He said, this doesn’t even taste like beef stew, which is a compliment. Just caught him and my four year old sneaking bites out of the pot in the fridge.
The flavor was incredible. I can’t wait to make this again. I love using my Dutch oven
Another awesome dinner!
Made this the day before eating it. It was fabulous. The meat was tender and tasty. I added large pieces of mushrooms fried after the onions and before the deglazing. Definitely a keeper. I will in the future add a little more flour for thickening. Could be I had a little more beef than the recipe said. But that doesn’t change the recipe. Thank you!!!
This is in the oven right now. It smells so good. I went light on the wine and subbed extra broth. Just did a little taste test before adding veggies and wish I had done the whole 2 cups!
My husband hates beef stew, a result of his moms crock pot and water recipe, so I am hoping I can turn him around because I love beef stew, even his moms!
This is going down tonight! I’d like to 1.5 X this recipe. Would a 7.5qt Dutch oven handle this?
I think that should work, Ryan. Enjoy!
Ok so I never liked my beef stew even though the recipee was similar in terms of ingrediants because it always tasted burt to me. No one else said that but I never liked it. Cooking in the oven changed everything! My modifications to your recipee are minor. I skip the sugar, use fresh tyme and add a pinch of marjoram and a tablespoon of Grey Poupon. At the end I add sliced mushrooms sauted in butter salt & peper with a small amount of lemon rind and 1/2 cup of small peices of tomatoe (seeds removed). This little add seems to bring out all the favors in an already awesome stew! Thanks for this recipee… It was well done!
Hello,
I only have 1.5 lbs of chuck, should I cut all the other ingredients in half? Can’t wait to make this it looks fantastic!!!! Thank You for the recipe and the advice.
Yes, I’d cut everything else in half – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jenny,
Does this recipe freeze well? I am planning to make it but hoping I can freeze leftovers for those nights I’m just too tired to cook. Please let me know…I have loved every single thing I’ve made on your site!
Thank you
Hi Marie, Yes, it freezes beautifully. So happy you like the recipes!
We recently found out our son has Celiac’s disease, have you used a flour substitute for this recipe? We would like to make it gluten free.
Thank you!
Hi Meredith, I haven’t used gluten-free flour here, but a number of readers have commented that they have with success. Hope you enjoy the stew!
Meredith I made this with Koda Farms Mochiko sweet rice flour and it came out with a wonderful silky texture. The flour is very finely milled, even has a recipe for white sauce on the box and certified gluten-free. Next I’m going to try cassava flour (Otto’s). I made gravy with once and it was very good.
Fantastic recipe. Made it last night with the suggested measurements despite it being just me to have a half to freeze in preparation for the cold season. I changed nothing except for needing to make a quick balsamic vinegar substitute (ACV and sugar to the rescue) after not having any on hand, but it still turned out amazingly. Will continue to use this recipe as a basis for future beef stew preparation.
Can I leave out the wine?
Yes, Bev, you can replace it with additional beef broth. Enjoy!
I really want to make this, however I don’t have a pot I can place in the oven. Could this be made in a crock pot?
Hi Julie, Sure — I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). (You can also cook the stew in a pot on the stove if you’d prefer.) Enjoy!
How long would you cook this if you used a pot on the stove?
Hi Becky, you’d follow the same timing as the instructions for the oven. Just give it a stir periodically so the bottom doesn’t burn. Hope you enjoy!
The best stew recipe I have ever come across.
I served this beautiful dish to my family 3 days ago. It was such a success that they ask that I serve it again the next night. Thank you Jenn for sharing such scrumptious dishes.
What type of red wine did you use in this recipe?
Hi Carol, You really can use any dry red (but I would recommend avoiding anything labeled “cooking wine. Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Red Zinfandel, all will work. Don’t use anything too pricey — for cooking, something inexpensive (but still good enough to drink) is ideal. Enjoy!
Just made this tonight…. best stew i’ve ever made. Family thought the same. I just added a little chilli. Added this recipe to my cook book. Will definitely make again.
Do you think it would work the same with lamb shoulder chunks, swapping the beef broth for lamb stock? I want to make a chunky shepherds pie, but no recipe looks quite the same as this one and I would have assumed the process would be so similar, until obviously transferring to a pie dish and topping then baking.
Hi Jodie, Lamb shoulder would work really nicely here – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Made this last night, used around 5lbs of chuck steak and added a good heap of bacon lardons… it is hands down the best stew I have ever made. Will be saving the recipe and definitely making more often. Already thinking about making it for our next dinner party.
Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
To make the stew gluten free, can the flour be substituted for cornstarch or something else? It looks delicious!!
Hi Lisha, you can use a gluten-free flour or cornstarch. If you’d prefer to use cornstarch, don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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. Hope you enjoy!
I made this last night for dinner guests and it was fantastic. The stew received rave reviews. I used 4 lbs of chuck and 2 lbs of potatoes (I wanted leftovers!), and adjust the spice levels to my taste. I followed the stew with this Pumpkin Pie Crumble and it was the perfect autumn meal!!
ps. (replaced the white sugar with brown sugar in the crumble mixture and added chopped walnuts!)
Hi Georgina, Glad you enjoyed the stew! The link to the pumpkin crumble didn’t work — if you see this can you post it again? Thanks!
Oops, here’s the link to the Pumpkin Pie Crumble. I replaced the white sugar with brown sugar in the crumble mixture and added chopped walnuts! The hubby said he’s rather have this than pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving 🙂 https://www.dixiecrystals.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-crisp?utm_source=The%20Novice%20Chef&utm_medium=Blog%20%2B%20Social&utm_campaign=Pumpkin%20Pie%20Crisp
Can you add celery and peas?
Sure! I’d add the peas at the end. And regarding the celery, if you want it to sort of disappear, chop it finely and add it with onions, but if you want larger noticeable pieces, I’d add it with the carrots and potatoes. Enjoy!
Can you do this in a Instapot? Also instead of wine, could you substitute a brown ale?
Hi Aaron, I don’t have enough experience with an instant pot to say, but a few readers have commented that they’ve prepared this in an instant pot and have been happy with the results. And, yes, I think you could use brown ale in place of the wine. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the stew!
I’m determined to make this but I
don’t have quite enough meat on hand (1 lb of rib eye only). So I’m wondering if supplementing with a navy or cannoli bean would work well?
Hi Laura, rib eye isn’t a great cut for stew (sorry!). I’d recommend you try this with the beef chuck – it will be much better!
Hands down, the BEST beef stew recipe! Wow! Tender, flavorful goodness in a bowl. I had to chase my husband away from the pot to make sure we had leftovers for tomorrow. Perfect meal for a cold, rainy Saturday evening. Thank you, thank you Jenn Segal for your excellent recipe. Can’t wait to buy your cookbook and try some more!
Great taste! Takes some time, but worth it. I just made 1/3 a batch, and I did use some $6/lb stew beef, and it was very tender, so maybe I was lucky. Great Oct. recipe and I ate it outside with some multigrain bread and butter.
This is the best beef stew I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a few stews! (Personal preference: I substituted turnip for potato)
Simple ingredients, straightforward instructions, great flavour! I’d serve it to guests. 🙂
We had this last night with guests. It was absolutely delicious. I prepared it the day before as suggested. I love all your recipes. Thank you.
I have lost count of the times I’ve made this recipe, I’ve even made it for a dinner party. It’s so good and never lasts long in our house and my husband is super picky.
I add mushrooms and don’t use wine or water just broth and it still is the most scrumptious. I have a batch cooking now, just added the potatoes and it is almost torture to wait, I just want to dig in to the rich amd meaty stew. Thank you so much for helping me find a go-to recipe.
I thought this is exceptionally good
I have made this several times now, with a few different variations and I must say this is the best recipe for stew I’ve found!
It is so rich and satisfying. Great recipe!
Can this recipe be done in a slow cooker?
Sure, Mary, I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
Is there a way to make this in the crock pot? I’d love to put everything in when I got to work and have it all ready to go when I’m home!
Hi Danielle, this can be made in a slow cooker. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Hope you enjoy!
Can I heat it in the microwave or should I use the oven or top of the stove?
Hi Nancy, Microwave is fine. 🙂
This is the best stew that I have ever had. Truly a delectable meal for a chilly day.
My whole family loves this recipe. Can the first half of prep (browning up to a boil) be made the day before then the oven part the next day? Will that change the length of oven cooking time since everything will be cold? Should I reheat on stove a little before putting in oven?
I’m sure someone has asked the same question but I couldn’t find. I wish there was a section with just answered questions 🙂
Thank you for this and all your recipes and guidance!! Every recipe I have tried of yours has been delicious!!
So glad your family enjoys this! Yes, I think you could prep it up to the point where it would go in the oven and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to finish it off, either let it sit on the counter for about an hour or reheat briefly on the stove before putting it in the oven. If it takes any longer to cook after that, it shouldn’t be significant. Hope that helps!
Best stew I have ever made!!! The flavors were amazing. It took me back to Europe. Exactly the recipe I have been looking for. Thank you!
I made this stew and while my husband thought it was good I couldn’t get over how overpowering the wine was. I could smell it I could taste it and I just couldn’t enjoy it and if I were to try this again I’d omit the wine completely.
Hi Jennifer
If I replace the red wine with beef stock will the recipe be as good ? I’m afraid the taste of the wine will overpower the other flavours?
Thank you 😄
Hi Nancy, I think the wine adds a nice depth of flavor to the broth and is definitely not overpowering, but it will still be delicious if you substitute it with more broth. Enjoy!
Hello, I also had a question about the wine.. I do not have any unfortunately but I have beef broth.. Can I use that instead of the red wine & would it be 4 cups all together? Also I do not have any tomatoe paste 🙁 Is there a substitute for that as well? I have everything else lol.
Thank you:)
Hi Tammy, yes, it’s perfectly fine to use broth in place of the wine (so a total of 4 cups) and you can replace the tomato paste with canned tomato sauce. Hope you enjoy!
OMG this is fabulous. I’ve made this many, many times and there are never any leftovers. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
I’m not a stew lover at all but my husband is. I decided to give this recipe a try and I’m in love with this stew! Hands down the best stew I’ve ever had! I made this for a triathlete woman the other day and her words were, “That stew was to die for.” I agree totally! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes they have blessed not only my family but many others we cook for!
A beautiful recipe that’s easy to follow. It was well worth the 3+ hours it took to make this. My husband enjoyed this thoroughly as well even with the addition of mushrooms. We ate this with some toasted french bread with butter. It was a lovely dinner on a weeknight. Will definitely make this again in the colder months!
The best beef stew! I typically don’t have much luck with soups and stews, but this turned out perfectly. It was succulent, hearty, and nourishing. Plus, it freezes well. Like the other commenters, I noticed every last bit was gone!
This turned out wonderful! The absolute best stew ever. I’m grateful for the chuck roast recommendation! It was so tender and delicious!
I’ve made this numerous times and each time is as good as the last. I’ve used beef brisket as well as chuck roast and they both came out really well. The last time I made in the stovetop and I just need to check it more often than if I had to use the oven but it came out just as tender.
This is my all time favorite recipe. I love how tender the beef comes out. We have started to add a cup more of all the liquids to have more broth. It’s amazing.
We have attempted to make it in the crock pot but it is hands down better cooking it in the oven as she instructs! Thanks!
This stew is fabulous. I added mushrooms and peas at the end ( because I love them both). I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe.
I have made this a few times and it always turns out delicious! And since it is just my husband and me, there are plenty of leftovers. Yum!
Made this the other day and it was fabulous! The only thing we added was mushrooms. I will definitely be making this again for the family.
So ridiculously good.
Your recipe came up in a search for a great beef stew and have started scouring your other recipes to see what other divine creations you’ve made.
I love the simplicity of this and how much flavour was packed into it.
Also love the layout with the step by step pics.
I will definitely be making this again and you have a new fan right here!!!!!
This is so good! Wonderful as is but I love to add parsnips with the carrots and potatoes and some sweet peas at the end. When I do add more veggies though I like to double the rest of the recipe. Sometimes I find there’s not enough of the rich broth. I love to serve this up with a fresh green salad and crusty bread with lots of butter. Yum!
Thank Jenn for all your wonderful recipes!
This is one of our favorite in the family in winter! Really easy to make and so tasty!
This is hands down the best beef stew recipe I have ever tasted. I served it for a dinner party a couple of nights ago & my guests raved & commented on the color of the stew broth, the flavor, & this one was my favorite “they’d never made stew using the oven”. Our little secret is that it is so much better slow cooked in the oven.
I have made this recipe at least 20 times and it never fails. It’s the most delicious and succulent ever. My husband was born and raised in France, though he is not French, he has eaten many a beef bourguignons and boeuf a la modes. This by far and away is his top choice. It has plenty of wine, but it does not overpower the way it does to him in Julia Child’s version or even Dorrie Greenspan’s. This has a pitch perfect combination of beef broth, red wine and water.
Try it!
I stumbled upon this recipe in January and use it every time I make a roast now (which is a few times a month); it’s so good! I have made it with and without the wine, and it is great both ways (although the wine certainly ups the flavor aspect). I do not own a Dutch oven, so I transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for about 8-10 hours, depending on the size of the roast. Do yourself a favor and try this recipe. Our teenager said that when she has a family of her own, she will come over for Sunday dinners and wants this roast! Yes!!! Thank you for an amazing new recipe tradition for our family, Jenn!
I was introduced to Jenn’s site from this recipe and the flavor was delicious. Yes, it was time consuming especially because it was my first time making it but I also may have cooked it a bit too long because mine came out goopy and salty. I added more liquid and it helped but I expected something different. Next time, I’m going to try adding someGuinness beer to make it more like Irish Stew. Never the less, the husband loooooved it.
This is my absolute favorite. I found this recipe last year and gave it a try, then proceeded to make it 3 times that month. I am not a cold weather fan but the idea of making this again makes it tolerable. I may tweek a few things to my own personal liking but a lot of people do based on taste and on hand. Please, if you are a stew fan, TRY THIS, and DO NOT be tempted to buy “stew meat” to do it, Stick with the recipe for that!!!
WOW!!! I just made this recipe for the first time. After our first bite, my husband and I both said “Wow!” and then dove in for another! Living in Florida, where it is usually too warm to think about cooking comfort foods, I decided to try something new and this recipe is by far the best stew I have ever eaten. I followed the recipe as written and made it the day before to give the flavors time to mingle. I have already told 2 friends about your website/blog and gave them copies of this recipe. Thank you!
I made this stew last winter. It was THE BEST stew I have ever made. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Just 2 of us at home & we ate every last bite. I will definitely make this stew again.
Perfect recipe, I wouldn’t change a thing! A family favorite on a blustery cold evening! Add crusty warm bread or rolls and a great glass of red wine!!
This is our FAVORITE stew to make! My boyfriend (souf chef) and I make it all the time and freeze– but it never stays frozen long enough. So easy and delicious!
I can’t say enough about how much “we” love this stew! I have always loved beef stew, but my husband tolerated it, that is until I made your recipe!
We both can’t take a lot of garlic without getting sick, so I use a clove of garlic. I also cook our beef stew, from browning to finish in my stainless steel pressure cooker. I told my daughter in law about your recipe and she made it in the pressure cooker with dumplings! Their family was crazy about it!
The last time I made it, I added celery also.
Jenn, your recipes rock! I have made so many of them and never even commented. Sorry! I will from now on! Thank you for all the excellent recipes you provide for a foodie like me!
This is my go to. It has never failed me. It is easy to make and makes the house smell delicious. 🙂
Good heavens!
The first time we made this, we felt the wine was too forward the day of…day 2 was absolute heaven…magic happens when you put this in the oven. Don’t change a thing…friends who don’t like cooked carrots, eat this.
The best beef stew I’ve ever made. My entire family (parents, adult siblings) just kept raving about it. Super easy too.
I have made many stews and was never completely happy with how they turned out. This is the perfect stew! The flavour is amazing and the meat is so tender. Took the chef’s advice and bought a marbled piece of beef instead of “stewing beef” and it made a huge difference. Added celery and peas instead of potatoes to keep low carb. Will be my go to recipe!
Made this for a dinner party. The beef was tender, and it had a great depth of flavour. My guests and family loved this meal, and even our picky 5 yr old ate it all up!
Not sure what I did wrong but my stew is not thick 😢.
Keep cooking it, Judith – it thickens up right at the end. If you’d like it thicker, you can make a paste with 1 T soft butter and 1 T flour; whisk it in and bring the stew to a simmer and it should thicken right up.
Can I make this in my slow cooker? If so, do I need to make any adjustments?
Yes Mercy, this can be made in a slow cooker. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Hope you enjoy!
I am making it right now.
Can I braise it for more than 2 hours?
My house smells amazing!!!!
It should be fine Judith – just make sure the pot has a tight-fitting lid. Hope you enjoy!
Does the oven cooking time or degrees change if you’re making a batch and a half?
No, Barbara, the time and temperature will remain the same. Hope you enjoy!
I need to double the beef stew recipe. Should I use two Dutch ovens? I know I will have to brown in batches to avoid steaming.
Hi Phyllis, If you can fit it all in one pot, no need to use two. Enjoy!
I made this tonight after my son’s soccer game. I followed all of the directions up until adding the browned beef back to the pan. At this point, I didn’t have the time to cook the stew as your recipe states, so I put everything in the Instapot. I used the stew function and cooked for 40 minutes. The one change I would make if using the Instapot again is to add only 3/4-1 cup water instead of 2 cups, which was too much liquid…no doubt this would have reduced if I had the time to cook as directed. The flavor was perfect! Everything was so tender. Thank you for a wonderfully comforting dish on this fall evening!
Made this stew today almost as written and it was so delicious. I have a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset that was perfect. I added one pound of quartered mushrooms and only used 1 cup of water. We loved it!
Thanks Jenn for another winner.
Can this be frozen? thanks!
Yes, definitely!
This beef stew is the best stew ever!
This is the best damn beef stew recipe I have found. I initially was using the NY Times recipe ingredient list to buy my ingredients, but then the page refreshed and I got pay walled. Glad I found this recipe because it is probably ten Times better. It’s thick and tangy (I used red wine vinegar rather than dry red wine because I’m bad at reading). Will make this again! Enough to eat off for a couple days, too.
Yea, it was too good. I added mushrooms and green peas, Cajun seasoning and garlic salt. Makes you want to slap your mama! Best of the best
Can I substitute the balsamic vinegar with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar?
Sure, Patricia – either one would be fine.
I have never written a review on a recipe but this is absolutely wonderful! I have been on a long search for a good beef stew recipe and this is the best! This is my official beef stew go to!
I have made this recipe many times and it is magnificent., Can this be frozen?
Definitely, Gail – it freezes beautifully.
If i dont want to cook it in the oven, how can i cook it on the stove? How long?
Yes, you will simmer it, covered, over low heat for the same amount of time that is called for in the oven. Just give it a stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn. Hope you enjoy!
This is the best beef stew I’ve ever had!!!! It’s so delicious and hearty. I added cauliflower, and I really liked that addition. Everyone told me how good the stew is. I will make this stew for the rest of my life. It is really good with cornbread.
Absolutely amazing!!!!!!! I just don’t understand why the veggies and beef are so big. Is this a stew for giants!? Lol, just kidding. But I’m wondering how making everything smaller would change the cooking time…thanks for the best beef stew my entire family has ever tried!
Ha! I wouldn’t make the beef too much smaller as it tends to shrink and fall apart during cooking but it’s fine to cut the veggies smaller. I’m guessing it will cut the cook time by about 10 minutes, so just add them a bit later. Glad your family enjoyed!
Hey Jenn,
I found myself surfing the internet trying to find a nice stew recipe to satisfy my family on a cool Sunday evening.
Found your site and just finished eating dinner. Followed the recipe exactly and it was AMAZING. My picky 6 year old daughter helped make it and even tried some which is a HUGE positive. I loved it as did my wife, who even had a second bowl. (definite brownie points for me)
I’ll be trying many more of your recipes and making your book and website my regular go to.
Thanks for making your site and this recipe easy to follow for the man in the kitchen.
Glad you enjoyed the stew – happy to have you as part of the Once Upon a Chef community! 🙂
Made this tonight- it’s the best stew I’ve ever had and a very easy recipe!
Is there anything that would match the wine flavor but is non alcoholic?
Hi Zee, Unfortunately, there’s no great substitute for the wine here; I’d just replace it with more beef broth.
The alcohol in wine cooks out quite easily. Almost no entree recipe using alcoholic beverages as an ingredient will have residual alcohol once cooking is completed.
This, THIS is THE BEST beef stew I have ever made/tasted in my entire life. The depth of flavors is phenomenal; the amount of time you spend making it is worth it. Thank you so much for the recipe! I never ever leave reviews but I had to let everyone know that they will NOT be disappointed.
I love this recipe and have made it several times. I cut back the wine a little but that’s just personal preference, as I don’t like a strong wine taste. I buy the 4 packs of small Sutter Home Merlot bottles, which are perfect for cooking with if you don’t want to waste the extras. This time when I made it, I repurposed my leftover French Onion Soup by Tyler Florence.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/french-onion-soup-recipe2-1947434
It worked well because the ingredients are basically the same, minus the tomato paste, which I added like usual. Thanks! My family loves this.
Hi,
I was wondering if it would be possible to sear the meat and then cook this recipe in a slow cooker?
Thanks!!
Sorry just saw your answer to my question in the comments below!! Looking forward to making this recipe for company!
Looking down the comments, people have been piling praise on this recipe for YEARS — and no wonder! I had a recipe that I developed over time, but I gave this one a shot and now I just make this one. I’ve made this several times now, and it is the absolute best beef stew I’ve made or had, period. Such an incredible, rich, deep flavor! Not only that, it is so easy to make and your directions are spot on with helpful photos. It just comes out perfectly right every time.
I also love that it is simple, with no ingredients that I wouldn’t generally have on hand. Not only that, but it is so versatile! The basic recipe really stands up to almost anything you want to throw in the pot, and incorporates it effortlessly (I do like to add peas).
This is going to be one of my go-to stews for the rest of time. Thank you for a perfect recipe!
I’ve made this at least a dozen times already, keep forgetting to write a review. This is the BEST stew I’ve ever had! It’s always gone within two days, perfect for dunking crusty bread in and sneaking in extra veggies. I’ve done small purple potatoes, asparagus, carrots, celery.. always amazing. We sub cilantro for the garnish but thats a personal preference. I sadly have a petite dutch oven so I’ve been omitting the 2 cups of water from the recipe to fit it all in. However, this makes the sauce extra thick and wonderful. If I had a larger pot I’d probably just add an extra cup of wine, but I’m a big wino. Definitely one of my most favorite recipes!
I have made this stew over a dozen times! This is my go to beef stew recipe! So full of flavor and gets even better the next day!
This is my husband’s favorite recipe, so much so that he even requested it for his special birthday dinner – in the middle of July. I keep telling him this is a winter recipe, but he insists that this is what he wants! At least this recipe is easily halved for those of us without a big family and little room in our fridge for leftovers. To anyone who wants to cut this recipe in half, nothing else needs to be changed, the proportions work out great! You can also make buttermilk biscuits to go with this stew and easily cut that recipe in half as well~
Don’t forget the mushrooms!
OMG !!!! Thank you SO much for this recipe!! It is by far the best beef stew I have ever made or eaten anywhere!!!!!! I had half the amount of meat but next time will make the big batch !! I have looked so long for a great beef stew recipe and this one is it! I ‘m loving every bite!!! Thanks again for sharing this 😁
When your search criteria on google for “best beef stew” renders this recipe as first option/ suggestion there is no wonder once you have made this dish!!!! Seriously cannot fault this recipe which is not only an economical dish but also consists of all the ingredients I would ordinarily have in my home. My nanny and I made this exact recipe together, she in her slow cooker and mine in a pot. Both came out splendid!!!! Thanks for sharing this guys and please share more:-)
Love this recipe, delicious on a cold day with some home made baked bread. Thanks for sharing
Hi! Love the recipe. I wondering if it’s possible to cook it with a slow cooker instead of the oven? If so, how would I go about it?
Hi Ana, you can use a slow cooker — I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew 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). Enjoy!
Hi, this recipe looks amazing, just a question, can it be made without wine?
Definitely – you can replace the wine with additional beef broth. Enjoy!
It’s 90 degrees outside, but I had some stew meat that needed to be used so I whipped up a pot of this beef stew. I have made it many times, and the flavor is just superb. Also, I usually have all the ingredients for it in my cupboard so no extra trips to the store. I too have found it to taste even better on day 2, and I’m always delighted when there is any left for the second meal.
Thanks for another wonderful recipe. I’ve never been disappointed in one yet. Best wishes and safe travels for the cookbook tour.
This is everything I have always wanted beef stew to be.! I have tried numerous recipes and they’re all mediocre at best. I kept this on the stovetop and forgot to check on it near the end, and it had started to stick to the bottom of my dutch oven. I didn’t want to put my potatoes in there and risk those getting burnt (burnt potatoes are the worst) so I had to change pots, which I felt made me lose some of my flavour. I had to add water as there wasn’t enough liquid to cook the potatoes and carrots (I omitted only one glass of wine, I would add either extra beef stock or water earlier) I ended up adding a little more flour near the end to thicken it up again. It was SO GOOD. I made this on sunday, and here I am on tuesday, going to make it again haha! THANK YOU!
This is a great recipe. The author hit the important points on making a stew. Furthermore, this simple recipe leaves lots of room for small changes with still amazing results.
Hi I’m going to attempt to make your beef stew. I’m just wondering if I can leave out the balsamic vinigar as I don’t have any at the moment but can get some but no for a few days.
Regards Jodie
Yes, that’s fine, Jodie – just use water instead. Enjoy!
A good recipe overall but the wine is overpowering: we actually felt the buzz while eating the stew. Next time I will reduce the wine to maybe one cup and other liquids by one cup as well as it turned out rather soupy.
I’ve made this wonderful stew many times. After trial and error, I use 1/2 cup of flour which eliminates having to add more (with the added work of mixing it first with a liquid to prevent lumps). This works perfect! Always easier to add more broth than to mess around with the flour. Oh, and I always add more carrots, potatoes and salt. So good.
I made this stew for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious. I am having company over next weekend and this is my go to dinner. As it’s a bit labour intensive, can you prep the recipe to a point, refrigerate overnight and then finish off the remainder? Would it be ok to do everything up to the braising point and then refrigerate overnight and then start the braising for 3 hours the next day?
Glad you like the stew! Yes, I think you could refrigerate it part-way through and then finish it off the next day. (Or you could fully prepare and refrigerate it.) Hope everyone enjoys!
This is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Being cooped up in the house because the weather has been horrible, a rich and hearty meal was needed. I made this last night for my family. I had to stop my husband, and myself, from cleaning the pot in one sitting. I made no changes to it and will not be making any when I make this again.
This recipe is amazing! My boyfriend just asked me to make it again. I was so worried I wouldn’t find the recipe because I had bookmarked it on an old device, and forgot where to find it. We both just sat together day dreaming about the stew for a good minute. After many google queries, I found it!!! I recognized the page because of the pic of your smiling family. We are making it again tonight. My mouth waters every time I think about it! Thank you!
This has to be the best recipe for beef stew or Bourgogne I’ve ever made. Heck I might be doing my second review! Just wonderful and I get family requests for it at least once a month. Which is why I’m making it again today. Nice paced time in the kitchen using lots of knife skills, deglazing, browning which all leads up to the house smelling great! My wife likes to show off my cooking skills and I’ll bet she has friends coming tonight I don’t know about. Give me a chance to tell them how lucky she is to have me! 😀
How much is a cup in measurements please
Hi Patsy, are you referring to the cups of liquid (wine, broth, and water) that are called for in the recipe? If so, 1 cup is the equivalent of 8 fluid ounces or 236.6 ml. Hope that helps!
My son loves this stew. He asked for it every week. This is one of the best stews I ever made. All your recipes are great.
Second time making this stew in 2 weeks. This time I omitted the potatoes and served over egg noodles. Mind blowing good.
The first batch I shared with my 84 year old German mother who has had some great meals in her life. She raved about this recipe. Each time she had a bowl, she called me to tell me just how much she enjoyed it.
Thanks for a great recipe.
I made this for my family on the weekend – added peas and mushrooms. They loved it . . . . . One of the nicest recipes I’ve made.
What can I do to substitute the red wine since I am pregnant?
You can just use additional beef broth in place of the wine. Hope you enjoy!
I have tried many stews and this us by far the most flavorful one yet. It’s definitely our favorite!
Do you know what size pot is needed for this recipe, as in how many quarts?
I want to make this recipe but I think my pot is a little small. I was hoping to get an idea of what size was used in this recipe so I can adjust the measurement. I want to make as much as I can lol
Hi Maddie, The pot I use is 5 quarts – and there’s a little room to spare. Hope that helps!
Totally bummed. This would be the perfect dish to have after playing in the snow. Alas, I have no snow and only have this stew to comfort me.
Kidding aside, fantastic recipe.
This turned out awesome – made the recipe exactly! Can this be frozen and if so what’s best way to reheat?
Hi Piper, Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it freezes beautifully. Simple defrost in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
How can I print this without the picture (it’s 3 pages long)?
Hi Patsy, Thanks for your note. The way my recipes are formatted, there is not currently a way to remove the picture – I’m sorry! That said, because the picture is offset to the right, it shouldn’t interfere with the text on the page/cause it to run onto an additional page. Hope that clarifies!
Just copy and paste the text into a word document and print 🙂
Hi I have made this about five times. Love it. Just wondering if this recipe can be made in an instant pot.
Thank you, Mary
Glad you like it, Mary! I don’t have an instant pot but a few readers have commented that they’ve prepared this in an instant pot and have been happy with the result. Hope that helps!
Use whiskey instead of wine? Thoughts? Ratio? Thanks!! Andy
Hi Andy, you could replace a portion of the wine with whiskey, but I’d suggest just 1/2 cup. Beyond that, I think it will taste too strongly of whiskey. Hope you enjoy!
Hi,
I was just wondering if you could cook this stew on the stove instead of the oven and it still work out?, my slow cooker recently died and I don’t have many oven safe pots and I’ve been dying to make a classic stew.
keep it on a low heat, keep stirring occasionally.
Before i even attempt it, I thought I’d ask. 🙂
Yes, Brandy, it will definitely work on the stove. As you mentioned just stir it periodically so the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn. Hope you enjoy!
My go to snow storm recipe! The house smells inviting; it’s very forgiving to sit in the oven for extra time and allow us to dig out, and then we get to dig into the stew with crusty bread – the best!
What are your thoughts on omitting the sugar and adding a cinnamon stick instead?
So glad you like this (and I too love the comfort it provides on a snowy day)! I like how the sugar balances out the savory flavors of the stew, but you can omit it. I’ve never considered adding cinnamon, but I suspect it would work. If you try it that way, I’d love to hear what you thought of it!
2 comments: Prep the meat with liquid the day before, refrigerate, then skim the congealed fat. Then proceed as you outlined. I noticed you used Le Creuset; it makes ALL the difference in the world.
Off the charts delicious. Buying the chuck roast and cutting it up rather than using stew beef is a revelation for me. Small batch browning is also something I have learned the value of because of this recipe. Five stars as written- thank you.
I have made many home made beef stews over the years, but this one is the absolute best!!…so tender, so tasty, so healthy!!
Hi Jennifer the stew is amazing I have made this 4 times now but just a question….do you think a small can of tomato paste would change the flavour much or just leave it as is…again this is the best stew I have ever made
So glad you like this stew! While I’ve never done it, you could use an entire small can of tomato paste. It will definitely intensify the tomato flavor of the stew, but if you like things really “tomatoey,” I’d give it go. I’d love to hear what you think!
Just made this recipe today in my instant pot with a few adjustments and it turned out really well! Per advice of another reviewer, I cooked my stew in my instant pot for 40 minutes and an additional 10 minutes after adding carrots and potatoes. With the carrots and potatoes, I also added 2/3 cup of dry barley for a heartier stew. Since I added barley, I cut the flour in half thinking the barley will add some starchiness. I also replaced one cup of wine with beef stock as suggested by some other reviewers.
Also, forgot to mention that the recipe measurements are perfect for those with a 6-quart instant pot!
Best beef stew ever made in this house! Thank you for the amazing recipe, is a keeper.
Excellent recipe. Best stew I have made. Liked that the flour was added later in the process not dusted on the meat. Had to add more liquid several times during cooking. Is this usual?
Hi Ann, glad you liked it! I’ve always found that this stew has plenty of broth, did you keep it tightly covered while it was in the oven?
I used a Le Creuset braiser. It seemed the lid was tight. A friend suggested that I put a piece of parchment paper between the lid and the bottom of the pan. Will try this next time. Thank you for the recipe.
This stew was so delicious and easy. I added an inch and a half of parmesan rind at the end, stirring in until melted and incorporated. Yum!
Hi Jenn,
This is a little delayed. Three weeks ago I had my granddaughter with me and our first dinner turned into a Once Upon a Chef event. First off was your challah recipe. After several previous attempts at loafs that turned out like door stops, this was the BEST. To quote my Stella, “The reviews are *****stars! Come for French toast tomorrow if there is any left.” The beef stew is terrific and I have made many. Yours is my new keeper.
Question: can I follow the challah loaf recipe to make a round challah?
I pre ordered your cook book and can’t wait to get it.
Will be making your matzoh balls this weekend and freezing for Passover.
So happy you and your granddaughter enjoyed, Ellen! And yes it’s fine to shape the challah however you like. Thank you for your support with the book – hope it becomes a much-used resource in your kitchen! 😊
This stew recipe is one of my all time favorite recipes. It is easy to make and tastes delicious. My children devour it in no time. A few days ago, I was eager to make the stew as another winter storm was about to hit. While already cooking the meat, I realized that I was missing both beef broth and wine. I ended up finishing the recipe by adding more spices… Everyone still loved it! I’ll make sure I have them in my pantry for next time, as your full recipe is perfect!
This recipe is phenomenal!! I have tried many stew recipes through the years and this is by far the best! I followed recipe exactly as written and it never disappoints! This is now my go to recipe, the search is over!!
Parts of Cape Cod lost power this past w/end. We were lucky ours was still fine. So we had friends and family staying at house until Pierre eventually will be returned.
I have mad your beef stew before and I must tell you it is amazing. Thank you.
This time I followed recipe and only thing different was I added a turnip yellow top and oh boy still just as good. Oh and made some dumplings. Everyone smiling and making yum sounds. Great eve with beef stew and the Oscars. Thank you 😊
We love this recipe. It is one of our favorites . It is good as left over,too. A nice hardy meal.
My family absolutely loved this stew! We have already made it twice, and I can see that it will be a regular menu item for us. Thank you!
Absolutely the best beef stew recipe I have found. Making it right now. I also only use a chuck roast and have my butcher cut it for stew meat. Never have had success using stew neat. Like others, added some W. Sauce to the liquid. Used a blended red wine. I’m braising in a bit lower temp, 275 degrees cause I want to cook it a bit slower. Will serve with salad and a crusty bread. Can’t wait! Yum!
Hi Jenn, do you recommend a particular brand of beef broth? I usually make my own but I won’t have time in this case. Thanks!
Hi Darcy, Swanson is a good brand that’s available at most supermarkets. Hope that helps!
Pot Roast with carrots and potatoes was perfect for my husband who had been begging me to make something with vegetables and lots of FLAVOR. The only thing I might forego in the future is the bay leaf.
Hi Jenn, Is this something I could prepare in advance and then refrigerate until dinner time?
Definitely!
Great! Would you recommend putting it directly into the oven from the fridge, or bring it to room temperature before cooking?
I usually let it sit out for an hour before reheating but I don’t think it’s imperative. (And I usually reheat it on the stovetop; it’s easier to check if it’s fully heated through if it’s on the stove. Hope you enjoy!
Can I cook this entirely on the stove top? I’m in MA with no power and only the gas cooktop working here. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Yep definitely – simmer over low heat, covered, for the same amount of time…just give it a stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn. Enjoy and hope your power returns soon!
Jennifer, Last year, at age 68 I found your Once Upon A Chef site. What an adorable name you chose and what a winsome smile you have. I have reinvented myself as a cooking wife and it has been so fun! Thank you for your superb recipes! My husband of 47 years thanks you too😊and he loves the leftovers to take to work for lunch. God’s blessings on your work and family. Judy
So happy you and your husband are enjoying the recipes, Judy. Thx for letting me know! 💕
This recipe for Beef Stew with potatoes and carrots is the best I have ever made. I first made following the recipe exactly, which came out perfectly. The second time I made it I added dried porcini mushrooms which deepened the beef flavor.
I now make it the day before I serve it because I think it is even more delicious the next day. I serve it with a salad and crusty bread.
The tomato paste and balsamic vinegar are great ideas for adding depth of flavor. I now use both when making other stews. I have used this recipe to make a chicken stew with bone-in chicken thighs. Since the chicken cooks faster I cook it on top of the stove instead of in the oven.
I am looking forward to your cookbook.
Thank you!
This recipe is a keeper, an easy go to for any time of the year but a great stew with a hot roll and a green salad is a favorite at my house. The recipe needs no changes other than adding more vegetables, but great as written.
This beef stew recipe is our all-time favorite. The balsamic vinegar adds a rich flavor. I’ve shared recipe with friends, who also love it.
Thanks, Jenn for easy-to-follow recipes. We are looking forward to your book. I ordered 3 for relatives!
Excellent recipe that came together easily and without too much time taken. My husband loved this stew, so I will make it again. I added a 10 oz package of frozen peas about five minutes before I took the stew off the stove. I just like a little orange and green in my stew. Next time, I will add some sautéed mushrooms, since I love those too.
This stew is so good! I love to make it for company and serve it with a salad and artisan rolls. I don’t like to buy wine, so I use beef broth with 1 tsp of red wine vinegar per cup of broth. It’s a winner recipe. Thank you Jen!
No disrespect to Julia Child but this stew is to die for. Thank you Jennifer. I will add mushrooms next time.
I made stew for the first time last night and it did not disappoint! This was an involved meal but so worth it, I love the flavor of the sauce! I made it with your buttermilk biscuits and my whole family raved! Thank you for turning this mediocre cook into a great one!
I love this stew! Last time I served for a dinner party for 8. I served it with a baguette that I had thinly sliced and toasted then rubbed with a clove of garlic and sea salt. I wanted a rustic feel so I put out a dish on each end of the table with cucumber slices, grape tomatoes and green pepper slices. I did have my butcher cut the beef for me and I cooked the stew the night before and just reheated a couple of hours prior to dinner. I hate to be working so hard before a group comes over and this was perfect!
Loved the stew! Never was much of a beef stew fan, probably because of my experience with it growing up, but this one was great and even better as a left-over second meal. I think it’s the braising and the wine. Look forward to next time.
I made this for the first time this past weekend for a birthday dinner. The guest of honor, and the two teenaged boys in attendance love to eat! I followed the recipe completely. While it is somewhat prep time demanding, the end result is awesome! The layering of flavors, intensity of the beef while it melted in the mouth, was really outstanding. I’ve cooked for 50 years, and made other pots of beef stew, but have to say that the methods and time for this prep and making it ahead, was more than worth it! Definitely will make it again.
I tried many stew recipes looking for THE recipe and none made the cut until this one. The recipe is perfect as is but sometimes we add in a little extra carrots and hold off on the potatoes to serve it over mashed potatoes. Definitely don’t hesitate to try this recipe!
This a become a family favourite. I tend to use an entire can (125 ml) of tomato paste, but otherwise don’t change a thing. We usually have it with grilled sourdough! Just the thing for a Canadian weekend meal.
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes,
Once again Jenn hits it outta the park… As a former Chef myself she is my go to person to try new things or hints on things I am making. This Recipe is Fantastic and easy to make..It does well as is or with added ingredients , what ever you want to put in… The Parsley and Bread are a must have to round it all out… you can make it a day ahead or cook it awhile for the same day… It does improve every time you reheat it…..Don’t worry with Jenn she is a pro and can guide you every step of the way…can’t wait for the new Cookbook…. thanks
This recipe is absolutely delicious exactly as is! Thank you!
This stew is absolutely delicious! I used grass fed beef, yum. I have made several of Jenn’s recipes and they have all been so good. I have ordered two cookbooks!👍❤️
I made this stew for my first time tonight according to the recipe with the only exception of using baby carrots,It turned out fantastic using two cups of a very dry red blend wine that pairs very well on it’s own with beef. I put it in the fridge to serve tomorrow with some biscuits but it tastes delicious already.
I followed the recipe and it turned out very sharp tasting. The wine overpowered all the other flavors. Ill try this tecipe again but put less wine in.
Terrific recipe. Used russet potatoes last time. This time I want to use the baby yukon gold potatoes.
Do you peal the baby yukon potatoes?
No need to peel them – enjoy!
Hello, If I am doubling the recipe, what size pot do I need to use? Thank you!
Hi Maria, YOu’d need quite a large pot to double the recipe. If you don’t have a really large one, you can just use two pots (and if oven space is an issue), you can prepare the whole thing on the stove. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I am making this for a family whose father is going through cancer & is in the hospital. I want to bring over an entire dinner, other than bread do you think this would need a salad and if so which one of yours? I will also make a dessert. I really do love this stew!!
Thanks, Mary
Hi Mary, that’s a nice way to support a family in need. I do think that the stew and bread would be sufficient. That said, a simple green salad would certainly pair nicely too. If you want to use one from the blog, this one would work well. Hope they enjoy. 🙂
Amazing, I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought the ingredients for that exact salad! One of my favs of yours!!
Thanks,
Mary
Smart minds think alike! 🙂
Absolutely delicious, I made it exactly per the recipe!!! Thank you for a fabulous beef stew recipe. Perfectly seasoned tender beef yet the veggies still have some texture. I will be making this one again.
Jenn,
When you cook on stove top, just keep it at a slow simmer? Making it now.
Thanks
Yes, that’s perfect. Just give it a stir periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen, I have made your beef stew many times. It’s PERFECT! Comes out great as long as I follow your instructions. Curious if you think I could substitute venison for the beef and get the same perfect results? (We received a gift of venison leg (i think), and trying to figure out what to do with it.)
Hi Alison, so glad you like it. I’ve never made this with venison, but a few readers commented that they have and have been happy with the results. LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This looks amazing. One of our family has a grain intolerance (no wheat, corn, or rice). I use a blend of arrowroot, coconut, tapioca and almond flour. In your opinion, should I use this blend, or do you have experience with using just one or two of these? I don’t want to ruin this stew!
That should work just fine here – hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness! What an outstanding recipe! I followed it exactly and it is delicious! I doubled the recipe to feed a small crowd, and there was nothing left but one small piece of potato and part of a carrot. It received rave reviews and I have shared the recipe with others. I will never make beef stew any other way ever again!
This is the perfect beef stew. It’s been 4 days now and I’m still enjoying the incredibly tender beef, generous gravy and delicious potatoes and carrots. As it cooked, it filled our home with the essence of wine, and I really would not change a thing. Home cooking has never been so joyful! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
I loved how my version of this stew turned out. I used shallots instead of onions, and cassava instead of potatoes. I also only had enough ingredients to make a 1/2 size, but it turned out amazing. A definite keeper for my family.
This was really delicious!
Even better for leftovers when reheated two days later. Thank you very much.
Only addition needed was to add a little more broth after braising for two hours.
First stew that I ever made that required braising in the oven, and definitely head and shoulders over the ones on the stove!
Excellent beef stew; tastiest I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!
Hi Jenn,
Delicious tasting. I did not add the potatoes, only carrots. However, after 1 hour with the carrots, it did not really thicken. I followed your recipe to a T. Should I add more flour or tomato paste to thicken it up?
Will it thicken as it cools?
Hi Ellen, It only thickens right at the end. It will thicken more as it cools, but if you’d like to thicken it further, I’d mix a little soft butter and flour together into a paste, then whisk it in little by little while the stew simmers (you shouldn’t need more than a tablespoon or so). It should thicken right up. Hope that helps!
What kind of wine do you recommend? I bought “red cooking wine” at Walmart, and I’m afraid it might not make the dish taste great. So, I’d rather get something better. Also, will enough alcohol be evaporated so that my toddler (1 y/o) can eat this with me, if I cook in a crock pot for 4-5 hours?
Hi Sang, You really can use any dry red (but I would recommend avoiding anything labeled “cooking wine. Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Red Zinfandel, all will work. Don’t use anything too pricey — for cooking, something inexpensive (but still good enough to drink) is ideal. And yes, it would be perfectly safe for your 1-year-old to eat it. Last, you can use a slow cooker — I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew 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). Enjoy!
I have made this beef stew twice and it is FANTASTIC!! I will never buy stew meat from the grocery store again. The beef chuck gets so tender when braised. My husband is my new recipe judge and when he says ” You can definitely make this again”, I know it’s a winner. Thank you Jenn for keeping me inspired !
This was a hit at my house. Best stew I have ever eaten. I did dust the meat with flour before braising and added a little Herbs de Provence. Used Cabernet wine. The flavor of the dish was amazing
Made this again and substituted whole mushrooms for the potatoes. Served it with mashed potatoes. Delicious and in my opinion dressed up this stew.
This recipe is definitely a five star dish! I have made this a few times for my family, and they loved it! It’s soo easy to make and the very easy to follow! This is a hardy and tasty dish! Would definitely recommend you to try this.
one of the best looking, smelling and tasting stews I ever ate. thank you dearly.
I like to make mine in a slow cooker. I start it in the morning and let it cook all day but I don’t add the flour till the end about an hour before ready to serve. I also add rosemary with the thyme just to give more flavor.
I usually don’t like any beef stew recipe I try but this recipe is fantastic. It was easy to make and the entire family, including my 2 toddlers, loved it.
Would it be possible to replace the red wine with brandy?
Hi Lisa, you could replace some of the wine brandy, but I’d probably suggest swapping 1/2 cup at the most. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Tried many beef stew recipes before finding this one and the search is now over. We usually leave out the potatoes, add some extra carrots and serve it over mashed potatoes. Other than that we follow the recipe exactly and it’s always delicious. Thanks for a great recipe! Can’t wait for the cookbook to come out!
This IS the best stew I have ever made and enjoyed! My family loves it and I always double it so I will have some in my freezer for a snow day. It freezes very well.
Hello there, I would very much love to try your recipe, it sounds super delicious, however, I am not sure where I can find a chuck roast. I live in Canada and I have been unable to find any. Perhaps it goes by a different name up here ? I don’t want to use stew beef ever again, it’s just way too stringy and dry. I really love beef stew, but the beef has never turned out moist and tender. I always thought it was the way that I cooked it, I never thought it could be the cut of meat that I used (stew beef).
I would appreciate your reply as soon as possible, as I would like to make it this weekend. Thank you so much !!
Hi Anastasia, I’m not positive but in Canada it may be labeled Blade Pot Roast or Blade Simmering Steak. Does that sound familiar?
yes we have blade roast in Canada
So delicious!! Started it on the stove, then dumped it into my Instant Pot – cooked at high pressure for 35 min, although next time I will add 5 more min, then depressurized, added the potatoes and carrots, and cooked for another 10 min. Also added a bit less liquid, since you lose none in the pressure cooker.
Thanks! Gonna try this with my instant pot.
Our family loves this stew. Even my extra picky daughter will eat it! I soften the onions alone for about 10 minutes prior to adding the balsamic vinegar – otherwise I follow the instructions to a T. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Hi Jenn
looking for a fresh beef stew recipe, I came upon your site, ( I too have been cooking for a lot of years ) your title caught my interest. I was captured by all your recipes and pretty pages with a lot of great photos.
Needless to say, I made your beef stew with carrots and potatoes .its a similar recipe that I also go by just a couple things different like the flour, I do not add. And the balsamic vinegar I never thought of , (but I do the same in a spaghetti recipe I add balsamic vinegar to my onions and garlic and a wee bit of Italians seasoning as I sauté them just before I add them to the almost cooked ground beef) your beef stew , it was absolutely divine, & guess what we are having for leftovers???
Like you said it gets better with age, right!? I wanted to mention one thing though in your recipe you stated “stay away from generically packaged stew meat” as it will never get tender. And I would like to debate that as 80% of the time when I’m making beef stew that’s all I use, I keep it on a simmer 3-5 hrs I start it in the early afternoon & by dinner, we are eating.
!maybe one thing that might help cus it helps me is when I get my beef home and even before I s&p them I cut my chunks smaller with kitchen scissors. Thank you for putting your energy out there and sharing your “ foodie lifestyle” Lol. I most definitely will keep reading your magic.
Cheers
Elizabeth
Made your beef stew today for my family Sunday dinner. OMG. ..They think I am the best cook..just wait til they taste this.
I am 87 years and been cooking most of those years. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. This is a 5star keeper.
I’d like to make this gluten-free. Will it be ok to sub corn starch for the flour?
Hi Kelly, You can just replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer to use cornstarch, don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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. Hope you enjoy!
Yeh, even glutines rice flour is too thin and the stew boiled over in the oven (not good.)
Will try cooking as directed without the flour and finishing it with a thickener as recommended. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Making it for the second time today. First time I used sangria… this time im using dry red wine.
I used oil. I should have looked your picture. I seared and sauteed all the vegetables and then threw it in the crockpot with potatoes. I couldn’t fit mushrooms in. I have to go to work. Should I put it on low or put it on high I’ll be back at 7 p.m.? Or should my daughter and I just have pizza tonight for dinner?
Hi Elizabeth, I think it’s too late to give you feedback on this; how did it turn out?
How can I make this in a Crock-Pot? I have to leave the house for the whole day.
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
I made this last week and although it was delicious, I had almost no liquid after 3 hours. As a result, the fat emulsified in the sauce and I couldn’t lift it off after it cooled. It turned out to be too greasy. I cooked it in a Le Creuset and am wondering what I did wrong. Should I have sealed the pot with foil under the cover? Added more liquid than called for ?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan, sorry you had a problem with the liquid to stew ratio. If your Dutch oven has a tight seal, you shouldn’t have to seal it with foil. Also, typically there’s plenty of broth – is there any chance you mis-measured the water, wine or broth?
Excellent beef stew. My mom’s was very good but this is twice as good. Thank you!
This was Amazing! My mom is the best cook ever, and she was so impressed! I always try to follow directions to a “T”, the first time around, but I used 3 cups of beef broth, and 1 cup of water. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of Rosemary & 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce. Had corn muffins on the side to dip into the gravy, and it was delish! Thank you Jenn for sharing, and I can’t wait to try your other amazing recipes!
Can I make this gluten-free by leaving out the flour and adding cornstarch to thicken?
Hi Laura, If you’re looking for a substitute for the flour due to a gluten intolerance, you can just replace it with gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer to use cornstarch, don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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. Enjoy!
So delicious! The best beef stew recipe I’ve tried. It’s definitely a keeper. Rich broth, tender beef…just awesome!
Delicious and perfect for a cold night. Great depth of flavor and easy one pot dinner, just allow plenty of time for the cooking.
Hi, Jenn! I don’t have an oven safe pot to use. How would you recommend to adjust to stove top? Or would that change the end product too much?
Hi Kristin, It’s perfectly fine to simmer on the stove (for the same time periods that it cooks in the oven). Just be sure to give it a quick stir periodically so the bottom doesn’t burn. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks, Jenn! I borrowed a pot from a neighbor, and it was delicious! This edit is helpful for next time, though!
Best stew I ever made.
I have made this stew several times and love it. I see that people have added mushrooms. I would love to try it. Should i sauté the mushrooms prior and add at the end? Will it change the taste of my stew?
Hi Erin, Yes, I would sauté the mushrooms in butter with garlic, salt and pepper and add them at the very end. Depending on the type of mushrooms you use (some have stronger flavor than others), it could change the flavor of the stew just a bit. You might consider adding them as more of a garnish, rather than mixing them in.
Hello! Looking forward to putting this together, what are your thoughts on convection oven vs traditional? Any idea on changes to temp or cooking times?
Hi Tara, I create and test all my recipes using the standard (non-convection) setting in my oven so I would suggest doing the same. If you plan to use the convection setting, I’d reduce the temp by 25 degrees. Hope you enjoy the stew!
tasted great but a little too much wine. next time I’ll use only 1 cup of wine and add more broth
I agree. I have adjusted my wine in the recipe as well. Last time 1 cup wine and 3 cups broth but today I am making again adding 1/2 cup more wine and 1/2 cup less broth. I felt like it was missing something last time I made it.
This is a FANTASTIC recipe! Question – ok to freeze leftovers? Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it and, yes, it freezes nicely!
This was the best stew I have ever eaten!! I had a piece of beef that had a bone, so I added it to the pot! I will definitely make this again!
I made this tonight for a family dinner tomorrow. I have to say that aside from Julia Child’s famous Boeuf Bourgignon, this is the best beef stew I’ve ever made. I decided to add a couple of shakes of Worcestershire and I did add some frozen peas and sautéed mushroom quarters at the end as you suggested. (Wanted to stretch it for more servings!) I can hardly wait to see what it tastes like tomorrow! The sauce/gravy came out perfectly thickened and silky. This recipe is a keeper!
Another wonderful recipe! You have given me a sense of confidence I have never had before in my cooking abilities . I read your site everyday and decide on what new ideas I can bring to my table. Always wonderful. I can’t wait for your cookbook. Already ordered it and gifting it to my daughters as well! Mitzi
That is so nice to read, Mitzi – I’m so happy you’re having success with the recipes.😊
Absolutely delicious. Made this last night for guests. They were so complimentary. Remarked about the smooth velvety sauce. I will definitely make again.
Delicious! I have yet to find a disappointing recipe,
and I can’t wait to get the new cookbook!
Hi there, recipe sounds great any idea if I can sub beer for the red wine? Like a cream ale? I will try it this evening….
Thanks!
Yes definitely, Sue – that will work.
It was the best beef stew I ever made! Making it tonight again for St. Paddy’s day…
This stew had almost no flavor. I followed the recipe exactly. The balsamic and wine seemed like a no brainer that would be so delicious. I even served it a day after making it. Bland.
Wow! Totally opposite from what my guests and I experienced. I will always ,make this recipe as it’s the best I’ve ever made. Can’t imagine what went wrong. Maybe the beef you used.
I wonder if perhaps you underseasoned the meat? Beef needs a lot of salt/pepper. I just made it tonight and it’s super flavorful.
Maybe you forgot something? This totally blows every other beef stew recipe out of the water!
why wouldn’t you flour beef before searing to save a step?
Thanks
Hi Janet, I actually think it’s faster to do it this way, and you can also be sure you have just the right amount of flour to thicken the broth. Hope you enjoy the stew!
Our family loves this recipe! We have a high standard for what we would call delicious and this is exceptional. Over the last few years, we have made it a number of times. Almost every time we have doubled all the ingredients for the sauce (including the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, seasonings, water, and beef broth,) and added extra carrots. Then we serve it over mashed potatoes. Pairs well with homemade bread, rolls, or salad.
Curious to know if you have experimented at all with braising the soup in a pressure cooker to reduce the cooking timing and have it be ready the same day.
Hi Katie, so glad you like it! I don’t have a pressure cooker so I’ve never tried it with that method – sorry!
Stew is in the oven and smells heavenly. I plan on serving it tomorrow and have read hundreds of reviews trying to find out how long it will take to reheat the stew in the oven tomorrow. Could not find an answer. I assume one would bring it to room temperature and then reheat in a low oven. 300˚??? Hour or will it take longer? Thanks in advance.
Hi Ellie, I would actually suggest reheating it on the stove. That way you can check the temperature without having to open the oven several times. And while you can definitely take it out of the fridge an hour in advance, it’s not completely necessary. Hope everyone enjoys!
This was the best stew I have made. I thought I would have leftovers but with the guys having seconds, it wasn’t meant to be. Great recipe!
Amazing! Hands down best stew I have ever made or eaten. Doubled it (thankfully) used 3 cups wine, 4 the rest of the liquid called for I used mostly beef broth, maybe 1 and 1/2 cup water. I followed others comments and added W. Sauce. So yummy, entire family (myself, my boyfriend and all 4 teenage boys ) raved about it. Definitely use well-marbled Chuck!!!!
Made this today on a snow day, incredible, thank you! The calorie count looks a little high to me (?), but we made a fresh salad and French bread to accompany and it was perfect.
Absolutely phenomenal! This was soooo good I wish I had doubled the recipe so I’d have more leftovers! The only changes I made were a no-sodium beef broth, 1 1/2 cups wine (it’s all I had open) and peeled, redskin potatoes. I cooked on Sunday and reheated for a Monday dinner. I was very reluctant as my mom’s beef stew always reheated so poorly (it got clumpy) but this was smooth and perfect. I did have to add a little corn starch to thicken the sauce before serving, but that may have been because I refrigerated the stew overnight. Regardless, a 5-star winner.
I have never reviewed a recipe in my life, but I must on this one. I have the pickiest boyfriend EVER who turned his nose up last night as I was preparing this (as suggested to let rest a day). I had lost his moms recipe and “that isn’t how she has ever made beef stew! Why are you wasting this much time making stew? Seriously!” I am absolutely blown away by both of our reactions to this stew tonight. I don’t like red meat (or so I thought), his nose turned up as he tried it because it wasn’t his mom’s recipe. To give this five stars would be an understatement to how amazing it is! He wasn’t even hungry, yet DEVOURED two bowls full and confessed it was by far the best beef stew he has ever eaten (“It’s like eating the most tender steak with everything else perfect as well… oh my God this is heaven!”) I , too, enjoyed red meat for the first time I can remember. Thank you! After 4 years together, I seriously could see a marriage proposal if I keep this in the meal rotation!
I loved it… I added fresh basil, basil/oregano/oil paste, lots of garlic, I also added a small onion when I browned the meat in batches as it added flavor… and added an onion afterwards… super delicious…
Amazingly delicious! The gravy it makes was perfect with buttermilk biscuits. Simple prep which I like. Great Sunday meal. Added a little Worcestershire sauce. Next time I’ll add mushrooms and green beans too. Thanks Jenn!
I’ve been craving beef stew for about a week and found this recipe. I added mushrooms because my husband loves them (I can take or leave them) and added rosemary as well as using alcohol removed wine and 4 cups of broth instead of 2/2 broth and water. My husband and I were over the moon. It has to be the best beef stew either of us has ever tasted and the meat was meltingly tender. Bravo
Would you reheat on the stove or in the over? (haven’t made it yet, but looking forward to it).
Hi Mary, I’d reheat on the stove – it will be faster. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I have made this recipe a couple times now and it is an absolute hit! My husband loves it and surprisingly my two nieces (ages 3 and 6) also go crazy for it. Everyone is such a fan that I gave the recipe to my mom to make. She’s a very good cook and it didn’t necessarily turn out; she had to let it simmer for 51/2 hours for the meat to be tender. I haven’t experienced this but I use stewing beef from costco and my mom used grain fed, hormone free, organic beef. Are you aware of any reason that the organic beef would take longer to tenderize or can you think of something she may have done wrong? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Lauren, Is your mom certain she used the right cut – beef chuck? If so, it may be the organic meat she bought. I wish it weren’t so, but I often find organic beef to be chewier and drier than conventional beef.
I will check! Thank you for responding!
Absolutely delish! I added a touch of Worchestershire sauce and served over freshly baked buttermilk biscuits. Everyone devoured it!!
This is the absolute best!! Total comfort food!!
This recipe says that I could throw in frozen peas and sauteed mushrooms in the end which I’d like to do but, “in the end” is very vague and I’m not sure when I’m to add them in so as to get the best result? Opinions would be appreciated, thank you!
Hi Haylee, You can stir them in right before serving and heat just until the vegetables are warmed through. Hope that helps!
If I double the recipe, what does the cook time increase to? For braising and for carrots/potatoes?
Actually, you shouldn’t need to increase the cook time. Hope you enjoy!
The stew was delicious! I heartily recommend it. I think the stew would taste even better with the addition of pearl onions.
This is the only stew recipe that I have tried that works SO well. It’s delicious every time and tender! It’s packed with flavor.
I made this stew a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop as Jenn and other reviews suggested… While it was difficult to keep myself from devouring it while cooling after taking in the wonderful aroma as it cooked, it was worth the wait! I was set on using my Mom’s recipe, but like to explore my options and this recipe has won me over. To cut down on prep time, I used a bag of new potatoes (no peeling) which also added a pop of color along with a small bag of pre-peeled baby carrots. No other changes and it was a pot of velvety, deep-flavored perfection! Incidentally, I used “stew meat” … not sure if I just got lucky with the quality of cuts I purchased, or if this wonderful recipe just transformed a potentially tough meat into the most tender I’ve ever had in a stew! May add different vegetables next time such as broccoli and celery, but the potatoes and carrots stay. ❤️ this recipe!
Absolutely the best beef stew we have had. Didn’t have beef broth, used veal Demi glacé. Followed recipe except the broth
Delicious and hearty! Total comfort food! Meat so tender. Added 2 tbsp of Worcester sauce and extra garlic . Served with white rice. True! So much more flavor the next day .
I’m afraid to ask this question, but is there any reasonable substitute for the red wine?
Thank you! 😜
Have no fear – you can just use additional beef broth in place of the wine. 🙂 Enjoy!
this stew was excellent! I made it the day before we were to eat it, and the next day, before heating it up, I was able to remove the fat from the top layer. I will make this again…everyone loved it.
I made this tonight and it is to die for delicious. It is sooooo decadent, rich and velvety. Love fresh parsley for garnish, it adds a lively pop!
Excellent. My husband and mother-in-law asked me to make beef stew to combat the below zero temperature. I tried this recipe for the first time and I never received such praise for my cooking.
Will definitely make again
What kind of wine did you use?
I use Cabernet Sauvignon and I love it.
Amazing! Made it for the family for dinner and they loved it. Only change I made was to cut down on the wine by substituting 1 of the cups of wine for an additional cup of broth. Turned out perfect for us!
WOW! This was excellent and super easy. I LOVE that you cut up a chuck roast instead of using stew beef, which you are so right when you say it is never tender. Yum yum yum, this will be a winter staple for us. **I didn’t change anything** Thanks!
First made it for a large group last Super Bowl…I made it last min. Starting that morning. I doubled it, and I should have tripled it-lol. It was Gone in no time EVERYONE LOVED IT! I’m making it again tomorrow for family get together.
Also we had a friendly stew competition of 15 entries, this one took first place! ( although I was teased it was pot roast, not stew… haha sore losers) I have shared the recipe several times and everyone loves it! Thanks!!! Side note I read the difference in pot roast and stew is how you cook the meat???
Glad everyone enjoyed it, Crystal! To answer your question, pot roast is a dish that is made by braising a whole roast of beef, whereas stew involves chunks of beef/meat and also vegetables.
This is amazing! I have always coated meat with flour to brown and cooked on stove top, so this was total departure. Best beef stew I have ever made! I substituted 2 parts Guinness stout and 1 part low sodium beef broth as I’m not partial to a red wine base. Also used fresh thyme @ 2 tsp. Only complaint is that my prep time took nearly twice the stated time. Rinsing, patting, cutting meat, slicing onions, peeling potatoes and carrots…. Totally worth the time though.
Absolutely delicious 😍😍😍
BEST BEEF STEW EVER
I made this last Sunday and my three teenagers and husband LOVED it and requested I make it again tonight when family comes to stay with us for Christmas. The depth of flavor is great and the beef was so tender. Can’t wait to have it again. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe Jenn!
Hi! I love this recipe so much! I tried doubling it the last time I made it, and it seemed to mellow the flavor. Any recommendations, or did I just do it wrong.
Thank you!
Brandi
Hi Brandi, You should be able to double it without changing anything. I’d give it another try. Whenever I double a recipe, I re-write it first with the increased amounts — if I don’t, I inevitably forget to double one (or more) of the ingredients.
We were very disappointed with the final stew, it lacked flavor, let alone depth of flavor. Since I have never made this recipe before I followed it to the letter, no improvisation on my part. I am a good cook and we both had the same reaction. I had made it the day prior so the flavors would marry a while and nothing. Two days latter I added my own touch and we both enjoyed it then.
Bill,
What did you add?
I have made plenty of beef stews in my time, but this one was BY FAR the most delicious and sooo easy….I doubled the recipe and still have no leftovers. It was super easy to follow and was sooo tasty:) This is the ONLY beef stew recipe I will use!
Excellent instructions and yummy results.
Delicious! This was my first time making beef stew so I followed the directions exactly. I was so impressed with how tender the beef got! I will definitely be making this again soon!
So darn good!
I just made this beef stew. OMG the best stew I’ve ever had. The sauce was perfectly spiced and thick. The beef melts away. The carrots and potatoes are tender and tasty, The only change I made was to eliminate the water and use 4 cups broth instead. My husband is raving over it too.
This will be my go to stew recipe!
Hi
Looks good but you left out one of the main ingredients of Boeuf bourguignon!! : diced bacon or “lardons” as we call them in France (I’m French).
The traditional recipe has no potatoes in it but certainly does have cubes of streaky bacon (lardons), mushrooms and carrots. Then you can serve it with potatoes or noodles if you wish. Also, personally I don’t cook it in the oven but on the stove. But I guess that’s a matter of preference. Technically one should use Red Burgundy wine from the Burgundy region of France (vin de Bourgogne = Hence the name :Boeuf Bourguignon). The recipe has more or less the same ingredients as “coq au vin” (Cockerell in red wine sauce) or its chicken equivalent : Poulet en meurette (Chicken in red wine sauce.). Note that coq in French
Means Cockerell so Coq au vin is Not made with chicken. But I digress! 😀 Another similar French stew is “boeuf en daube”. 😋 yummy!
This is crazy delicious, as is the aroma while it’s cooking. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect.
I have enjoyed many of your recipes including the beef stew and lamb stews. Curious why is the beef stew cooked in the oven and the lamb on the stovetop? Sandy
Thanks, Sandy! No reason – you can do it either way. 🙂
First time to cook beef stew. Happy to have found this recipe. Added 2 tbps of Worcestershire sauce as suggested in the comments. Added 1/4 c more of beef stock half way through. Cooked on stove top and checked every 20 minutes to prevent the bottom from burning. Had this with couscous and some broccolinni. So yummy! Will print the recipe and keep this. Thank you! The only regret I have is that I didn’t double the quantities. My husband and I demolished the whole thing with only 1.5 servings left for tomorrow! Omg. Haha. Next time I will double the quantities so I could enjoy this longer.
AMAZING! Didn’t change a thing! My 14 and 16 year olds just declared it one of their top 5 favorite dinners. Thank you!!
Can I make it in the crock pot?
I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
This is an excellent recipe. Flavor is delicious and beef is very tender.
Thank you Jenn!
My stew was way too liquidy. We had to add additional flour to it the next day to thicken it. When I told people how much liquid was in it – 6 cups of liquid – they were amazed. Does it really need the 2 cups of water? Otherwise, it was very good.
Wow, amazing. Thank you so much. If best stew could ever be considered “gourmet”, this is it! It is a bit of work, but these are typical beef stew ingredients, besides the addition of balsamic vinegar. I also only added a cup of pinot and subbed extra broth for the second cup and added Worcestershire (2 tbs). Aaaamaaazing. Thank you again for this perfect recipe.
Very good
Read the reviews and was somewhat skeptical–could it really be that good with just these simple ingredients??? Yes yes yes!!! This stew was so much more than the sum of its parts. Simply outstanding. Even my husband who is definitely an “eat to live” person was wowed and said be sure to save this recipe! Have frozen some for another time and labeled it “EXCELLENT Beef stew”. Just great
Also, the first time I used this site but certainly not the last! Thank you
I cannot use wine in this recipe as my friend is a recovering alcoholic. Will this recipe taste just as good if the 2 cups of wine is replaced with more beef stock?
Thank you
Yes, it will still be delicious!
Made this for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. First time I cut it in half. This time I made the full recipe. It’s by far, THE BEST stew recipe ever. My choice of wine was Cab Sav and omitted the sugar as we prefer savory dishes. Added mushrooms and used the baby Yukon Gold this time. Although I used russet last time (feeling lazy today). Wow. Excellent!
This was not a good combination. The flavour was weird and I would suggest reading other people’s version of this recipe and definitely use less wine.
I have made this recipe several times now. The first time I made it, it was a surprise for my dad who loves beef strew and I wanted to try something new. I followed the recipe exactly. He really liked it and so did the rest of my family, but I felt it was a little too much wine for us (we don’t drink alcohol). But the 2nd time I made it I decided to use 3 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of wine and it was perfect for us! So perfect that both my husband and father said “this is a keeper” and they rarely ever say that to a recipe. Even my three toddlers ate it. Win win! I guess I will have to make it again and soon. I served it along with some crusty bread and a salad.
On a side note I made this a Thursday night and we had it on Friday for dinner. After a long week of work it was a wonderful meal to come home to and way better than eating out.
Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out!
My meat is tender and the carrots are cooked but my sauce is like soup. What to do?
Hi Patty, I’d let it simmer on the stove for a bit with the lid off to thicken up the broth.
I absolutely loved this stew! It had amazing flavour and was super easy to make. Putting this in the recipe box for sure 🙂
This is the best Beef Stew recipe. I did however add Worcestershire sauce (2 tablespoons) and peas. I have made this more than a few times now and it comes out perfect every time.
First time making it on a cold day. It was delicious as is, everyone enjoyed it. Served with my homemade crusty bread. Leftovers were great the next day.
This is the best beef stew recipe I’ve ever had. I think it was the balsamic vinegar…I’ve never done that. Hope I win the Breville Smart Oven!
This is absolutely the best beef stew recipe. My boyfriend was obsessed the first time I made this and continues to be extremely excited each time I’ve made it since. I always joke that if I had to host an impressive self made dinner party this would be my go to meal. It’s fairly easy to make, it just takes a very long time. I’m not one to leave the house with the stove on, so it does trap you for a good portion of the day. I’ve made this with Apothic Red Blends, which produce a sweeter sauce. When made with a Cab it was a bit more savory. One time I did not have balsamic on hand so I reduced the red wine i intended to use for the rest of the recipe separately in a sauce pan then added to the recipe as the balasamic was called for. This worked fine.
Every winter I’m thinking about this beef stew. This is one of my favorite winter dishes with corn bread. I made this stew for dear friends and they loved it. Even though i wasn’t a very good cook before, now I have confidence in trying a new dishes along with your recipes. I made this recipe without red wine and it was still very good. Also I’d love to make this as a double portion and keep for the next day. Since the leftovers were even more delicious! Thanks Jenn for your great recipes! : )
I made this with moose and it was delicious. I was asked for the recipe.
This is the best beef stew I have ever made and I won’t be making any other recipe. It reduces in the oven to like, pure umami. I chopped the vegetables smaller and used the preminced tube garlic instead of fresh. I also halved the recipe. Otherwise I followed it exactly.
For whatever reason I woke up thinking about how good a pot of stew sounded on Friday, so I headed over to my now go to site for recipes and found this one! As with every other recipe I’ve made from the OUAC site, this one did not disappoint. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon for the wine, and followed the recipe to the letter and it was so delicious! My super picky daughter who doesn’t eat leftovers typically ate it again last night for dinner. The only thing I didn’t do, which Jen was adamant about, was I picked up a pack of ‘stew meat’ from Costco…listen to her advice on this one about using a chuck roast!! Chewy meat aside, super yummy, a little labor intensive but so worth it!!
Can I make this with red potatoes instead of yellow? Also where can I find your blog with other recipes? Thanks again
Sure! And the blog is Once Upon a Chef. Hope you enjoy the stew!
Hi
I made this beef stew last winter and we really enjoyed it. We omitted the red wine because we don’t drink alcohol.
I want to make it again this winter but was wondering if there is a non alcoholic substitute for the red wine?
Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it! And, yes, you can just use additional beef broth.
Would it change the soup too much if I didn’t use wine?
Peggy, the wine adds a little depth to the flavor, but you can replace it with additional beef broth; it’ll still be delicous!
Sending this while the scent is still lingering my kitchen. I’ve followed this recipe to the letter three times now and each time I learn and improve.
Tonight’s effort studied the wine. I chose a dry but fruity Malbec as my base. It sparkled right off the bat.
After following this recipe verbatim after that, I added a mix fresh mushrooms I sauteed in butter till their juices ran and added them the last 45 minutes of cooking time. The depth of flavor they added was magic.
Thank you so much for this recipe. So far we’re eating well off it!
Hands down the best stew recipe in the world. 🌎
Outstanding. Only thing I changed was to add more carrots, potatoes, and onions.
This is my absolute favorite recipe. I often tinker with recipes but we love this one so much that I make it the same way each time – and I’ve made it many times! I also followed Jenn’s advice and changed the meat I use, and will never go back to “stew meat”. The one thing I haven’t done is make it ahead of time – hopefully I can bring myself to wait a day or two at some point!
Jenn, your blog is my go to site for fabulous recipes. Just subscribed! I have tried many recipes, this stew I made this evening for the third time. I eliminated the flour and the potatoes thickened the stew. I also used homemade vegetable mineral broth. (see rebeccakatz.com) a great base for all soups, Make it ahead and freeze in cubes. When I sear the beef, I then deglazed the pan with this broth, no need to add additional beef broth. I also use a tender cut of beef, grass fed beef tips, cuts the oven cooking time in half, added the potatoes and carrots from the start. Thank you for your passionate work and congratulations on your cookbook!
Just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and already have made your baked ziti,Rice Krispie treats,turkey spinach meatballs and this evening made your beef stew with your cornbread absolutely delicious.Everything I have made is the best.
It is the best beef stew I ever had. It was so easy to make even for someone who is not a good cook like myself. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Jenn,
May I just say…thank you, so very much!
I was searching for beef stew recipes on line, and came across yours. I am extremely grateful to you, for sharing your expertise to the world!
This recipe was a huge hit! This means a lot, considering my husband prefers his mother’s southern meat & three cooking.
This now, is the preferred beef stew recipe! Woohoo! Unbelievably delicious!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I as well, passed some on to my father. He absolutely loved it!
So grateful, I signed up for your weekly emails! Look forward to making more of your fabulous dishes! You have inspired me to really cook!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Sincerely,
Sue
This was the first meal my grown son (38) has ever made for me and it was delicious! He used an outside propane heat source and a heavy covered pan like a bundt that circulated the heat well. I think this is going to be a camping dish! Thank you!
I made this delicious stew in my new instant pot. Worked great. I sautéed the beef first, but followed the recipe . THe only addition I made was mushrooms. Had them on hand and needed to do something with them. The stew is a hit at our house.
Making it for the second time now.
My husband LOVES stew and this topped any I’ve made before.I had a “mystery” chunk of beef in my freezer (which I’m certain was junk meat) and it came out so tender. I pretty much followed your recipe to a tee and it was so easy!I made it in less than 1/2 hour, aside from oven time. I baked pull apart buttery oven rolls and hubby was in absolute heaven. Love your website-saved it in my favorites. Judy
I do not have a good pot to braise the stew in the oven, wondering if I can cook it on the stove for the same amount of time the recipe calla for, also curious about adding turnips to the recipe?
Yes, Rebecca, it’s perfectly fine to cook it completely on the stove. And you can definitely add turnips to this; I’d add them at the same time as the carrots and potatoes. Enjoy!
This is a wonderful recipe! I took Jenn’s advice and made it on a Friday afternoon for Sunday dinner. The flavors really came forth by making it ahead of time. The gravy part had such a rich flavor!!! I followed the recipe as written and got great results. I did omit the potatoes as mentioned and served over egg noodles. I also made sure to use a really nice aged Balsamic vinegar . It got a 5 star review from my in-laws and Aunt and Uncle (and my husband!). It’s an easy recipe to make as well. TRY IT!
I have made beef stew with potatoes and carrots many times throughout my life, but when I saw this recipe I thought it had a few ingredients that could bring my recipe a notch above – the addition of balsamic vinegar and tomato paste was brilliant. It added a nice richness (and the house smelled amazing!). This recipe was so good we have made it several times and even varied it to skip the potatoes/carrots, add mushrooms and serve over egg noodles. Whoa! That was a treat with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. This is a 5 star recipe! (I used lean stew beef, because it’s what I had, and it was delicious!)
I use so many of your recipes, it is hard to choose one to review! But as winter is coming, I will review this favorite. It is absolutely delicious, warm and richly flavored. The best part is that you can make it ahead and it actually gets even better tasting!
This is a family favorite. It makes a lot, but I still double it to make sure we have leftovers. I sometimes add more tomato paste than the recipe calls for or add a can of chopped tomatoes. The real secret howver, is to make it the day before. It somehow gets even better overnight in the refrigerator. The hard part is smelling it cook and not immediately gobbling it up. That’s why I double the recipe.
A delicious comfort dish. We have tried so many different recipes for beef stew but this takes the cake.
Served over egg noodles, this is the perfect Sunday dinner for me and my boyfriend. The leftovers also warm up great for a Monday lunch in the office.
We added this to our favorite recipe section on Pinterest and have since been trying out many of the recipes on here!
This is our favorite Stew recipe. Yummy. Sometimes I leave out the potatoes and serve over mashed, and when I do I decrease the liquids. Thanks for a great recipe!
I am planning on making this stew for a get together on a weeknight. I was hoping to make it a day ahead, so all I’d have to do is reheat it and serve when the guests arrive. Is there anything that I should alter in the recipe if I am planning on cooking it ahead and reheating?
No need to make any changes (and it’s even better the second day :)!
I kvetched in my first review about three weeks ago that this dish turned out delicious even with the wrong cut of meat. I made it again this weekend for our Thanksgiving house guests, this time using the perfect cut of Chuck roast. The advice given here about using a well-marbled 3 pound Chuck is paramount to sending this recipe over the top.
Now that I have it down right, my imagination is kicking new goal posts. We aren’t far from areas where Morel mushrooms grow. Four or five of those beauties would work with this dish like buttah!
Thank you again for introducing this to our rotation. I can’t wait to make it all winter long and play around with ingredients. Something tells me though, I’ll end up right back to this recipe as written. We all know the story of Icarus flying too close to the sun.
Made this stew at friends last year at Christmas..big hit so it’s a tradition this year ….kids even love it. Making it today and freeze hope it freezes well with the. Potatoes .
It has a pretty weird taste. I kinda thought 2 cups of wine was a bit much for my liking but I followed the recipe… nope! Not my cup of tea, have had way better stew than this.
Clearly you’re wrong Michelle. Everyone else loves it so why don’t you refine your palette before posting comments like this.
Nancy, why the personal attack, it was not to Michelle’s liking plain and simple. Who are you to tell her to “refine your palette”, a bit pompous & self righteous you are.
Oh Nancy, hopefully your panties are out of the twist they seem to have gotten into. 😘
I have made this recipe twice and it’s great! I want to add some pearl onions, the frozen kind. Could I just put them in with the carrots ( and cook the potatoes separately)?
Sure, Mimi – that will work as long as you don’t add too many. You could also thaw them and then sauté them in butter to give them a little caramelization and then add them at the end. I don’t think you need to cook the potatoes separately, unless you want to serve them on the side.
We loved this stew recipe! My husband said it was the best new recipe I have made all year. I didn’t change a thing, except adding green peas in the last 15 mins. I did have to cook longer than the recipe suggested. I took it out of the oven and finished it on the stove top bc I needed to turn up the temp to cook Mexican cornbread. Don’t skimp on the wine..I think it was a lot of the superb flavor
Takes a little time to prep but so good.
I made this tonight—must have measured out some of the ingredients wrong because I ended up having to add more liquid after the two hours of braising. Even so, it was outrageously flavorful and delicious. We will definitely be making this again.
I made this tonight and my husband and eight year old son loved it. I used prime sirloin steak and braised the meat and veggies for 1 hour and it turned out great. Next time, I’ll try braising for longer if I have more time.
The rich, dark brown gravy was what made this beef stew for me. I did add just a little more tomato sauce after test tasting the stew but I will definitely make again.
I meant paste, not sauce!
I made this last winter and it was absolutely delicious. I am making it again in preparation for family coming to stay for the week of Thanksgiving. Does this freeze well?
Definitely!
Wow.
I made this tonight, and Man-O-Man was it some good!
Excellent flavor, Excellent consistency! !
I followed the directions as close as I could due to ingredients on hand, and with only a few changes:
-Only had one Yellow Onion, but had a Red Onion on hand.
-Didn’t have any Bay Leaves, which in my opinion didn’t hurt anything at all.
-I used 3.5lbs of Sirloin Tip Roast cut into Tip size pieces instead of Chuck Meat. I also seared it all at the same time in a large oval cast aluminum pot instead of in small batches. It took a little longer for all of the juice to cook down, but it wound up Perfect!! No issues whatsoever!
-I also added some Cayenne Pepper along with the Salt and Black Pepper when seasoning the meat, so glad I did! Added some great flavor and kicked it up a notch!
So, not many changes. But Wow was this Some Good!!
I also cooked a pot of Jasmine Rice with Beef Stock to go along with this dish.
This fed me and my three kids, and still have enough leftovers for Round 2!
This is Def a Keeper!! I’ll be making this again, and again, and again as my staple Beef Stew recipe!
Thanks a million for sharing this recipe…I’m now about to lay down and pass out!
Husband requested beef stew so u gave this a try. There will be no more searches as this is the absolute best. Thank you so much for sharing.
I have been searching for the perfect beef stew recipe for awhile and I’m glad to say all the rave reviews for this stew are accurate. I followed the directions which I admit is really hard for me to do but in this case I think you should. I did add some different kinds of mushrooms with the carrots and potatoes and I recommend using oyster mushrooms they add a nice touch. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece, I’m going to pass it along to the other chefs in my life!
Making this tonight!! Will write a review!
Can’t wait to try it!!
I’ve made this twice. First time exactly as is (even measured, which I usually just eyeball amounts), and it was stunning. My wife doesn’t love beef as much as I do, and she took what I saved for my lunch to school (teacher).
Anyway, I made it again last night, but this time I added celery and two tablespoons of Vietnamese fish sauce. You can’t taste it, but it deepens every flavor. Also a few splashes of Worcestershire. Stirred in some peas during the last 15 minutes.
Again, turned out fantastic! We had the wife’s fam over for dinner, no leftovers, which is a bummer. I still have not had this after sitting in the fridge overnight–it’s got to be mindblowning if it sits overnight.
The changes I made resulted in subtle differences, which was great but not so great I’d suggest anything.
Anyway: As is this is the best recipe for chuck roast I have ever come across. EVER.
I plan to switch back and forth, make it as written, then riff the next batch. That way, I can make it more often.
I would make this exactly as written for a pot luck, honestly. I really enjoy experimenting with cooking, and I’m decent at it, but as written you CANNOT make a mistake.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
This is our “go to” beef stew recipe. Made it 3 times, exactly as written and love it every time. Living in hot Florida, hot stews/soups don’t usually sound appetizing, but I crave this and love it every time.
Hi! Forget to ask if I can freeze this. This is maybe a silly question, but it was the first time I made beef stew so would love to know.
Yes, it freezes nicely!
Jenn: Thank You, Thank You, Thank you. I have been cooking for many years and this is the best Beef Stew that I have ever cooked, or tasted. My love of Mushrooms did drive me to adding a pound of them to the mix and things turned out perfect. I was also curious to try cooking a stew in the oven (generally relegating such things to the Crock Pot) and can now say that I will continue to use the oven– it adds the warmth and aroma to the kitchen that I remember from days past. I can’t wait to try additional recipes on your site.
I stumbled on this exquisite recipe after I had already bought the packaged stew meat from my grocer. I could kick myself now for not buying a nicely marbled cut of chuck and tending to it myself. I won’t make the same mistake again. Even though the meat wasn’t up to snuff and didn’t render correctly, this stew turned out head and shoulders above every other recipe I’ve ever tried. The flavor took me back to a beautiful village in the Dordogne region of France where I raved over something very similar and wondered just how such exquisite comfort food was created. Thank you for this recipe which has now been added to our family meal repertoire.
Can I make this in a crockpot?
Hi BJ, I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
Did it in the crock pot exactly as described and it was fabulous. I added .5 pound of extra meat along with extra carrots and potatoes. So yummy…in fact I prefer the crock pot now that I’m sure it comes out just as good.
I made this last week and it was hands down the tastiest thing I have EVER made! My husbands new favorite thing I make as well 🙂 SOOOO much Flavor! So I plan on making it again to take to a Thanksgiving get together and would like to double the recipe and wanted to see if I could use my big crock pot. So thank you for the same question and the timely reply 🙂 can’t wait for everyone to try it!
One of my favorite meals in the fall. This is a great recipe! I add quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes that make the dish a little more vibrant.
You can’t stop eating this.
I prepared the stew yesterday and I will be reheating it today for dinner. How long should I reheat this in the oven for?
As others have said, absolutely fantastic as is. No changes needed. Highly recommend taking the time to follow the steps listed. I ended up cooking almost 4 hours total, but I think that’s because my carrots and potatoes were cut slightly bigger than the pictures. Definitely making again!
Never in my life (58) have I attempted to make stew. My husband is a better cook when it comes to meat but asked me if I could make some for his tailgating party at the Patriot game. I agreed and looked for a recipe that had great reviews but also sounded a bit unique. Voila! Yes it’s a bit time consuming but WOW so worth it! My husband said it was the best beef stew he ever had. I shared the recipe with a friend who had been a chef and she was intrigued with the vinegar and tomato paste for ingredients…maybe that’s the secret. I followed the recipe…no deviation even though I initially thought the garlic would be overpowering. I was so proud that I made the best tasting and oh so tender beef stew!
Thanks, Jenn, for another home run! This is SO good, it has replaced my previous favorite awesome beef stew recipe. It is perfect as is–I particularly love your suggestion of getting a beef chuck roast and cubing it yourself (it does make a difference). I do add mushrooms, in the last 20 minutes (because I love mushrooms in beef stew). And I also add two anchovies to the sautéing onions. You won’t taste them, no one will know they are there, but umami, baby. (It really does add something special.) Next time I will add the potatoes and carrots after 90 minutes not 2 hours, because the beef was a little TOO fall-apart. But this is just heaven.
Lisa and other mushroom lovers,
I have the stew in the oven now. When should I add the mushrooms? I have 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms.
So excited to have this dish
Thanks!
JB
This was great. I added veggies: peas, celery, and string beans. I also added a little cornstarch at the end to thicken it up a little. It is just my husband and I so I used individual containers to freeze 1/2 for a lunch go to or a cold night in need of stew. Thanks for the recipe. This is my first of your recipes. I will be trying sone more soon.
Great with beef. Absolutely perfect for venison. Simply add tenderize and age the cubes a bit, but follow the recipe otherwise. Yellow Tail Big Bold Red works great for this recipe for a deep rich flavor.
This is amazing! By leaps and bounds THE best beef stew I’ve ever made! My husband and friends loved it! No leftovers at all! Totally a do-over.
O.M.G. This was SO AMAZING! I followed your instructions exactly and the meat was crazy tender and the broth, to die for. Everyone at dinner raved on and on about the stew. Absolutely lovely. I added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to my bowl before adding the parsley and it was Heaven on earth. Thanks for this perfect recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing!
P.S. For all you Canadians out there who are wondering about “chuck”, use blade roast.
If I double this recipe will the cooking time change? I have 8 people coming to my house.
Hi Rob, The cooking time should be about the same. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Absolutely delicious !! The family loved it !
I give this recipe five stars Plus. I made the stew it was gone in one day but I did manage to share some with a church family and now I’ve been asked to make it again it is a great great recipe and it is delicious
Beef stew- made in instant pot; added mushroooms ( because I need to use them). It was delicious.
Made the broccoli quiche ( fresh broccoli from garden) another night. Loved it.
Make your spinach quiche at least once a month. Obviously a favorite in our house.
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Janet! 😊
What is the best wine to use for this recipe? I don’t know wine so any suggestions would greatly be appreciated
Hi Laura, You can use absolutely any dry red – Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Red Zinfandel, etc. – that you have in the house. Don’t use anything too pricey — for cooking, something inexpensive (but still good enough to drink) is ideal.
So, I do not know how to cook. While making this recipe, I had to google “how to quarter an onion”. 27 years with the same man and when he tasted it, I think that he may have fallen off of his chair in shock. It was AWESOME. Thanks so much for the perfect recipe. I recommend pairing it with a Burrowing Owl Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014. This has made me a fan of yours and I look forward to trying out more of your recipes. My followers on Facebook are shocked at my results. #miracle
Absolutely delicious just as is!! Made this for company and they even texted the next day telling me again how delicious dinner was!! Thanks Jenn!!
This is the best beef stew recipe ever! My husband and a dinner guest raved about it so much that, by acclamation, I’ve deleted all my other beef stew recipes. Thanks so much, Jennifer!
Never having made this before, I took a chance and made it for company yesterday. It was positively delicious. No changes or additions required. Make dish as written and I promise, you will not be disappointed.
I am making this for the second time today and it is wonderful! I added homemade bone broth last time but did;t have any this time, but I am sure that it will still be fantastic. Enjoying the smells now!
I’d love to make this soon! I really hate beef with a lot of fat in it.
Does the fat in the beef ‘disappear’ with cooking? I”m sure it gives a lot of the flavour to the stew. Is there a similar cut of roast that I could use?
This stew really is best with the chuck. Nothing else is quite the same (and most of the fat cooks off). But before searing the meat, feel free to remove any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to, but don’t overdo it! Hope you enjoy!
Hi,
I am going to try this stew tonight but I would like to half the recipe. Would I adjust the cook time if I do that? Thanks for your help!
Kim, Cook time should be about the same. Hope you enjoy!
What meat will be a good substitute for beef as we don’t eat beef?
Lamb shoulder would work beautifully here. Another reader commented that they used country pork ribs and were happy with the result. Hope that helps!
Hi there! So I’m trying to avoid going to the store for a bottle of wine. Can I use sherry? I’m also out of tomato paste, any suggestions? Thanks!! Can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Jennifer, Sherry won’t work here – sorry! – but you could replace the tomato paste with canned tomato sauce.
Hi,
I’m making the stew as I type.
Ok my question is
I followed all instructions to a tee , other than I did add turnips.
Cooking in a Dutch oven cast iron pan.
I just checked my potatoes and carrots and turnips, they’re still hard.
Not to worry correct? . Lol
Still cooking at 325 ,
Just slow cook till done, correct ?..
Just hoping it’ll turn out great.
I did follow all instructions too.
Thanks
Scottishlass..
Hi Karen, Yes all okay – just cook until the veggies are tender. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this according to the recipe except I used all broth instead of wine and I cooked it on top of the stove and not in the oven. While the flavor was delicious, I couldn’t get it to thicken up at all. Next time I will also add more carrots, not enough carrots at all and I served it with mashed potatoes. I am curious why it didn’t thicken.
Hi Claire, I’m wondering if maybe the heat was a bit too low on the stove? Also, the stew doesn’t fully thicken until the very end of the cooking time, so you may need to simmer it just a bit longer.
I just made this stew tonight. . .delish! I like my stew a little thicker as well, my go to to any soup, gravy, or stew is cornstarch. Add a tablespoon with cold water until dissolved to your stew and it will thicken nicely.
Does it make a huge difference if you just let it simmer on the stove? I am not sure if my pot is oven safe, but I only want to make this if it will taste delicious either way! Thanks in advance!
Not at all, Jackie – perfectly fine to simmer on the stove. Just be sure to give it a quick stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn.
Thank you! It turned out great!
Absolutely delicious! Tiny modifications…I added celery when I added the potatoes and carrots, and I added frozen sweet peas during the last five minutes. My family loved it!
The best and easiest beouf bourguignon recipe! Soul food! Thank you!
Jenn, I am looking forward to making this but I have a question on the directions. Do you braise the beef in the oven for two hours then add the vegetables or braise the beef for one hour then add the vegetables and cook for one more hour? Also, I’m cutting the serving size in half. Should I still cook it for the same time? Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, You braise the beef for 2 hours then add the veggies and cook for 1 hour more – so total of 3 hrs cook time. If you cut the recipe in half, cook time will still be about the same.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. How should I adjust the recipe if I only have very lean grass fed beef?
Hi Marie, It should be fine to make as is as long as you’re using chuck roast. Enjoy!
Superb. Have been making this for several years, and it is one of the few recipes I make exact. I’ve recently been making bone broth from grass fed beef marrow/oxtail bones, and skim off the fat, which I freeze and use for sautéing the onions in place of EVOO. Adds a nice depth. Making this today, and only wine I have is Pinot noir. That shouldn’t make a substantial difference, should it? Love this recipe!
Excellent recipe. Simple to make gluten free (celiac) too which is great. Very flavourful.
Hi Jenn, I had a question. Is adding flour the improved version compared to what was posted last year? I made this stew last year in winter and I don’t remember using flour, please correct me if I’m wrong. This beef stew is the best and I am making this again this weekend for a get together. Thanks.
Hi Geetanjali, It always had flour – I recently re-shot the photos but the recipe is exactly the same. 🙂
I guess I forgot 😊😊 Thank you for the best beef stew recipe.
Hi Jenn,
I am so looking forward to making this! Would you just reheat this in the microwave if I make it the day before? I worry about reheating red meat in the microwave because it can get overcooked, but maybe not in this case.
Thanks!
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, If it’s just a small portion I think you could get away with reheating in the microwave, but for anything more I’d reheat on the stovetop. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Winter in Holland is coming close, so your beef stew will soon be on the menu!
I like to suggest a delicious French stew.
—-
Estouffade Langedocienne
– Slice the beef ‘carpaccio-style’ in 4 portions ( 800 gram total).
– Cut 4 big onions in rings
– mix :
* a handful of ( finely cut ) leaf parsley
* 4 small sour pickles
* a can of anchovies ( 10 filets) finely cut
Here we go:
Oil ( rolling) a Creuset pan and start building a nice ‘lasagna’.
—
Start with 1 layer of meat
add a layer of onion rings en 1/3 portion of mixed ingredients
Build 4 layers and end with a layer of meat.
Simmer on very low temperature for 3 to 4 hours .
Don’t touch your ‘lasagna’! and check carefully after 3 hours if the meat is tender. Do not hesitate to add more time..
Make this beef stew in the morning and slowly warm up when needed at dinner time.
Enjoy!
Peter
Thank you, Peter!
Can this be done in the slow cooker? Would it be on high or low?
Hi Amy, I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
I do not own a dutch oven. Is there something else I can use as a substitute?
Also, thank you for your recipes. I have made several of them and they are all a huge success.
Anna B.
Hi Anna, You don’t need a Dutch oven. Any oven-safe soup pot will do. Or if you don’t have an oven-safe pot, simmer the stew on the stovetop (just be sure to stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn).
I have made a lot of variations of beef bourguignon and this is one of the best. It’s takes some time, but so worth it.
I find it needs a bit more salt and pepper added before serving. But it’s SO GOOD and does get better–we love it most after a few days.
This is the recipe I’ve long been searching for! Delicious, mouth-watering, and as the recipe says, even better the next day. (I did add a tablespoon of Herbes de Provence for my taste.) I don’t know what makes this sauce/broth so much better than all other boeuf bourguignon recipes, but it’s a winner. So worth the time. You just made this winter better for us–it’s at the top of our list for cozy meals!
Hello, I’d like to make a modified version for some friends but some don’t eat beef. Is there a cut if pork or lamb that I could substitute for the beef? Would it change the flavor so completely that it isn’t worth making? Thanks!
Hi Maja, Lamb shoulder would work beautifully here. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Delicious! I haven’t made anything from this site that wasn’t. You are spectacular, I’m always confident in your recipes.
I know therecipe states to let it sit overnight, what are your thoughts on eating the same day it was made of has anyone do that?
Thanks
Hi Nanci, It’s perfectly fine to eat the same day it’s made. Enjoy!
Can this be frozen?
Yes– it freezes nicely!
I make beef stew for the homeless population here in my city every week. And after 10years of making different stews, this recipe is the absolute best. By far! My 10yr old picky son devours bowl after bowl. Thank you so much for my new favorite recipe and our houses favorite meal!
Thank you for what you do for the homeless. It is the greatest kindness.
THIS is the only recipe I use for my family. Thank you for sharing this recipe with the whole world! Just love it!
Amazingly grand! I added mushrooms and a slice of bacon. Gave it a deeper flavor. I ended up using the rest of beef broth when I cooked the potatoes and carrots so we had more gravy!!
Hi there, I just made this for company coming over this weekend. All is done and it is resting in the fridge. When I snuck a spoonful it was very tender, but it is tasting like a watery-wine taste….I must have done something wrong. We thickened it by adding a bit more tom paste, and added a bit more garlic and pepper. That helped, but it’s still kind of bland tasting. Any suggestions?
That’s a head-scratcher– this stew definitely shouldn’t lack flavor. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I thought my one slice of bacon and mushrooms made it over the top!
Do you taste after the potatoes? Potatoes absorb salt and add thickening.
I was wondering what kind of wine would go in it that isn’t too strong or overpowering in taste.
Hi Toni, I typically use an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, but any dry red that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink will work.
I’m planning on making this tonight. How would boneless short ribs work instead of the chuck roast?
Hi Gail, I’ve never prepared this with short ribs, but a few readers have commented that they have and were happy with the results. LMK how it turns out!
I made this stew recipe this morning and we had it for dinner tonight. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.All of the flavors went so well together. I love to cook and try new recipes. I just retired this May and watch my 14 month old grandchild and love to get in the kitchen and cook. I will never use another Beef Stew recipe. This cannot be improved upon. Thank you for perfecting it. It was a lot of fun to prepare. Lynne Pilie
I am currently making this recipe and my house smells so good!
Question: If it is currently 2:45 …Family over at 7. First part of stew is done in 45 mins. When should I add the veggies? at 5?
Also, doing this on stove top.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Kayla, that sounds about right – or you could just cook it completely now and reheat later. Either way, it will be delicious :).
Omg my stew was delicious and the meat practically melted in my mouth. All these years I was missing the chuck roast. I had been using that “stew” beef and it was dry and tough. Well never again. Thanks so much for this recipe.
This is very yummy… but husband said the wine taste a little strong. Other than that, it’s AWESOME!!! I will try it tomorrow and see if the wine taste mellows, thank you so much for the amazing recipe. Tomorrow I will try to bake your cheese cake, because my son is craving it! :*
What could be substituted for the flour? Cornstarch? Thanks!
Hi Jamie, If you’re looking for a substitute for the flour due to a gluten intolerance, you can just replace it with gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer to use cornstarch, don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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. Enjoy!
Jenn, what kind of pot do you use to cook the Beef Stew w/carrot and potatoes? I’d like to go from stovetop to oven as you did.
Hi Jamie, I’ve used both a Dutch oven and an oven-safe heavy pot to prepare the stew.
I cooked this Saturday and the entire family loved it. The taste was perfect and the meat was so tender. This is now my to go to recipe for beef stew.
I made this last night for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! Friends are asking for the recipe already! I made mashed potatoes instead of cooking them in the stew. Flavor of gravy was spectacular! Thank you!!
Best beef stew I have ever had!!!! Amazing!!! Thank you so much!!
THIS IS THE BEST BEEF STEW I EVER MADE. NOW I AM MAKING ONLY THIS ONE WHEN WE WANT A STEW. THANK YOU JEN.
Over the years, I have made quite a few beef stews and this recipe is by far the best.
While my husband and daughter love stews, my son not so much. After one bite, he declared “this is a keeper” and proceeded to finish his plate; a first! Thanks for sharing this recipe; it will be my go to recipe from now on!
I have a sirloîn tip roast, would that work ok? Love your recipes, they are always a hit.
Hi Cindy, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Many readers have made this stew with a sirloin top roast with success, but I worry that the cut is too lean and won’t be tender enough. Chuck is really the best cut for stew. Sorry!
Hi Jenn,
I want to cook this recipe, but I don’t know how to select a dry red wine. I see in one of the photos you have a picture of Barefoot wine, but what specifically does the bottle say? Thank you!
Hi Nicole, I usually use an inexpensive Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon but don’t stress over it — any dry red that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink will work.
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. It was so full of flavor! I MADE sure to thoroughly brown the mean as recommended. Although I worried it would dry out the meat, it certainly didn’t! My husband and I couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was. I look forward to this recipe becoming a regular one in our home. Thank you for sharing it.
Can I substitute red wine vinegar for ibalsamic? …..and a reduced amount of powdered sugar for sugar?
Also, I want to add celery, do I add celery at time of potatoes and carrots or earlier?
Hi Lisa, Go ahead and replace the balsamic with red wine vinegar but I don’t recommend using powdered sugar. I think celery would be a nice addition. If you want it to sort of disappear, I’d chop it finely and add it with onions, but if you want larger noticeable pieces, I’d add it with the carrots and potatoes.
Best beef stew….ever! Very nice rich sauce and tender meat. If you are a beef stew lover and have a few hours to prepare, look no further than this one. Serve with crusty French bread and you have an awesome meal.
Wow, just wow. Absolutely delicious! I lost all hope of ever making a rich flavourful stew but this recipe is insane. I’m so glad I found you Jen!
This is hands down the best beef stew I have ever had. (And I followed it exactly). My husband agrees. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Amazing recipe, thanks for sharing. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed it, especially since it is beginning to be cold!
I added Worcestershire sauce to give it a little bit more of a kick!
This was my first attempt at making a stew, and I must say it turned out quite tasty!! Even though I was not able to cook it exactly as called for, due to the fact that I just don’t have the cooking equipment. Instead of finishing it in the stove I had to leave it on the burner, and just let it simmer for a few hours occasionally stirring.
I have since modified the way I cook the recipe even further… My family is outdoorsy and it gives me access to things like Elk meat, so for this run at it, I left out the wine and added an 8oz can of tomato paste. I also added one Red Bell pepper, and a few good shakes of Cayenne to add a little spice and it turned out Delicious 🙂
This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I have planned to make it for myself and my boyfriend tomorrow for dinner. However, would it be possible to cook this Beef Stew in a Crockpot after searing off the beef? If so, how long would I cook the stew and would I cook it on high or low? Thank you so much. I love your cooking blog. My boyfriend and I have tried multiple recipes and they have all be fantastic.
Sure, Taylor. I’m guessing 5 hours on low or until the beef is tender. Please LMK how it turns out!
Our first cool weather meal of the season and it was great! I added a sweet potato and the sauteed mushrooms and served with egg noodles. Definitely a keeper!
This is an absolutely perfect beef stew recipe! I didn’t have to change a thing, just added some buttered Italian bread. My husband, a long time lover of beef stew, thought it was fantastic! Will definitely make again.
This is the first recipe of yours I’ve tried and I’m not disappointed! I’ve never had a stew turn out so flavourful before. Thanks so much for sharing. Even my boyfriend, who HATES stew, is a fan.
This recipe was wonderful! It had a lot of depth and flavor. I added sweet potatoes instead of regular ones as I paired the stew with mashed potatoes. I followed the directions up to braising in the oven. Instead, I put everything in the Crock Pot on high for 5 hours. During the last hour is when I added the carrots and sweet potatoes. My whole family enjoyed it immensely! Thanks for a great recipe; I can’t wait to try more!
We absolutely love this! It’s the perfect comfort food and it’s great leftover. My daughter, husband and I all look forward to this. It’s great to make for a small group or to have for leftovers to take to lunch or for dinner the next day. We really like having a lot of “sauce” to pull it together so we usually up the liquid (water, wine and beef broth) to 2.5 c. It doesn’t seem to effect the taste and helps make sure we have a lot of the yummy goodness that is the sauce per serving. The seasonings are perfection. Love, love this!
This stew was delicious! I followed the recipe almost to the letter and it turned out great. I added just a little bit of ketchup at the end to give it an extra savory kick. Great recipe!!
i have made this stew several times first time with tri tip it was delicious than t here after the chuck as per jen’s receipe…listen to the chef..outstanding..its easy and all i can say super delicious..chuck was tender and mouth watering…bon appetit a bottle of merlot or cab would be splendid…pat
I only had chix stock, but followed the rest of recipe, will it b ok? It in oven now. Thank you.
Yes, Cathy – it will still be delicious!
Family raved about how tender and tasty the stew was! This was a very successful dish.
If I only have about 1 pound of meat, would the cooking times still be the same? I’ve scaled back all the other ingredients.
Yes, Alyson, cooking time would remain the same. Enjoy!
If you enjoy vaguely beef flavored red wine, I guess you’ll like it.
Rude and uncalled for. The stew was fantastic…i added purple cabbage, peas and dumplings. My man thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved every bite. My man is Caribbean and I am a black Canadian and we couldn’t have been more pleased.
Sincerely, Demarrah BROOKS
You did something wrong for sure.
This has been my “new” stew recipe for about a year now! Used to use dad’s, but it definitely lacked the flavor this one packs! The flavors are so deep and delicious and the directions are perfect. Describing the best cut of meat to use, and each step explained and even put into photos! I’m making this again tonight simply because I am craving it!
I followed the recipe exactly as written and added corn and mushrooms. My dear hubby just kept saying “Oh My”….I think that he really liked it (so did I) Thanks for a great dinner!
Does this recipe freeze well?
It does!
Awesome stew! Added can of diced tomatoes with green peppers and onion. Used my nephews red skinned potatoes from his garden. Served with olive bread from local bakery.
How do I make this for 100 people, soup kitchen style? Thanks
Wow, that’s a lot of stew! You’d need to multiply the recipe by 16 or 17. I’d suggest making several separate batches. Maybe triple the recipe and make 6 batches of the tripled recipe. It will involve more time and labor but is still likely the most realistic way to make that much. If you don’t have enough room in your oven for a triple batch, you can cook the stew entirely on the stove. Good luck!
Can this be done in a slow cooker? I am looking for recipes for my elderly father who is not handy in the kitchen. If this could be done in a crockpot, that would be wonderful!
Hi Vicki-Lynn, The stew is much better when the beef is seared first on the stovetop, but if that’s not possible a slow cooker will be fine. Hope that helps!
My kids absolutely love this stew. Amazing flavor. Follow the recipe to a T, especially the initial browning of the meat. It works best when you braise in the oven but in a pinch I have slow cooked it when a dutch oven wasn’t avaiable.
Awesome!
Have you ever tried this over a campfire or on a hot set of coals? I’m assuming you would have to increase your cooking time? Would you recommend cooking this in a camp Dutch oven?
Hi Natalie, I can’t say that I have! If you want this for a campout, I would suggest fully preparing it at home and then reheating it over a campfire. (It may take a while, so make sure you’ve got plenty of wood 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s my go-to for beef stew. It takes a while, but is worth it. I sometimes increase the quantities and freeze for later.
I can not eat garlic or onions (or hot peppers). Before I try this recipe simply omitting them any suggestions on herbs to try? Thanks in advance. I just found your site – first up will be the brownies!!!
Hi Christine, Glad you found the site! the garlic and onions definitely add a lot of flavor to this stew, but some potential substitutes for them include fennel or celery. Also, you may find this article helpful.
Should the stew be runny or thick ? Mine seems to be runny ?
Hi Heather, It should be a little thick — somewhere between gravy and broth. It doesn’t fully thicken until the very end of the cooking time, so you may need to simmer it a bit longer.
Would love to make this recipe except I don’t have a casserole dish big enough. Can it be done in a big pan instead on the stove. Would the cooking time change?
Hi Karly, You can fully prepare this in a pot on the stove. The cooking time wouldn’t change. Hope you enjoy!
This was a very good dish hands down!
Absolutely the best beef stew I’ve ever made/had! The flavors go so well together, and the meat just falls apart. I found this recipe a couple months ago, and this is my 3rd time making it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. If you’re looking for a great beef stew, stop looking and go buy these ingredients immediately. You won’t be sorry.
I just looove making your recipes. Thankyou!!!
Odd question : but can I halve the recipe and it still turns out okay? I only have 1 1/2 pounds of meat but I really wanna make this! Also: what will happen to the cooking time in the oven? Still the same?
Thank you Jenn!
Glad you like the recipes, Sarah! Sure, you can halve the recipe; just make sure to use a smaller pot. The cooking time would be about the same. Enjoy!
This is the best stew I’ve ever made. It’s a keeper!
Will you always specify when to use a fan forced oven in your recipes. I have just added the vegetables to the stew in the oven and my husband has advised he thinks I should have the fan on as I’ve been cooking without it for the last 2 hours! Eeek help please
Hi Emma, I’m assuming you’re referring to the oven’s convection setting when you mention the fan? If so, I test and publish all my recipes with the assumption that the convection setting will NOT be used (b/c not everyone has that functionality for their oven). Hope you enjoyed the stew!
Hi Jenn!
I’ve been looking for a recipe that would be as good as my Mama’s for years! (With tender beef, potatoes, carrots & savory garlic) Upon reading so many spectacular reviews I believe this is probably it!♡♡
I have one question, would the flavor be just as special if I used agave (or possibly a touch of honey if it’s a no on the agave) instead of regular sugar?
Blessings!
PS. Your family is so beautiful! 🙂
Hi Sandra, thanks for the kind words about my family! You could use just a touch of honey in place of the sugar, or you could just omit the sugar. It’ll still be delicious. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen, Can I replace the wine with something nonalcoholic? Also, if I don’t have the herbs in the recipe, can I just use either mixed Italian herbs or oregano? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks! -Alia
Hi Alia, you can replace the wine with additional beef broth and you could get away with using mixed Italian herbs here (but don’t skip the salt and pepper). Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am making it tonight and wanted to know if you could recommend a wine preference for this dish? It states “dry red wine”. What kind do you use?
Hi Carrie, You can use any dry red, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, etc. I’ve made it with all of the above and I promise it doesn’t make much difference. The main thing is to just use something inexpensive but still good enough to drink. Hope you enjoy it!
This is simply the best stew we have ever had!!
We add rutabaga with the potatoes and carrots. Yumm
Made this a couple of times now. Good flavors and good flexibility! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Jenn!!!! I have searched and searched for a great beef stew recipe. My hubs loves to make a good beef stew and would take the lead if I found a recipe. Each time, we would find it lacking. Not this time!!!! So super good. It is everything a stew should be: full of rich, deep flavor; tender, and saucy for dipping crunchy Italian bread! Next time, we are serving it over polenta! I have tried several of your recipes and they haven’t failed. Great site!
Sooooo good! This is the only beef stew recipe I use now.
I need to make a large batch for a father’s and son’s camp out. Can I double or triple the recipe? Or should I make it in three separate batches and then just combine in one big pot?
Jeffrey, feel free to double or triple the recipe if you have a pot that’s big enough!
This was excellent! My hubby has said that it is excellent at least 7 times tonight. ?
This is thee most delicious stew I’ve ever tasted. I added some biscuits with cheese and it was the perfect compliment. I did add celery too… perfect little red potatoes. YUM!
How would this be done in the pressure cooker? Cannot wait to make it 🙂
Hi Mel, I’ve never prepared this in a pressure cooker, but another reader commented that she did with really good results. If you look for Kamaria’s comments from November 1, 2016, she gives a pretty detailed rundown of what she did.
This is too good! I simplified it a bit to fit to a midweek dinner:
https://bulachki.com/recipe/perfect-beef-stew/
I think I’ve made it about 10 times in the past month, thank you for this great recipe!
This was delicious! I added chunky mushrooms and fresh green beans.
I have made this a number of times and each time it has been a huge hit. I have used stewing beef and increased the cooking time and it has been tender and favorful! In fact, my husband now asks, “What’s Jen making for dinner tonight?” If I say your beef stew, it puts a huge smile on his face.
Thanks, Jen.
I love this recipe! I use mini potatoes and baby carrots to cut down on vegetable prep. I also made the mistake the first time of using a red that was high in sugar as it was all I had on hand- it still tasted delicious but was definitely sweeter than expected. I’ve tried a drier wine this time. Super easy and great flavours!!!
This is an amazing beef stew recipe. Definitely use the chuck roast – I questioned it, but it is so, so good with it. I usually use the entire carton of beef broth instead of the water, just so I don’t waste. Still tastes great! Thanks for all the fabulous recipes! You are the only chef I trust not to have to preview recipes for company!
Can I add potatoes and carrots when braising for two hours so as not to take so long?
Hi Mary, the extra 50 – 60 minutes (after you put the potatoes/carrots in) are necessary for the beef as well, so I wouldn’t skip that step- sorry!
This is terrific!! Made it several times and the flavor is wonderful!
This is my go to beef stew recipe. I have made this several time and is always good. It has great flavor. I live in house of boys so hearty beef dinners are always a favorite.
Absolutely the best beef stew recipe I have ever made! The meat was perfect and I totally agree, must have nice marbling! The sauce was delicious and perfect. I made it with vegetarian type beef for my husband and he couldn’t believe how wonderful it was.
Thank you for making the directions so easy to follow. I love everything about your website and know that your recipes are all 5 stars!
Hi. Can I substitute balsamic vinegar with wine? And if yes, is it 1-1 ratio? Thanks
Yes, that’s perfectly fine Larisa. (And 1-1 is right.)
I’ve been making beef stew for over 40 years. This is the absolutely best recipe I’ve ever made!
Best beef stew recipe I’ve come across. The balsamic vinegar adds such a great depth of flavor and acid. Best! All of my guests raved about it.
This recipe is disgusting and WAY too much red wine. Wouldn’t recommend ever.
Why was it disgusting….in what way…..?
So tasty and easy!
Great recipe! Thank you!
Fantastic recipe!!!! Easy and Tasty!!!
Can this be cooked in a dutch oven on top of the stove or must it be in the cooked in the oven?
I question thinking it will be too heavy for me to lift in and out of the oven. Thanks so much. Looks great!!!!
Yes Sue, you can completely cook it in the stove if you prefer. Hope you enjoy!
This was amazing… Everyone loved it. . I highly recommended it.
One chilly, dreary day this winter I was craving a delicious Stew. I Googled beef stew and Jenn’s recipe popped up. I am so happy that I discovered it. Have made it four times. Using Jenn’s methods to tenderize the meat, it was a happy surprise to find the beef chunks to be melt in your mouth tender. I add several other vegetables to the stew; however, nothing else from original recipe is changed. Cannot recommend strongly enough. Incredible!
Hi Jen!
Do you think this recipe could work with lamb? I have some non-beef eaters but this sounds so good! (Allergic to your lamb stew recipe :/ )
Thank you!!!
Yes Bri, that would work!
I have this in the oven now. I haven’t tasted it but I give it 5 stars based on the great instructions and smell! I’m sure I will like it too though! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipes and stories. I love your website!
Can this beef stew be prepared in a slow cooker?
Hi Olu, I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I’d suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
Will this work with red or green peppers added? if so, do I just throw them in with the carrots and potatoes?
Yes and yes!
You have a beautiful family and a great recipe! I did omit the paste as I didn’t have any on hand, and I used a little red wine vinegar as I had no wine either. But it was delicious! My fussy eaters loved it. I also made mashed potatoes as the kids shy away from one pot meals. This was a hit!
FABULOUS!! I am a veteran making Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and this is just as good and a TON easier. I did make it the day before and added more beef stock and no water. I added peas and a lot of mushrooms. Served with french bread. Delicious and definitely a keeper. Bravo.
What side dish is served with beef stew?
Hi Gladys, It’s really a meal in one but a green vegetable, like peas or string beans, would be nice. I also like to serve it with good bread and a salad, especially this one.
This recipe creates a delicious stew. I have made this twice now and I followed the directions to the letter the first time and deviated just a tad the second time in order to thicken it a bit. Although I traditionally think of a stew as a bit thicker I must say that I kinda prefer the original recipe as the taste of the broth, wine and spice comes through a little more vibrantly. Either way though it is one of the best beef stew dishes that I have produced. Thanks!
This stew is amazing. My family is obsessed. Just one thing I changed is I added more carrots. This is definitely a new winter staple. Thanks !!!!
I definitely agree with all the reviews; this recipe is absolutely amazing. The beef was so tender and just melts in your mouth.
My suggestion is after adding carrots and potatoes, bring the stew to boil before returning it to the oven.
Fabulous stew. I did use a frozen sirloin roast which “needed to be used” for the meat and only 1 cup red wine. It does take time to prepare but the taste is worth it.
I will definitely make this again for my family or for company. Thanks for a very detailed recipe that is easy to follow and produces a wonderful entree.
I don’t have any large dishes that can go in the oven… Would this work on the stove alone? If so, how long would you suggest?
Yes, it’s totally fine to simmer it on the stove. Just follow the same timing as that for the oven. Hope you enjoy it!
This was the best beef stew that I have every made. I prepared it for a pot luck at work and it was a total hit. The method for preparation is different from what I am used to but it works very well.
This will be my go to recipe.
I don’t have wine or any alcohol. What is a good substitute?
Wren, you can just replace the wine with more beef broth. Enjoy!
This “beef stew” is absolutely divine! I served it for my husband’s birthday party. My only change was to add another carrot and wine.
This is by far the best and easiest beef stew I have ever tried. Lots of flavor. Up until I found this receipt I was unable (although I tried) to make a good beef stew. Mine was usually flavorless or the meet was hard as a rock. I’ve made this recipe several times and have served it to guests, most recently on Christmas Eve, and they all loved it. I highly recommend it!!!!!!
What oven temp do i use
Hi Donna, the oven gets set to 325°F. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you I found it when I read the directions again
I made this yesterday and I’m not sure I have ever tasted anything better in my life. I did omit the sugar as I’ve never enjoyed any savory recipe to which I added sugar and I used almond flour instead of regular flour as I am gluten free but followed everything else to a T. At the end, I sprinkled some dried minced garlic on the top which added an extra pop to it. I believe this will be my go to recipe for family nights moving forward. Amazing!!
Made this yesterday. I have made many different beef stew and boeuf bourguignon, they can take hours to make and this one wasn’t short on time but very manageable. It is the best one I’ve ever made (ok tie with the Julia Child one but it takes hours to make). We had it yesterday and I think we’ll have it again today, as mentioned the flavours will be enhanced. I added mushrooms that I browned in cast iron and one celery rib.
Can this be cooked on the stove instead of the oven?
Yep– hope you enjoy!
could I cook this in a crock pot?
Hi Chloe, I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
This is super delicious! I made it once exactly as written and I was all set to make it yesterday when something came up and I couldn’t stay home for the three hours it needs to cook. I decided to try it in my stovetop pressure cooker because I’m determined to master that thing. In case anyone’s interested, this is what I did:
Followed the directions up until adding the tomato paste, then I also added the flour and wine and let it simmer a few minutes until thickened, scraping the bottom of the pan. Transferred that onion mixture, the beef, broth and spices to the pressure cooker, brought it up to pressure and cooked for 24 minutes (I have a cheap pot that only gets to 11.6 psi, so adjust accordingly).
I quick released the pressure, added the veggies, brought it back up to pressure and cooked for 12 minutes, then released the pressure by the natural release method.
Then I had to go out and all I could think about was eating that stew! It was sooo good!
(Also I did not use the sugar and I didn’t miss it.)
I loved it; my family loved it; my extended family loved it and it was a special treat to welcome my world traveling cousin home! Depth of flavor, overall ease of preparation and presentation all serve to make this recipe another winner from OUAC. Now it’s turned in to a regular meal for our family and many folks have asked for the recipe. Served with roasted butternut squash and onions and then steamed broccoli as the other side dish.
I have never had a beef stew I liked let alone loved! This is soooo good I would serve it at a dinner party! My husband is on a low carb diet, so I served it over your recipe for pureed cauliflower. AWESOME! I licked the bowl. 🙂
Since this is a bit time consuming to make, and very well worth it btw, I was interested in it’s freezability (is that a word?) Thanks for sharing your hard work!
So glad you liked it, Kerry! And yes, it freezes very nicely :).
Superb!!!
This was one of the best stew recipes! I made it minus the wine – just added a little more water/broth, also along with carrots and potatoes I added some fresh tomatoes – place them in hot water and skin them prior, and pickles – I know this sounds weird but actually adds a great flavor to stew.
This was the best beef stew I have ever made. It had a rich depth of flavor. The beef was melt in your mouth tender. I made it exactly as the recipe states and it was perfect. Just what you need on a cold winter day!
I made this delicious beef stew as a change-up from my customary ‘5 hour stew’ that uses Campbell’s tomato soup The flavor was exquisite, but I found my potatoes and carrots were not quite done in the stated time and the gravy was thin I was more than willing to overlook all of this because the flavor was that incredible!
Hi Kathryn, glad you enjoyed it! I’d suggest letting it simmer a bit longer next time so the vegetables can get more tender (and remove the pot lid toward the end to thicken up the gravy.
I didn’t have beef broth on hand, but I had beef stock. Is that ok?
Sure!
This recipe is hands down the BEST beef stew I’ve ever had! It takes some time to prepare but it’s easy and completely worth the wait. My picky eaters gobble it up – the meat always turns out so tender and flavorful! This has earned an honored spot in the rotation, we love it,and i love throwing it all together and then running off for awhile knowing magic will be there when i get back. Thanks so much for this delicious treat!
EXCELLENT beef stew/ the meat melts in your mouth- just the way I like it. Very flavorful!
Best Beef Stew Ever!
I made this for my family, I also have two young boys and they also loved this dinner. I wont make it any other way now. Hands down this is delicious!
Recently I began cooking Hungarian goulash for my Czech hubby. The recipe calls for caraway seeds. I have become totally addicted to them in beef dishes and added a pinch. For some reason these odd little seeds add depth to everything! Do you use them at all?
I do like them, Kim, but I can’t say I use them very much.
what can I substitute for red wine? thank you linda
Hi Linda, you could just use additional beef broth here. Hope you enjoy!
I made this stew for my mother’s birthday. Not only did it taste delicious, but it looked great. It became an instant favorite in our house. Thanks for the note about selecting well-marbled cuts of beef. I’m a bit of a rookie in the kitchen and have tried to make stew before using beef labeled “stew meat” at the grocery store. Since trying this recipe, I have learned that all “stew meats” are not created equal. The proper cut of meat made all the difference!
Fantastic Stew! I have made beef stew for years but this one really shines. I loved the balsamic vinegar in it; it added a depth of flavor that was wonderful. It is now my go-to beef stew recipe.
We truly enjoy this beef stew, it’s now our favorite recipe when making this for dinner. The red wine is wonderful! I’m wondering what the best way is to trim fat from the meat, though? It’s usually a lot of work for me to do that part!
Hi Susan, Glad to hear this has become your favorite stew recipe! I wouldn’t worry about the fat as most of it cooks off. If you feel strongly about having it removed, I would encourage you to ask your butcher. They will remove the excess fat for you. Definitely a nice convenience!
Absolutely love this stew-the only adaptations I have made are to use sweet potatoes or yams instead of regular potatoes and I use an entire carton (900ml) of beef broth and only 1/2 cup of water. I especially love drinking the “leftover wine”( I didn’t even realize there was such a thing!?) while the stew is in the oven!
Hi! Made this and greatly enjoyed. Have you ever prepared it in a crock pot? Would like to fix for a large group and was hoping I could go this route…
Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t made this in a slow cooker, but it can be done. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
I’m making for the first time and came to peel and smash garlic. Once you “smash” the garlic do you just throw it in the pan?
Yep!
Making beef stew for 90 people bought 30lbs of meat. How many pounds of potatoes, celery and carrots and onions do I need?
Hi Marion, it sounds like you multiplied the meat by 10, so I’d suggest the same for the veggies. Hope everyone enjoys!
I’ve made this stew at least a dozen times and it is always incredible. The first few times, I made it exactly as written. Ultimately, 2 cups of wine was just a little too strong for our tastes (and we love wine!) so I’ve started replacing one cup of wine with an extra cup of broth. Still just as flavorful and delicious. Sooo worth the prep time.
I have tried several different beef stew recipes over several years and have never found one that I would be willing to make a second time – until now! This is simply the best beef stew ever! It has a delicious, rich flavor with just the right balance of seasoning. My husband absolutely loved it!
This is the best beef stew recipe I have every made, and my family agrees. The many times I have made it we have eaten it the same day, rarely have we waited until the next day because it just smells so good while it cooks! I double the broth on occasion and serve it over egg noodles. Recently my daughter was sick and she asked if I could just make the broth for this recipe, it was the only thing that sounded good to her to eat!
Absolutely fabulous; this is my go-to beef stew recipe when it is freezing out or better yet snowing. I’ve made it both with wine and beef broth with great results. The beef chuck is extremely tender. Most stews taste better after a day, but this one is excellent right off the stove. Thanks!
Freezes well also – there really wasn’t enough but I wanted to test that 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My only critique was that I found it had far too much wine/vinegar/tomato paste for my taste – resulted in a strongly tangy and acidic broth that I had to doctor and replace quite a bit, despite the use of good quality wine. However, the method and other ingredients were spot on. This is the most well explained beef stew recipe I’ve been able to find and I will make it again …but with less wine 🙂
Best Stew we have had ! Like just having the carrots and potatoes ……not too busy with mushrooms celery turnip etc altho we do turnips on the side :c)
Go to recipe !!
TY
Jen, my ex loved nearly everything I made, but your beef stew recipe was ‘the best thing he’d he ever eaten’! Moaning and groaning the whole time he was eating! Even made me hide leftovers from the grands the next day! Been following you ever since! (You were my first!) Many thanks!
I won’t like, this recipe is tedious but all really good beef bourguignon-like stews are. That being said. this recipe is amazing and worth the effort. If you are going to the trouble of making it though, you might as well double (or triple it – yes it does that that much longer to brown the meat in batches but if you can pull these out of the freezer and enjoy this amazing meal a second time without having to prepare it… trust me, just do it). I’d serve it with a crusty french bread good for dipping but other than that, it doesn’t need anything else because its all in the stew.
This is by far the best beef stew I have ever had. The rich flavor is beyond compare. My wife’s family made a soup that they called a stew. After I served them this dish they now know the difference. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Wouldn’t change a thing. DELICIOUS!!!
After years of trying, and never loving a beef stew recipe,…I’ve finally found ‘my’ beef stew! Perfection! Not over complicated, but so full of flavor! I’ve made it three times in the last month!
Delicious stew for a Canadian winter night. I made minor changes , adding some smoked paprika , splash of worcestershire and a spring of fresh rosemary along with fresh thyme. I added some celery and parsnips to go with the carrots and potatoes. Served it to a foodie and was told it was the best stew he had ever had.
The best Beef Stew ever! I have made this dish twice and received rave reviews. My only complaint is there are never any leftovers because everyone loves it so much. I followed Jenn’s recommendation and bought a whole chuck roast which my husband gladly cut up for me. The meat comes out so tender and it is a complete dinner.
This was the best beef stew I’ve ever had – even beat out my grandma’s amazing stew (forgive me, Granny!) My boyfriend thought the pieces of vegetables/meat were too large, but I found that part of the visual appeal and wouldn’t change a thing. If you are feeding a family with small kids, maybe consider making the portions a bit more bite sized.
My whole family loved this beef stew! The meat came out super tender and moist. The sauce was smooth and delicious (not too thick.). I followed the recipe as written except for starting with sautéing some thick sliced bacon, draining most of the drippings and then browning the meat. Added the bacon back to the stew at the end. Definitely will make again.
I made this fabulous stew AGAIN this past Sunday. It is absolutely delicious and a perfect recipe. YUM!
Hi Jenn, I am going to make your amazing beef stew again, but this time for 8 people. Can you tell me how I should adjust accordingly for 8: meat/carrot/potato quantity, as well as liquids and seasonings?
And…if you suggest I double the recipe: can I do it in my large le creuset (which is what I use for the standard 6 serving) or make it in 2 pots? Any advice would be great!
Thanks, Sarah
Hi Sarah, you could just make 1 1/2 times the recipe which will render about 9 servings. (You’d just need to multiply all the ingredients by 1.5.) You could double it as well. If you do, you’re likely to have leftovers, but they freeze beautifully! Regarding pot-size, you may need a larger pot than your le creuset. You could use two pots (and if oven space is an issue), you can prepare the whole thing on the stove.
I can’t believe how much better this classic stew turned out by braising in the oven!! Also suspect the balsamic vingear and red wine really added depth to this simple dish. I added button mushrooms & green peas at the end for added veggies. Great recipe, even kids went back for seconds! Thanks
I made this recipe as written , added sautéed shiitake mushrooms , this is the best stew I have ever made !
Found this recipe on-line today after googling “Beef Stew”. Looked at a few recipes and then decided on this…great choice! Followed recipe but did add a small can of sweet peas as my wife is a big fan of them. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal on this snowy Sunday evening and I will definitely make it again.
This was delicious, but I did not add potatoes and instead made it with lemon pepper papperadelle noodles. Yum! I also should have left out one of the cups of water (maybe more), because leaving out the potatoes caused the stew not to thicken very much. I corrected by adding 1.5 tablespoons of flour mixed smooth into a little cold water and then adding it into the liquid I had removed from the stew. When the noodles were cooked, I put some in each pasta bowl and poured a couple tablespoons over the noodles and jiggled them a bit to get it between the noodles to prevent sticking. Next I poured the remaining thickened liquid back into the stew, checked seasoning and heat, and dished the stew over the noodles to serve. It was very close to a stroganoff served this way – only without mushrooms.
Great recipe, other than serving over rice I change nothing. I will definitely be making this one again. Thank you….
Hi Jenn, I stumbled upon your website and this recipe looks great! However, I only have tapioca starch so could I use that as a substitute for the corn starch? Also, will it make a big difference to the taste if I omit the tomato paste? I have no access to the tube kind so opening one can to use a few teaspoon seems such a waste. Any substitute? Thanks!
Hi Lind, Tapioca starch would be fine here. If you don’t want to open a can of tomato paste, you could use canned crushed tomatoes instead. A good way to avoid wasting tomato paste if you only use part of the can is to freeze the rest. You can divide it into tablespoon-sized portions, put them into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Once frozen, you can wrap them individually, put back into the freezer and use as needed. Hope you enjoy the stew!
It looks great but to soupy I am adding the vegetables can I add cornstarch ??
Hi Jackie, It should thicken up nicely by the end. If you’d like it thicker, you can add a bit of cornstarch mixed with water.
I followed the recipe pretty much as written and it came out great. Best beef stew recipe I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely great! Cooked stew on stovetop, slow cooker and now in oven. Oven cooked meat was the most tender by far. Left out the wine and sugar and added celery, cherry tomatoes and a can of mushroom soup. Balsamic vinegar added an interesting touch. Heated up at work for lunch and was asked for the recipe. Will definitely use this recipe again.
do you have to peel the baby yukon potatoes?
No- no need to peel them. Enjoy the stew!
Is it a possibility at all do do this all via stove top?
Yes, Joanne, yes, you can definitely simmer it on the stove. It would simmer for about 2 hours and then again for 50 – 60 minutes more after you’ve added the carrots and potatoes. Enjoy!
My family LOVED it!
Jenn, I just found Once Upon A Chef this week and made three of your recipes this weekend: Beef Stew, Best Blueberry Muffins and Grilled Chicken Fajitas! Everything was so good and I received lots of compliments from my friends and family! Thanks for the well written, easy to follow recipes and photos.
Hi Jenn,
Just for clarification on the slow cooker- do you add immediately after browning the meat and then add onions garlic wine etc to slow cooker or do you bring the ingredients with the meat to a boil then add to the slow cooker. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I think you could get away with either, but I’d suggest getting to the point where you’re going to braise the stew before adding everything to the slow cooker. That way, you can scrape into the slow cooker all the tasty caramelized pieces that formed from the first several steps of prep.
Soooo tasty. I’ve made the same beef stew for years and enjoy it. It’s actually very close to this recipe with the exception of the balsamic which intrigued me. What a wonderful addition. It makes the stew. The only change I made was the meat. I cut-up some boneless short ribs I had and actually liked it better then the normal chuck or stew meat
Jen, thanks for all your great recipes. I can hardly wait fir your first cookbook
Can you substitute wine for?????
Hi Laurie, you can just use additional beef broth in place of the wine.
I’m looking forward to making this for my family later this week. Can you please recommend an alternative cut that would go well with this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Mari, I always recommend sticking with chuck for stew — nothing gets as tender!
Hi, will gold potoes cut in eighths work instead of mini yukons?
Sure!
My husband and I live in Utah. This is the best stew ever. This the sixth time we’ve made it over the past several months. Because we don’t keep alcoholic beverages of any kind in our home we use 4 cups of beef broth and two cups of water. The stew tastes magnificent despite the lack of wine. We look forward to the colder months so we can enjoy your stew. Thank you!!
Great flavors but meat was stringy although thoroughly cooked and easily broke apart. Butcher assured that meat was best chuck roast. What did I do wrong? I added salt to meat before browning. Would that have done it?
Thanks for any advice.
Hi Susan, sorry to hear that the meat was stringy– although the butcher said the meat was good, it could have been too lean. (The salting definitely wouldn’t have caused the problem.)
By stringy, do you mean like “jerked” or “pulled” meat? That is actually something I like very much because you can’t do it unless the meat is really tender. And if you’re using chicken, cubed chicken has no way to absorb a sauce and has a rubbery texture to my palate (which is off-putting). Just curious what you meant by too stringy?
I would Love to make this but only have semi sweet red wine. Would that be ok to use or should I go to the store? Thank you.
Hi Lisa, I think it’ll be much better with dry red wine; it’s worth making a trip to the store!
What about using a merlot if that’s all you have?
Hi Kathy, that would be fine. Enjoy the stew!
Can you cook this on the stove top? I don’t have an oven safe pot! (Plastic handles)
Yep!
How long, and how high heat would you suggest on the stove? Thank you!
Hi Lily, I’d set the heat so that the stew is lightly simmering on the stove. And the timing can stay the same as the oven timing (so for about 2 hours before you add the potatoes and carrots and 50 – 60 minutes after you’ve added them. Enjoy!
This was amazing! It’s EXACTLY what you want beef stew to taste like. The meat was falling apart completely — just the way I’d hoped! I think next time I will either omit the water or add a bit more flour to create a thicker sauce. I’ve been looking for that go-to stew recipe and I think I’ve found it! Thanks!!!
Great recipe! My family loved! Very delicious and tasty!
I used whole grain flour and decreased the sugar to 1/2 teaspoon for our liking. This is an amazing dish!!
Oh, and I also used grass fed round steak, and it still fell right apart!
I had never made a beef stew before and this was a BIG hit with everyone! As we’ve come to expect from this site. Thanks so much!!
Sara
I looked at several recipes before I decided to select this one for a very special memorial for my father, his soul rests. He rarely cooked but he would make the best French beef stew for his family of ten. This was definitely as good as I remember my dads. My family of 20 plus all loved it, including the kids and the very picky ones!!! It was very easy and got better through the week. I have made it 3 times in 2 weeks. If anybody doesn’t want to use wine, just use half grape juice and extra water or broth.
This is the best beef stew I’ve ever made! My husband is allergic to wine, so I used a little extra water and broth. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and it turned out really great.
This is the BEST beef stew I have ever eaten! Thought to be delicious by all who had the good fortune to be seated at my dinner table.
Hi Jenn,
I decided to make your beef stew yesterday as written for my dinner party last night. It was amazing! I’m making it again today for a Sunday dinner when my parents come over! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes. Love your website! xoxo
Sarah
Hi Jenn,
This recipe looks wonderful and I’m tempted to try this tomorrow morning. Sadly, I tried making my old guinness beef stew recipe and the meat is super tough and my carrots and potatoes are only halfway cooked through (despite being on simmer for 6hrs hoping to remedy the situation). My dinner party is tomorrow night. Ugh. I’m so disappointed. I was possibly going to dump my old stew and do yours tomorrow early morning. For 6 adults, should I double the recipe? Will the flavors be rich enough by 6:30 pm if made it in the morning? Am I better off searing the meat and then doing the 5-6 hour crockpot or instead do the stove/oven as in your instructions. Also, should I buy the meat as a whole piece and cut myself into cubes at home. I think that may have been part of my issue today. If I do the stove top/oven method and it’s “done” in the late AM, how do I store it during the day and then how to reheat? Can you tell I’m desperate ? 😉
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for all of the questions! I love your blog! I’m also serving your beet salad :)! Happy Friday!
Thanks, Sarah
Hi Sarah, Sorry to hear your first attempt at stew didn’t work out! Not sure if it’s too late to be answering your questions for my stew as your dinner party is in just over an hour! But for future reference… The recipe serves 6, so you wouldn’t really need to double it, but you would have just enough (so you could double it so that people could have seconds). I think either the stove/oven or the crock pot will work, but I’ve only made it using the stove/oven method. And you should buy one piece of chuck at the store, but you can have the butcher cut it into chunks if you’d like. And if you make the stew in the morning, refrigerate it for most of the day until close to dinnertime. Then you can reheat it on the stove until warmed through. Hope that helps!
Seriously! I don’t even like beef stew and I loved this!! My kids kept a asking for more. Sooo good. I halved the sugar otherwise didn’t change a thing!!
I’ve made this twice in the past few weeks, the second time to take to my mom and dad to treat them to dinner. My folks thought the stew was excellent, dad loved the tenderness of the beef, all in all they both loved it. What a great meal for a cold winter day! My mom is going to look up this recipe so she has it. Thank you for a easy great idea for dinner.
I made this for a Christmas party using elk tenderlion. (We are hunters up here in Montana!) I seared the meat very quickly on each side, leaving it rare in the center. I made the stew exactly as directed but omitted the meat for the braising period. Then, I put the stew and meat in the refriderator separately overnight. I added the elk meat the next day right before serving. It was wonderful and everyone asked for the recipe. My 14 year old hunter who harvested the elk was beaming with pride at all the attention. Thanks Jenn!
Absolutely delicious recipe! A much more elevated flavor profile than most beef stews. I’m very impressed and can’t wait to try some more recipes!
This recipe came out great. I did not add any water which made for a thick rich gravy. Excellent!
I love this recipe and have proudly served it many times. I do add mushrooms and have found using boneless short ribs definitely takes it to another level. A French friend recommended adding a touch of conqac, any reccommendations on how to add this? Thanks so much. John
So glad you like it! If you want to add cognac, add 1 – 2 Tbsp. about 10 minutes prior to removing it from the heat. It will make a nice finishing touch.
YUM-OLA. I’ve made this 6 or 7 times since I found it in October. It is always delicious. Thank you so much!
THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT RECIPE! My stew came out delicious! I will certainly make again.
Wow, I halved this recipe and it was absolutely fantastic! I learned the hard way that my oven runs way, WAY too hot, so 2 hours in I opened the pot to see almost all of the broth had steamed out, even with a tight fitting lid! Nothing wrong with her recipe – totally was my lack of knowledge of my oven temp. It was an easy fix — I simply filled the pot with more beef broth and another cup of red wine along with the vegetables, covered, and cooked as recommended in the oven for the remaining time. After the timer went off, I put the pot on the stove and mixed 1 tablespoon or so corn starch with 1/4c water or so and cooked on the stove until thickened to my liking. This was the the most amazing stew I’ve ever tasted. I let a couple of my coworkers try it and they insisted I forward them her recipe! The bf liked it so much, he requested we bring it to a friend’s family who’s in need of a hot meal. I can’t share this recipe enough! TRY IT!
Sooooo delicious!! Just ate a bowl, heading for seconds now ??.
Thank you for the recipe ?
Best stew I ever made.
Made it for a church group. a lot
of complimemts
I recently made this dish and it was THE BEST stew I have ever had. My family absolutely LOVED it!
Can I use this recipe with chicken? Would you change anything?
Hi Bonnie, So glad you enjoyed it! I don’t think I’d replace the beef with chicken as there are too many other things you’d need to change to make it work. Maybe you should try a coq au vin recipe if you’d like to use chicken. This one looks good and gets great ratings. (Keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself!)
Thank you for an easy to follow and delicious recipe. I am not a talented cook; I have been spoiled as my husband has done the majority of the cooking for the past 27 years… He grew up cooking with his Italian-American relatives and is a great cook! I am between jobs for the first time in my life and decided it’s my turn to own dinner. This was my first attempt and it was a huge hit; we all all enjoyed this stew. (I did prepare the day before so the flavors would meld.) My husband and daughter were impressed and both agreed this was better than any version he has ever prepared. Trust me – they were not just being nice, so that is a big compliment to you, Jenn. Now my husband and I are searching posted recipes and planning other meals for me to tackle. Thank you again. Not only do the meals look delicious, the instructions are easy to follow and the pictures definitely will aid me in the process. Jenn – I know this must take tremendous time to manage this website. I truly appreciate your generosity to share these recipes.
Made a few days ago…exactly as the recipe is written….it is AWESOME! The best beef stew I have ever made! A lovely rich sauce! I do agree that making it the day before enhances the flavors. Thanks for a great recipe
Hi Jenn, I have made this recipe and absolutely love it but next time I would like more broth. I think I had less broth because I added extra carrots? Could I just add an extra cup each of broth, wine, and water? Or should I also tweak the flour and spices? Thank you for your amazing site!
Hi Melissa, Glad you like the stew! If you’d like to add more broth, wine and water, I’d recommend doubling the thyme,sugar and flour and adding an extra bay leaf. Hope that helps!
This was the best beef stew I’ve ever had. My family loved it and we ate every bite. Your directions and pictures were great and made it fun to cook! Can’t wait to try other recipes out.
Fabulous
Hi
Can I possibly serve it the same day it is made? I just put it in the oven and read the part of leaving it overnight 🙁
Hi Jackie, you can definitely serve it the same day- It will be delicious! It’s just even better the next day :).
Yum! I made this last night for my family. It was a cold, rainy day. Cooking this in the oven kept our kitchen nice and warm. What a treat it was to have such a delicious, hot dinner on such dreary day. The meat was tender and the flavor of the sauce was complex and delicious. We used sour dough bread to soak up every drop! I’m thinking that I’m going to make this for my dinner club. Thank you Jenn for ANOTHER fantastic recipe!
I have made a few different stews but I knew I hit a home run with this one. My hubby & son loved it. Needless to say, I have a keeper.
My problem now is i’am all ready to make it (at night because hubby works nights) I have realized I’m out of balsamic vinegar. Would omitting it alter the flavours?
So glad you enjoyed the stew. The balsamic vinegar really adds a nice boost to the flavors here, but you could substitute another vinegar, like red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar if you have one of those. Hope that helps!
A beef stew recipe I love is flavored with pinch of cloves or allspice. I suppose thyme is best with grape wines and vinegar?
Personally, I like thyme best here, but if you’re just adding a pinch of cloves or allspice, it certainly won’t change the recipe much.
Made this for dinner tonight. Yum! I used Killian Red (beer) instead of red wine, and decreased the overall amount of liquid added by about a cup. Simmered 2 hours on stove and then another 45 min. for vegs. Would probably have simmered it longer if I hadn’t gotten a late start. Was wondering, does the cast iron pot inside oven method require more liquid? Also, is there a substitute for potato you’d recommend?
Hi Mona, glad to hear you enjoyed it! The oven method shouldn’t require any more liquid assuming you have a good seal between the pot and the lid (so a lot of steam doesn’t escape). If you’d prefer not to use potatoes, you could double the carrots or use a different root vegetable like turnips or parsnips. A lot of readers have also added mushrooms and/or peas near the end of cooking.
I was in need of comfort food on Saturday and this hit the spot. The recipe was really easy to follow and the results tasted amazing. I love mushy stewed carrots, so I put my carrots in just after the beef instead of towards the end. I also added mushrooms because I adore mushrooms. I left out the sugar, and also left out the potatoes — I had cheesy mash on the side instead. This was the first time I made this recipe but I’m sure it won’t be the last, it was great! Thanks!
Hi
Can you tell me if you served it the day it was made? I just put it in the oven all excited to serve it tonight and realized the recipe called to let it sit in the fridge overnight before serving…
thanks so much
Jackie
This is THE best stew ever! The meat is so tender and the broth is amazing. I haven’t been able to make my former stew recipe (which was delicious, classic stew) since, because my husband and I love this one so much!
I am making this today. Can i finish it with the carrots an potatoes on top of stove?
Definitely- hope you enjoy!
Excellent. Had 1 lb. of stew beef so cut the recipe by 1/3 otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely do again.
This is by far, the best beef stew recipe I have ever had. The steps are clear and simple and the results were divine. Bursting with flavour. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi, Jenn.
My mom and I made your stew for our Sunday dinner today but we got a bit sidetracked and it looks like it will be dinner for tomorrow and next Sunday (you say it freezes well). We followed your recipe exactly, except my mom wants to serve it over buttered noodles so we didn’t add potatoes. As a result, the stew seems a little thin. It smells absolutely delicious and everyone likes to dip bread in it, but I was wondering if you recommend thickening it a little and if so, how?
Thank you so much. Can’t wait to get to have this amazing stew for dinner! Promise to rate it tomorrow night! But by scent alone it gets five stars!
Jane
Hi Jane, You could thicken it by making a slurry. To do that, combine a 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; mix until completely smooth. Whisk half of the slurry into the stew, 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. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, Jenn. The stew was delicious. I just used your thickening method and used very little of the slurry. I often find beef stew boring but this had a rich, delicious flavor. The flavors blended beautifully and the broth texture was perfect. Thank you! Perfect winter meal with warm French bread.
Loved this recipe. My family enjoyed very much. So flavorful. Next time will add mushrooms and peas. Thank you for the recipe. We baked chibatta bread and soaked with the gravy. So good.
Jenn,
I plan on making your beef stew recipe this week. I have a 10 oz. package of pearl onions. Can I sub. these for the yellow onions? Do I add mushrooms and/or froz. peas when the carrots & potatoes are added? Do you happen to have a recipe for stuffed cabbage?
Thks…Stan
Hi Stan, The fresh onions really add a nice flavor to this, so I think I’d suggest using the pearl onions in addition to the fresh ones. I would add the pearl onions and mushrooms/frozen peas near the end of cooking. Hope you enjoy!
I’m making this for the second time tonight. This is without a doubt the absolutely best stew – by FAR – I’ve ever eaten. The only thing I do differently – and this is purely a personal like, not because it’s not awesome as written – is that I brown diced bacon and then brown the beef in the bacon grease. An awesome cold weather meal and absolutely company appropriate!
What type of dry red wine did you use?
Hi Sefauna, You can use any red wine that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink. (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. will all work equally well.) Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
What a great beef stew recipe. I usually just throw everything in a crockpot and let it go (and maybe I will do that with this in the future too) but today I was working around the house so I thought I’d do this using the prescribed cooking instructions. I made some minor changes. I used an espresso balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, za’tar seasoning , and added chopped celery with the onion and garlic. The result was soooooo good! I almost always spoon beef stew over buttered noodles but didn’t even bother with them tonight. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Jenn,
Had my doubts about 2 cups of wine. Never again. Also about deglazing the pan with vinegar. Worked very well. Outstanding results. Thanks.
Jeffrey
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Yes Nisa, this can be made in a slow cooker. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
Hi Jenn,
I made the beef stew with carrots and potatoes. The flavor was great but would like more sauce. I was wondering should I half again or double? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Hi Cheryl, this typically has a lot of sauce, but if you find you’d like more, I’d suggest adding about 1/2 an additional cup of the wine, broth and water.
I am making this at this very moment & can not wait!
I dont have an oven proof pot Can I use my soup pot on top of the stove & if so how long should I cook/simmer on stovetop
Thanks so much, Salivating over your reviews!
Hi Mimi, not sure if it’s too late and you’ve already eaten the stew, but yes, you can definitely simmer it on the stove. It would simmer for about 2 hours and then again for 50 – 60 minutes more after you’ve added the carrots and potatoes. Hope that helps that you enjoyed the stew if you already ate it!
This was dinner tonight ~ absolutely delicious! I added a little celery, fresh mushrooms & fresh thyme ~ just because I had them.
This beef stew is very, very good. I left out the sugar. Added peas. Perfect.
This was such an awesome stew. It was very simple to make but our taste buds exploded on our very first bite. It was a perfect meal for our weather. Thanks.
Best stew I ever made. Had most ingredients pretty much down. Had not realized that the technique mattered so much. Enamel cast iron is also a very important tool forvthe process. Never had any before 2014. Big difference! Thanks, Jen!
This is hands down the best stew I’ve ever had! I’m so amazed at the depth of flavor! Only thing I did different was use fresh herbs & threw in some rosemary.
If it’s better the next day then I cannot wait for lunch tomorrow! My kids loved it too!
Can you cook this on the stove vice the oven?
Sure, Zina – just simmer over low heat and stir occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn.
I made this and it was absolutely the BEST stew ever!!!
If I halve this recipe for 2, do the cooking temps or times change at all?
Hi Stacey, the time and temp should remain the same. If you make the full recipe though, it freezes nicely!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stew. It’s the only one I make and everyone always raves about it. Is there any way it could be done in a crock pot? Would it work if after the initial cooking on stove the entire pot was transferred to crock pot for the day?? I would make it more often if that would work!!
Yes, Mary – that should work fine.
Fabulous! I will omit the sugar next time as the sauce is toooo sweet, but otherwise it is dark and rich and the chuck melts in your mouth! Jenn, why was the sugar suggested?
Thanks!
Hi Jean, I often add a bit of sugar to my sauces – it helps to bring out and balance the other flavors. But it’s fine to leave it out if you prefer.
I have to say, this is the best stew we’ve ever had! I added mushrooms and cabbage and it was phenomenal!
Just made this yesterday. Positive it was the best stew I ever made! My husband was raving to all his friends. The best! Thank you..also I subscribed to your newsletter yesterday!!
Sooooo goooood!
My headband said it was orgasmic.
My only change I made was that I added the whole small can of tomato paste to make it more tomato rich. I just subscribed to your site.
Thanks,
Jenn
Spell check and grammar corrections:
My husband (not headband) said it was orgasmic.
The only change I made was to add an entire small can of tomato paste to make it more tomato rich.
No matter how you say it, this stew is fantastic!!!
Haha, Karen you are a woman after my own heart! I was reading reviews before making this tomorrow and your need to re-post a spelling correction made my night, thank you for the giggle.
I’ve tried a lot of other recipes with too many steps and ingredients that resulted after many hours with less than tasty results. This recipe seemed to have clearer steps and simpler ingredients. Man, it is so good. The taste are so well balanced and rich. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow for even more flavor. This is my favorite Beef Stew recipe in my long search. Thank you so much.
Fabulous! I’ve been making beef stew for years, but nothing as good as this recipe.
I added a few stalks of celery & added sautéed baby Bella mushrooms at the end.
Crusty bread & a dry red wine completed the meal.
Stumbled across this while looking for a beef stew recipe. Made it yesterday and WOW!! The flavor was amazing! Hands down, the best set I’ve ever made. I added quartered mushrooms and peas and my family gobbled it up. Can’t wait to try some other recipes from this site!
Amazing I have made this a few times now and use steak but absolutely love this recipe!
I was often skeptical of this sites reviews as they are all SO positive….but I’ll be honest, I made this stew and it was incredibly good. I know that my own post trying to point out that this site isn’t filled with fake reviews sounds, itself, like a fake review…but I don’t care. This stew was amazing and everyone should know.
I made the stew tonight it is a freaking delicious….great recipe!!!
Absolutely the best beef stew I’ve ever eaten! With an approaching blizzard, I’m glad the family has delicious leftovers!!
my stew has the strong flavor of vinegar. Is there something i can add to take the strong flavor away?
Hi Estella, you could try adding a pinch or two of sugar (and stir well to fully combine with the soup) the help soften that taste. Another option is a pinch or two of baking soda as it will help to lessen the acidity of the vinegar— Once you add it, let it fizz until it subsides. When it has stopped, stir your soup and taste it. Repeat the process if needed. Hope that helps!
This is the most amazing and best beef stew I’ve ever had, and definitely the best I’ve ever eaten. It was well worth the expense of the ingredients, the time and effort. My husband raved about it last night. I served with white rice. I’m eating a bowl now for lunch, and we will have the rest of the leftovers for dinner. I plan on making corn bread muffins for tonight’s leftovers. I’m definitely a new fan of you, Jenn! Thanks so much!!
The best tasting beef stew recipe that I have ever tried – and I’ve tried a lot!
hi
can your recipe of beef stew with Carrots and potatoes be cooked in slow cooker instead of the oven.
this is the first time I am trying it. Also I am making it from steak because I don’t feel like eating steak.
Hi Angie, Yes, this can be prepared in a slow cooker. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). And regarding using steak, I always recommend chuck for stew — nothing gets as tender. If you do end up using steak, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Wow best stew EVER
i will review it later but i was wondering would chopped fennel work with this blend of vegetables?
Sure, I think fennel would be a nice addition here. Hope you enjoy!
I have been making stew for over 20 years and wanted a change. This is the best stew I have ever had. The flavour is amazing. I used gluten free flour and cooked in the slow cooker. Absolutely amazing.
Absolutely the best beef stew! There was a great balance of flavor in the sauce. I added mushrooms and celery with the carrots and potatoes and frozen pearl onions and frozen peas at the very end on the stovetop. I would probably saute the mushrooms with the onions next time to give them more time to absorb the flavors.
Hi Jenn,
I make this stew frequently and we love it. It is the best stew I have ever made.
I have given your website out to many people after they tried this stew.
Thanks very much
Made this recipe last night for company today… We loved it!! I made a double batch and had nothing left over. Cooking stew in the oven was new to me..genius! Ive never achieved such tender beef in a beef stew before. And the flavor so rich and full bodied. Its a definite keeper ☺
I have 5 lbs of meat (unfortunately I already bought prepackaged stew meat so hopefully it will be “okay”). Should I just increase liquids by 1 1/2 C? And maybe add extra carrots and potatoes? Maybe increase bay leaf to 2. Anything else?
Hi Debbie, I think using those tweaks for the extra meat would be fine. For the most predictable results, you could also increase the other ingredient amounts as well, (like the garlic, onions, flour). Hope you enjoy!
I made this last night to eat tonight. It was very good! The only change I made was I substituted sparkling red grape juice instead of wine. My FIL won’t eat anything that has alcohol in it, even if it’s cooked out. Because I used the juice, I omitted the sugar. It smelled so good last night, it was really hard to just put it in the refrigerator without eating a bowl! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this stew tonight for my Mom and it was fabulous!! Such a flavorful broth and the meat was sooooo tender. I added extra carrots but otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. I had to practice patience when browning the meat because I kept wanting to turn it but once I left it alone for at least 2-3 min per side it browned nicely. I really enjoyed making it and we loved it. Thank you Jenn!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes …
When my boyfriend asked for beef stew for New Year’s Eve dinner I went in search of the perfect recipe! Yours is it! So delicious. The best I ever made… and it’s your amazing combo of ingredients !
My new favorite dish
I am totally looking forward to making this recipe. I have read so many of the reviews but cannot find one that asks how it tastes without the onions. No one is allergic in the family but I have folks ( including me for the most part) that are majorly anti-onion. Cooked or raw.
Any suggestions before I just leave them out and hope for the best?
My rating is based on anticipation!
Hi Rebecca, The onions add a lot of flavor but I think you could leave them out and still have a good result.
If I prepare this dish the night before, at what step do I stop and then complete the dish the day of the event?
Hi Rebecca, You can make it entirely ahead of time and just reheat the next day.
Incredible!!! This is a divine recipe – my family loved it! My stovetop was quite fat-splattered, but the whole house smelled wonderful!! I will definitely do this again!
This is the very first time I have done this so here it goes.
I am a novice when it comes to cooking meals really, but know what great food is.
I recently made this for weekend guests on a very cold evening. Everyone present at the table had at least two helpings.
This is absolutely the best recipe for Beef Stew I have ever had in my life! It’s Perfect!
I am making it again tonight as I write this.
Thanks Jenn.
This is very good tasty recipe ! Thank you . I just adjustment for my taste for more beef bouillon . But that’s it ! I ‘m gonna repeat this recipe !
Have not yet tried this recipe because it contains gluten. Can this be made with gluten free flour & still turn out great? I have Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking a Flour: a mixture of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, Tapioca flour, white Sorghum flour & Fava Bean flour. Would corn starch work as well?
Hi Joni, Gluten free flour should work fine. Enjoy!
Oh yeah! I’d vote for the sorghum or potato!!!
I’ve doubled this recipe for a very large family Christmas dinner. Now I’m concerned how long I should braise the stew. Please advise if possible.
Hi Jean, The cook time should be about the same. Merry Christmas!
It’s me again, Caroline.
How long will the stew need if I put it in the slow cooker?
I’m so excited!!
Hi Caroline, I’m guessing 6-8 hours, but be sure to sear the meat on the stovetop first.
i would love to make this in a slow cooker. How did yours turn out? How long did you cook it & what setting?
Bet stew I’ve ever had!!! Absolutely delicious, I’m making this again for Christmas tomorrow, I would only change the wine to one cup as my little one didn’t like the taste of it, i guess…thank you so so much.
Hi!!! This recipe is simply AMAZING!!!! Made it last night to serve as my Christmas Eve dinner. Thank you so much for the recipe!!! Happy Holidays!!!!
I want to try the recipe tomorrow for Christmas, but we only got silverside beef from the supermarket, there was nothing else left.
We want to do it in a slow cooker,
Do you the beef will get nice and tender if we follow the recipe or should I don’t cut the meat and just cook it with the sauce in your recipe?
We really want to get meltingly tender meat but I have never made it before.
Your recipe looks so delicious we have to try it!!!
Hi Caroline, Silverside is a good cut for braising so it should work. I’d still cut it up as per the recipe. Happy Holidays!
I used a slow cooker to prepare the beef stew, and my family loved it! Could this recipe be modified for a pot roast? Thanks so much!
Yes Elena, I do think this recipe would work for a pot roast.
This has been my go-to stew recipe for a couple of years…simply amazing. I think next time I’m going to swap out the potatoes with parsnip and turnip (and serve over mashed potatoes) for a Sunday dinner (that usually has 8 people, so I will double the recipe— I wonder if I have a big enough pot!!). Awesome awesome awesome. Thank you!!
Jen,
This stew is AMAZING. I think I’ve made it at least 4 times since I found the recipe last year. It is a family favorite. Thank you for sharing your passion and talent with us!!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe and thoughtful instruction and direction. Would you or have you experimented with fresh herb ingredients? Perhaps two small bundles of time and rosemary (or by themselves) then discard pior to service. Anticipating my first taste while stewed aromas fill the house that is now salivating. Easy recipe to follow and timing is spot on.
Hi Levi, I think fresh herbs as you described would be wonderful in this. Please come back and let me know how it turns out if you try it that way.
Small tied bundle of 8 tyme sprigs and one sprig of rosemary blended wonderfully with the stew. Just finished my second helping. Onto a two finger neat bourbon for desert followed by a long winters nap.
Fantastic depth and flavor in this classic and absolutely delicious dish. Thank you! This will be saved a remembered for many years to come.
I want to can this for a gift. How many pints will one turn of this recipe make? If pressure canned will it over cook? Do I leave in refrigerator overnight then can or can I can it right away while it is still hot? It sounds like a great recipe but obviously haven’t made it yet so can’t rate it but I will after I make it. Thanks so much.
Hi Gail, I think this will make the equivalent of approximately 6 pints. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about canning to provide you with any guidance in that regard, but I do know the stew freezes beautifully if you’d like to go that route.
This looks so awesome, I’m planning to make it tomorrow 🙂 Do you think I could add lentils towards the end if I added more broth?
Sure Emily, just make sure you give them enough time to cook/soften. Hope you enjoy!
BEST stew ever. My mom always made a great stew but this was hands down the best I’ve ever eaten. Whole family loved it. The sauce is so flavorful and I don’t even like wine. Also always had issues with getting the meat to be fall apart tender, and this recipe solved that for me! Just want to add I grew up also adding green beans to stew, and that is what I did and it came out delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipes
I like the looks of your recipe, though I haven’t tried it yet. I usually add some turnip, parsnip and celery to my stew. Have not used wine, beef broth or vinegar. How do you imagine adding my ingredients to your recipe would work?
Though skimming through reviews, I am seeing an awful lot of “best stew ever”!
🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
I think you could definitely add those vegetables. Depending upon how much you add, you may need to increase the liquid ingredients too.
I am cooking this today for lunch tomorrow. How long will it take to reheat in 350 oven? It is for company so I want to make sure the vegetables are hot, but not mushy. Thanks.
Hi Pam, Instead of using the oven, I’d probably just reheat it on the stovetop until heated through. (It’s easier to check it that way.) Enjoy!
Hi, Jenn! This sounds amazing, but I’m just wondering … would it work in a crock pot? If so, how long would you cook it and on which setting? (I’d still brown the meat before adding it to the crock pot, of course!) Thanks!
Hi Julie, Yes, this can be prepared in a crock pot. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
Thanks, Jenn! Can’t wait to try this tonight! ?
I don’t like the taste of wine by itself, would cooking it like this change the taste of it? I don’t usually cook but plan on making this today and need this one know before I start cooking.
Thanks
AL the Pal
Hi Al, I would recommend using the wine. The finished stew doesn’t taste strongly of wine at all; it just adds more flavor and body to the liquid. That said, if you’re really concerned about it, you can replace the wine with additional beef broth. Hope you enjoy!
Made this today and it is so worth the time! The beef was so tender and there is so much flavor! I made home made corn muffins with it and it worked really well. The only change I will make next time is less wine and more broth for a more hearty taste but I definitely enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe.
The most delicious tasting broth that I’ve had in a long time and we used diced tomatoes because we did not have tomato paste. I’m sure it would have been even richer if we had used the paste.
I’m making this tonight. I’m concerned about the 7 cloves of garlic. Is it too much/overpowering?
It really isn’t, Kimberly — I promise! The stew cooks for such a long time and there are so many bold flavors, it all balances out. Hope you enjoy it!
This is a very good recipe. My store only had two cuts of chuck, neither very well-marbled. So when I went to check the stew at the two hour mark, the leaner chunks of beef were too tough. If u find yourself in the same bind, try this: when the time comes to add the carrots and potatoes, move the pot from the oven to the stovetop, stir in an extra tablespoon of tomato paste, and simmer gently, covered, until they are softened but still retain their shape. This did the trick for me so I will stick with it next time. The meat was tender and I didn’t have to keep bending down to yank a heavy pot out of the stove. With a better cut and a longer wait to develop flavor next time, it should be even better
Has any one made this in a larger quantity? Maybe for 30 people or so? If so did you follow the recipe and just multiply all of the ingredients?
Hi I plan to make this today when I get off work. What wine do you suggest I use? I’m not to familiar with the different type.
Hi Ashley, You can use any red wine that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink. (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. will all work.) Hope you enjoy the stew!
I made this tonight. I followed the recipe except I used more stock, less wine, and fresh thyme. I am not the best cook. This blew my mind and possibly changed my life. As my Dad would say, good groceries. I recommend you make and enjoy.
I used lean round roast because it was on sale so I started out with a cup of water in a Dutch oven and simmered the round roast cubes until the water was gone and then started the recipe. Coating the meat with flour was a great way to eliminate the flour lumps. I was amazed how the initial tiny, perfume taste turned to a very robust mature pleasant taste during the cooking. It does take a lot of wine, though. 2 cups for the recipe and the rest of the bottle to keep the cook stirring. Great recipe thanks!
this is amazing stew…the only thing i do different is add some Worcestershire sauce and less wine more broth(just my taste prefernce)
…I have made this so many times I can almost do it by heart. It really is the best recipe I have tried
Outstanding flavor! This is the best I’ve ever had! It was worth every minute it took to make it!
My new favorite beef stew recipe! I made this for friends who were visiting our new home last night for the first time. Everyone loved it.
My husband, who is not a fan of beef stew, actually asks for this. If you knew my husband you’d know that’s high praise.
This sounds and looks amazing! I’m making it this weekend, but unfortunately don’t have a dutch oven. Could I make it in a heavy bottom tall pasta pot or would I be better off in a wider pan? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you for all your fantastically wonderful recipes!!
Hi Lisa, You can make it in any heavy pot — a pasta pot or wider pot would both work well :).
This was way. Way to sweet terrible sauce . I had to rinse it off and make a whole new gravy .hopefully my guest will like it .
I made this for the first time today and it had wonderful flavor, not too sweet. Is it possible one of the ingredients you used was portioned incorrect? Please give it another try.
I made this today. Absolutely delicious! The best stew I have ever had
I agree that it had a unique sweetness which I am not used to, but I thought it was not overpowering and was something I really enjoyed.
My opinion is it comes from the balsamic. Maybe you could try it again with only 1T?
This is the best beef stew I have EVER had. It was not difficult to make and tasted amazing. The meat is tender and falls apart – so yummy. I made homemade bread rolls with it and it was the perfect first snow meal. Will definitely share with family and friends. Seriously, can’t believe I found this on a Google search. It’s my new favorite meal 🙂
Followed the recipe as written and it was amazing. A new favorite!!
I’ve made this stew several times already, and it comes out great each time. I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter and added frozen peas for the last several minutes of cooking. It came out delicious, with just enough soupy sauce to eat with a baguette. Everyone in my family loves this stew. It is the perfect basic recipe to warm you up on a chilly autumn evening.
Can I freeze this beef stew? Making some meals for my doesn’t-cook-hard-to-buy-for boss as a Christmas gift.
Definitely Kate– it freezes nicely. (And that’s a nice,creative gift!)
Excellent. All I did different was to use petite sirloin, as it was on sale. And added mushrooms. Again, excellent!
This beef stew was AMAZING, even for day 1. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow. Recipe was spot-on, did not need to adjust seasonings at all. Even the picky teenagers loved it! Thank you!!
Holy bowl of magical awesomeness, Batman! I made this tonight, exactly as published, except I used top sirloin for a smaller batch (just the DH and I). The meat – fall apart tender and beefy. The veggies – succulent and cooked to perfection. The sauce – oh Doctor, the sauce – let’s just say I scraped my bowl so clean with my hunk of bread I could probably put it right back in the cupboard. Best beef stew recipe I’ve ever tried. THANK YOU!
Made this twice. Incredibly delicious! Don’t change a thing. Please take the time to cut your own stew meat from a chuck roast (as stated) rather than buying packaged stew meat from the grocery store. So worth the few minutes of extra time. Makes a big difference.
I’ve waiting too late for the braising part of this fabulous recipe – anyone tried this without that step? I’m still going to make it regardless – just wondering! ☺️
I found this recipe, I followed it, but also added fresh mushroms with carrots and potatoes, my wife stated this was the best she ever tasted.
I have finally stopped looking for the perfect beef stew. THIS IS PERFECT!!!
Didn’t change anything. I think not using
pre cut package “stew meat” is the answer
to tender beef in the stew. Thank you Jenn.
I asked our local supermarket what is the difference between the pre cut they sell and cutting my own from chuck roast. He said the pre cut is from whatever extra pieces of meat they have from various cuts. Often there is not enough to marble.
Throwing away my old beef stew recipe. This was simply delicious.
I have made this stew several times and it ALWAYS turns out wonderfully. This is the first recipe I recommend when someone wants to make a beef stew.
I made this dish for a friend who recently had a baby. I made one for her family, and one for mine; I can’t believe how delicious it was!! It was a little tedious to prepare, but it was worth it!!!! Fabulous!!
How large is a large pot? I have a #10 dutch oven. Large enough?
Hi Keith, do you know what the # means? (I’m not familiar with that.) Is it a 10-inch or 10-quart pot?
I found this recipe by just googling beef stew trying to find a good recipe to make for my family. This was the first time I saw your site and have been hooked on your recipes ever since. This beef stew is probably the best stew I have ever had. I love the addition of wine. It really makes for a rich flavor and the potatoes really soak that up making them delicious. This stew also gets better the next day, as my family and I ate the leftovers for the next few days after I made it.
This beef stew is AMAZING. The step by step directions are perfect. I felt like a real chef making this dish. And, my other half has requested this many times in the one year I have been making this. The only change I made was a I reduced the wine by 1/2 and I will continue to make this for many years to com.
I have made this stew a few times now. I follow the recipe, no additions, and each time is perfection. It is rich and satisfying. I use my favourite bottle of red, a valpolicella, and it is totally worth the sacrifice. Do not cheap out on the wine, it only enhances the flavour!
I made this today and followed the recipe exactly-delicious!! Such great flavor and the gravy was terrific! I definitely give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing! I stumbled upon this recipe and thought I would give it a shot, my husband is always asking me to make stew. I am also a classically trained chef, but now cook just for my family.
I followed the directions to the letter, I always do the first time I try a new recipe. I only needed to adjust the flavor with salt and pepper and the end. That never happens to me! This was a perfect, hearty beef stew. I will definitely make again and can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thank you!
I made this on the weekend and it was AMAZING! The only thing I did differently was to add the balsamic vinegar AFTER I cooked the onions and then the garlic, for a little bit of time. Fabulous!
I made this twice, once with flour and once with cornstarch (for gluten free version). It was wonderful both ways. Both groups loved it! I bought an 8 lb sirloin roast for both occasions. Browned all at once cooking and then frooze until needed. That worked great and only once clean up from the browning. Love this recipe, perfect for serving at my cabin.
This recipe is the bomb. It’s really really good and will be my go to beef stew recipe. Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
I have made this stew as is and it is wonderful! However, I am cooking this for my mom-in-law who is on a low carb diet.
For someone on a lower carb diet, what would you recommend using in place of potatoes? I have read Rutabaga’s, Turnips, or radishes. What are your thoughts?
Hi Jamie, Glad you like the stew, I agree that rutabaga would work. Some other possibilities are turnips, parsnips or jicama.
This was the best stew I’ve ever made or tasted! Searing the meat in small batches is a big part of it. It came out exactly as described and my family ate it for three days in a row… Unheard of. Looking
Forward to trying more recipes.
Jenn,
I’ve been waiting for the weather to finally get cool enough so I could make a pot of this absolutely yummy stew!
It’s been a tried and true recipe in my fall/winter repertoire for 3 years and my family adores it. The combo of balsamic which gives a sweet/tangy dimension coupled with the red wine is the bomb. And I would recommend using a full bodied red!
We are mashed potato lovers so I skip adding the baby Yukons and mash up a big pot on the side. Yum!
Keep those recipes coming.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kitty
Hi Jenn, how could we do this in a crock pot? Thanks, Tissa Loehr
Hi Tissa, This can be prepared in a crock pot. I would recommend searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe in the oven a few times and it’s AMAZING! I have a crazy busy day today and wanted to try this in the crock pot. I was hoping someone had asked the crock pot question in the comments. Giving it a try today.
On a side note, my family has loved every recipe of yours that I’ve made. This blog is a working mom’s dream! My family and I thank you for all of the hard work you put into this!
This beef stew with carrots & potatoes was absolutely delicious!!! Thank-you for the precise instructions & for sharing this “soul-satisfying” recipe. Happy Holidays to you & your family!!!
omg its the bomb. I’ve been eaten this stew all week- lol. I will tell u this- it so good.
Holy yum! So very good. Thanks a million for all the fab recipes.
This recipe is so delicious,you want to keep eating and eating. I live in South Florida so we don’t play in snow but we like to eat good.
Excellent! Tasty, easy to execute, delicious.
Hands down BEST STEW EVER! The only one I will ever make from now on. Thank you soo much for this recipe!
Hi Jen, does this stew freeze well?
Yes Linda, it freezes very nicely!
Tried this recipe last night- it was perfect! ( I did not add the garlic or thyme) My family came back for seconds and thirds!!! I wish I discovered your website a long time ago! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe- I can’t wait to try more of them.
I’m just a plain cook but I had all the ingredients for this in the house so tried making it for the family of a friend who’s in hospital. I really learnt a lot through the great detail in your instructions and the smells of cooking were tempting everyone who came near the kitchen! I’m planning to shop for and make it again tomorrow so we can enjoy it too. It’s definitely the level of detail that made it a successful experience for me!
I gotta tell ya, this is the best beef stew I have ever had! Wow! The flavor is just delicious. Even my husband said it’s the best he has ever had in his life. Adding to my book of recipes to be made again.
Thank you so much for sharing this! There is nothing I would change in this recipe. The only thing I did different was add the potatoes and carrots before I popped it into the oven and they were perfect along with everything else on the 2 hour mark. Glad I did it that way or I’d be waiting another hour to eat. Lol…. ❤❤❤❤
Best beef stew ever my family and I loved it
perfect recipe, every time! so satisfying.
I am making ahead for a party…would you reheat in the oven or on stovetop? Temp in the oven–low or 350? Thanks for the amazing recipes!
Glad you like the stew! I’d probably just reheat it on the stovetop until heated through. (It’s easier to check it that way.)
This was delicious! I prepared as the recipe stated, using a little less liquid, and then let cook slowly in crockpot the next morning (9 hrs on Low). The only issue we had was horrible heartburn – I assume from fatty stew meat. Is there a leaner cut of meat we can cube that will still be tender?
Sorry to hear you had heartburn! This stew really is best with the chuck. Nothing else is quite the same.
One of the best recipes I have tested in a long time. Followed it to the letter with minor changes. This is a keeper.
I have never been one to cook a good beef stew, in fact previous attempts were total failures. I followed this recipe to the letter except I didn’t use any red wine, used more beef stock. I must say my days of sucking are over, my family loved it and went back for seconds, that’s never happened before. This is a keeper, the best. Thank you!
I need to make this gluten free. Can you suggest how much corn starch to use or do you have a better idea?
You can just replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. If you’d prefer to use cornstarch, don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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.
Absolutely fantastic! I made it last week halving the recipe for just my husband and myself. I now am in the process of tripling the recipe for a party. I had to use a number of pots and then put the whole thing together into one big pot with all the liquid to finish. As it came to a boil, I see a lot of scum at the top which I did not see when I made the small amount last week. Should I worry that this will not turn out? I tried to get some of the scum off, but it isn’t easy. Thanks. 5 stars when I made the small amount!
Hi Beverly, My guess is the “scum” you’re referring to is just a bit of fat from the meat. I wouldn’t worry about it at all. Hope it’s a success at the party!
When one triples the amount of meat in the recipe, should the liquid amounts also be tripled? Also, how to I thicken the gravy after it is cooked? It seems very thin. Thanks!
Hi Beverly, Yes, if you’re tripling the meat, I’d suggest tripling all the ingredients. If you’d like to thicken the gravy, you could always make a paste with 1 Tbsp. softened butter and 1 Tbsp. flour — whisk it in at the very end, and then simmer until thickened.
Honestly, this is the BEST beef stew I or my family has ever tried! I’m making it again tomorrow because my family couldn’t get enough! Thank you for sharing!!
I have been making this recipe for 2 years now! Thank you for posting it! My daughters and I LOVE it!!!!
Mine turned out watery! I’m not sure why. I don’t see that anyone else had this issue.
I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except: I added the veggies in with the meat when I put it in the oven instead of waiting until after an hour to add them. Also I used canned tomatoes instead of paste since I didn’t have any but I used a cup less of wine to compensate for the liquid.
I think the paste actually helps thicken it so that is probably why yours was watery.
I made this tonight and it’s fabulous! I can’t wait to see how it tastes tomorrow!
Hi, this recipe and reviews sound good and I would like to try it. One ingredient that I don’t often have is tomato paste. With the small amount required, I am thinking of adding ketchup and perhaps cutting down the sugar a bit. ( or maybe eliminate it) What do you think?
Hi Cathy, I do like tomato paste here but I think you could get away with the ketchup. For what it’s worth, I often buy tomato paste in a tube — it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Enjoy!
I freeze leftover tomato paste by measuring out tablespoons into an ice cube tray, freeze, then take them out, wrap each one in plastic wrap and store in a bag in the freezer.
That’s a great way to keep extra from going to waste- thanks for the suggestion!
I’m making approximately 20 servings of this recipe tomorrow. if i’m slow cooking it should I omit the flour until later?
Hi Devan, I would stick with using the flour when the recipe indicates. Hope everyone enjoys the stew!
Excellent recipe! I used this recipe in my electric pressure cooker and it turned out beautifully. I only made couple of adjustments. I coated the beef with flour before searing/browning. The meat was oh so tender and the flavor was as if I was cooking it for hours! Luckily my pressure cooker has a sear/brown function where I can brown right in the cooker pot. I had to do it in about two batches but if came out great. If others want to adjust this recipe for a pressure cooker:
1. Brown meat first and remove
2. Follow the recipe as specified for adding the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. After about five minutes I added the tomato paste and wine together.
3. After a few more minutes add the broth, spices, beef, and vegetables including potatoes and carrots. I also added celery. I did not add water at this point because the pressure cooker was full and the steam generated from the pressure cooker condenses back into the stew. If too rich you can always add water at the end.
4. Cook for 20 minutes!! Yep that’s it! 20 minutes to wonderfully tender and flavorful stew! The vegetables were also cooked perfectly, not soggy at all.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write directions on how to cook this in the pressure cooker. I followed your directions and the stew was awesome, and only 20 min cooking time!!!
I really like this stew but it’s often hard to carve out enough time to be home while it cooks, especially on weekdays. Thank you Kamaria for providing these instructions for the pressure cooker…such a huge help when you’re crunched for time!
Thanks, Kamaria. Would you do a quick release or a natural pressure release? Does the below look correct?
1. Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
2. Pat beef dry and season salt and pepper, then flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat with sear button until hot and shimmering. Brown meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, about 5-8 minutes per batch, adding one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let meat develop brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer meat to a large plate and set aside.
3. Add onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from bottom of pan, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook a few minutes more. Add beef with juices, carrots and potatoes to the pot. Add wine, beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar; stir with wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from bottom of pan.
4. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes then quick release.
Is this the recipe you used?
Followed the instructions exactly as printed. THE STEW WAS FABULOUS!!!! Placed over egg noodles and sooo delicious. Will make this again and again!
This is a fantastic recipe, which we have enjoyed numerous times! Can it be modified for the crock pot? If so, when would I add the carrots and potatoes for this option?
So glad you like the stew Holly! Yes, this can be prepared in a crock pot. I would recommend searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
It’s Halloween, a great night for a dark, mysterious, gorgeous dinner. This hit the spot. A truly fabulous stew.
This is the absolute best beef stew recipe. I have prepared it several times and I would not change a thing. Thanks so much for the post. Much appreciated.
Excellent recipe!
Have eaten homemade stew throughout my entire life, am 63 yrs., young. I use to make a freestyle version of my mothers Irish stew, which is a very good recipe.
This recipe is hands down my all time favourite! It’s the Best stew ever!!!!! It’s my go to recipe now!
Is this recipe freezable?
Yes Heather, it freezes nicely. Enjoy!
Best stew ever! Thanks Jenn for another fabulous dinner. My husband loved it!
Best stew I have ever made. Only used 3 garlic cloves, but everything else was the same. You can’t go wrong with this.
Can you make this in a crock pot?
Sure Susan, Sure, you can prepare this in a crock pot. I’d sear the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cook the stew on high for 4 – 5 hours in the crock pot (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Hope you enjoy!
I am anxious to try this recipe, it sounds amazing. could this be done in a crock pot instead of in the oven?
Sure, you can prepare this in a slow cooker. I would recommend searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
Jenn , I use a Pinot noir red wine(josh) ? It’s smooth and perfect adjustment Fromm summer Pinot Gris ….But my foodie friends think I should use a cheap red wine as its ” wasting good wine ” your Thoughts please !!
Hi Pat, I would use an inexpensive wine that’s good enough to drink. Hope that settles it 🙂
Di you have a suggestion to substitute red wine for something? I don’t drink or use any wine.
Hi Ruth, Go ahead and replace the wine with more beef stock. It will still be delicious.
Hands down, BEST BEEF STEW RECIPE EVER! My family LOVES beef stew and I’ve tried countless recipes. This has been my go-to recipe since I found it a few years ago. The flavors are so rich and perfect. It takes a long time to make this recipe, but it is worth every second.
So I want to make this for a group of 30…can I cook it all the way through on Saturday, then warm in a large crockpot Sunday morning for Sunday lunch?
Definitely– it’s even better the second day. Hope everyone enjoys!
BEST. STEW. RECIPE. EVER.
Best beef stew ever. Amazing depth of flavor. Followed the recipe exactly. This is my new go-to. Yum!
I don’t have a pot that can go in the oven. Can I simmer on stove top for 2 hours rather than in the oven? If not any other suggestions? Thanks.
Yep!
What if I only have a sweet wine? Is that going to make a big difference in the taste? Should I completely omit the wine all together?
Hi Carole, What type of sweet wine?
We only had sweet red wine and the stew was terrific!
Great results! I always found it hard to find a recipe that didn’t call for too many tomatoes–which render a stew too acidic for my taste; or an awkward proportion of wine that insult my kids’ palate. Your recipe has the right balance of ingredients, is wholesome and relatively simple to follow. My whole family loved it!
Thank you much for sharing! May I ask 2 questions?
1.Would it braise well in an electric roaster oven?
2.Does this recipe allow me to double or even triple it lol?
Regards,
Cindy
Hi Cindy, I’m not familiar with an electric roaster oven, so I couldn’t say for sure if the stew would work in there. But yes, you can definitely double or triple the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve doubled it with no issues, other than increased time to brown the meat since I still have to do the same size batched for that.
Great bold flavor & it is healthy. I have added this to my family cook book to use over and over again! Thank you so much!
I made this tonite & was kind of skeptical because of all the liquid but it was to die for! The balsamic, wine, tomato paste & sugar made a really great difference that my hubbie & I loved. Browning of the meat together w/ low, slow cooking makes a difference. Browning the meat is key to flavor but I think I browned too long almost.
Overall, goodness & love in a bowl ???
This is amazing. I don’t eat beef, but decided to try it with pork. Bought some country ribs, cubed them and followed the rest of the recipe. Added some peas and celery. The neighbor came over and was telling me how wonderful my house smells. Can’t wait to share this with my family Thank you.
Would beef brisket or London broil make good stew??
Hi Rosalie, Chuck really is best for stew meat, so that’s what I’d recommend. That said, another reader commented that they used London Broil and were happy with the results.
This is a delicious pot of stew. It is better on the second or third day. We served it with sourdough. Perfection!
Sounds delicious . .. Having Celiac disease cannot use flour. Will corn starch work?
Pam
Hi Pam, Cornstarch will work here, but don’t add it at the time the recipe specifies. 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, 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. If you have gluten-free flour, that would work also.
i substituted chickpea flour for regular flour.
Drenched the meat pieces (seasoned with salt and pepper) with the chickpea flour before browning. It worked beautifully! I also added unsweetened dark sweet cherries (I got from Trader Joe’s) and coconut sugar instead of regular sugar. And added chunks of celery as well. Delicious! This recipe is a keeper!
Cooking tomorrow…would stainless pot be good sub for Dutch oven or would crockpot work better?
As long as the stainless steel pot is oven-safe, it will work just fine!
Good stuff however, I do have a complaint, the smell while it was in the oven was so good that it drove me mad! Nothing like salivating for three hours, I thought I might drown. Next time I will drink the rest of the wine and pass out so I don’t have to suffer waiting 🙂 Thx