Classic Beef Stew Recipe
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This classic beef stew recipe combines tender chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes in a rich, deeply flavorful sauce. It’s the ultimate cold-weather comfort food.
With thousands of 5-star reviews, this beef stew recipe is the most popular dish on my site—and for good reason. Well-marbled beef chuck is seared until deeply browned, then slowly braised with onions and garlic in a rich wine-based sauce. After a few hours in the oven, the beef is meltingly tender, the vegetables are perfectly cooked, and the sauce is rich and deeply savory.
Better still, the recipe is largely hands-off once it goes into the oven, tastes even better a day or two after it’s made, and freezes beautifully. Serve it with crusty bread or popovers to soak up the sauce, or spoon it over egg noodles for an extra-hearty meal.
And don’t just take my word for it. When The Kitchn tested four popular beef stew recipes side by side, they gave this one a 9/10 and named it the “Straightforward Standout.”
“SERIOUSLY EPIC! Hands down, the best beef stew recipe I have ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Stew
- Boneless beef chuck: My favorite cut for beef stew because its marbling and connective tissue make it especially well suited to slow braising—the meat becomes juicy and fork-tender as it cooks. Look for a well-marbled chuck roast and cut it into chunks yourself rather than buying packaged “stew meat,” which can contain leaner pieces from different cuts that cook unevenly.
- Yellow onions and garlic: These aromatics build the savory flavor base of the stew.
- Tomato paste and balsamic vinegar: Tomato paste adds richness and body while balsamic vinegar adds depth and acidity.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the cooking liquid into a rich sauce that clings to the beef and vegetables.
- Red Wine, Beef Broth & Water: Form the flavorful braising liquid. For the wine, use an inexpensive dry red such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon—something good enough to drink.
- Bay leaf, thyme, and parsley: Bay leaf and thyme add earthy flavor as the stew braises; fresh parsley adds a bright finish just before serving.
- Carrots and white boiling potatoes (baby Yukons): Add sweetness, texture, and heartiness. Baby Yukons hold their shape well during braising while becoming tender and creamy inside. For extra vegetables and a pop of green, you can add frozen peas toward the end of cooking.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Beef Stew
Step 1: Prep the beef. Trim away any large, hard pieces of fat that are easy to get to, but don’t overdo it. The marbling running through the meat helps keep the beef juicy and tender as it braises. Pat the beef dry, which helps it brown rather than steam, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2: Brown the beef. Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and sear the beef in batches, leaving enough space between the pieces so they brown rather than steam. Take your time here; you’re looking for a deep brown crust, not just a change in color. The browned bits that collect on the bottom of the pot are important, too, as they’ll form part of the flavor base for the stew.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics. Add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pot. As the vinegar hits the hot pan, it will help loosen the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom, so scrape them up with a wooden spoon as the onions cook. Once the onions begin to soften, stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly to deepen its flavor.
Step 4: Return the beef and add the flour. Return the beef and any juices on the plate to the pot, then stir in the flour until no dry streaks remain. The flour will thicken the braising liquid as the stew cooks, giving the finished sauce body.
Step 5: Braise the stew. Pour in the wine, broth, and water, then add the bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 hours, then stir in the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through. Adding the vegetables later keeps them from becoming too soft or falling apart. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Pro tip: No Dutch oven? You can also cook the stew on the stovetop. Keep it covered over the lowest heat and stir occasionally to prevent sticking; the cooking time will be about the same.
Step 6: Serve. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up the rich sauce. Like most stews, it’s even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully, too.
How to Thicken Beef Stew
Don’t worry if the stew seems thin during cooking; it won’t fully thicken until the very end. If you’d still prefer a thicker sauce once it’s done, mash 2 tablespoons each of softened butter and flour into a smooth paste (this is called a beurre manié). Bring the stew to a simmer on the stovetop, then whisk in the paste a little at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Can I Make Beef Stew in a Slow Cooker?
Yes, but for best results, begin on the stovetop as directed. Brown the beef, then cook the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Return the beef to the pot, sprinkle with the flour, and stir until incorporated. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, including the carrots and potatoes, and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Video Tutorial
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Classic Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, well-marbled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on a diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
- Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a rack in the lower middle position.
- Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the stew warm -- or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven or covered pot that is appropriate for the oven, the stew can be cooked on the stovetop. The timing will be the same and it should be cooked over the lowest setting.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Simply prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. If you want to freeze the stew, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
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Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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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