Beef Stew Recipe with Carrots & Potatoes
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This classic French beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. Slow-cooked in a wine-based broth, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a richly flavored sauce—perfect for chilly nights.
With thousands of 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the most popular recipe on my site—and for good reason! It’s incredibly delicious and the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Pieces of well-marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours, the meat becomes fork tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce.
This beef stew recipe is largely hands-off and even better when made a day or two ahead. It also freezes beautifully. Serve it with artisan bread or popovers to soak up the rich sauce, or ladle it over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for an extra-hearty meal.
“SERIOUSLY EPIC! Hands down, the best beef stew recipe I have ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Stew
- Boneless beef chuck: The key to tender, flavorful stew. Look for chuck roast with a good amount of marbling, or white veins of fat running through it. Avoid generic “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean.
- Olive oil: Used for browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables.
- Yellow onions and garlic: Adds sweetness, depth, and savory aroma to the stew as they cook.
- Tomato paste and balsamic vinegar: Tomato paste enriches and thickens the stew, while balsamic vinegar adds acidity and depth to balance the richness.
- All-purpose flour: As the stew simmers, the flour helps thicken the broth, turning it into a rich, velvety sauce that clings to the meat and vegetables.
- Dry red wine: Adds bold flavor and forms the base of the stew along with the broth and water. Use any dry red wine like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon that is inexpensive but good enough to drink.
- Beef broth and water: Forms the liquid base along with the wine.
- Bay leaf, thyme, and parsley: Classic herbs that infuse earthy flavor during cooking and add brightness at the end.
- Carrots and white boiling potatoes (baby Yukons): Add natural sweetness, texture, and hearty substance as they soak up the broth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Trim the meat. Begin by removing any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to (like the one my knife is pointing to below), but don’t overdo it with the trimming, as the fat helps keep the beef tender while it cooks.
Step 2: Season. Next, sprinkle the meat generously with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Sear the beef. Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches. This step is a bit time-consuming but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew. (Note: it’s important not to crowd the pan—if you try to brown all the meat at once, it will steam instead of sear and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.)
Step 4: Add the aromatics, vinegar, and tomato paste. 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.
Step 5: Return the beef to the pot and add flour. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour is dissolved.
Step 6: Add the cooking liquid and seasoning. Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. (If you don’t have a Dutch oven or prefer to cook the stew on the stovetop, that works, too! The timing will be the same—just keep it on the lowest heat setting and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.)
Step 7: Mix in the veggies. At this point, remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes.
Step 8: Finish cooking. Return the stew to the oven and cook for one hour, until the meat and veggies are tender and the broth has thickened.
Pro Tips
The stew should thicken nicely by the end of cooking, but if you’d like to thicken it further, simply mash 2 tablespoons each softened butter and flour into a paste. Bring the stew to a simmer on the stovetop, then stir in small amounts of the paste, letting it dissolve and thicken the sauce before adding more.
Want to make the stew in a crockpot? Sear the meat and cook the onions and garlic as instructed. Then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the carrots, potatoes, water, wine, and broth; cook for 4 to 5 hours.
Video Tutorial
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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 stove. The timing will be the same and it should be cooked over the lowest setting.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly 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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Best stew I have ever had! There is a stew that my ex-husband’s mom makes that has been handed down from her mother. It is a German stew that is made with beer and it is wonderful. I didn’t think I could like another stew as much as that one but this one is delicious. It has a wonderful depth of flavor from the balsamic vinegar and red wine. We toasted french bread in the oven to take full advantage of the au jus.
I don’t have any regular red wine. Can I use red wine vinegar instead? Also do you recommend regular or convection bake for the oven?
Hi Krissy, I’d replace the red wine with additional beef broth. And I’d recommend the regular setting in your oven. If you want to use the convection setting, reduce the oven temperature by 25°. Hope you enjoy!
Lovely Recipe thank you. Just changed Thyme to Rosemary for a different flavour
Second time I have made this recipe. One of the times I made this in the slow cooker and let it go on low for 6 hrs. Cooked the potatoes and carrots separately then added at end. Perfect healthy meal on a busy day or if you are having a gang in for dinner. Delicious.
I have made a lot of stews in my day – many family recipes – as we are English- but decided to look for a new one to try with potatoes in – which I always resist – I prefer them under my stew and mashed rather than in it. My husband always wants them in it – so I thought I would try a new one. This was excellent. I followed the recipe exactly and served with yorkshire puddings and mashed potatoes (I served myself a ladle of stew sans potato) – I loved the depth of flavour and it will be my new go to recipe.
Thank you!
Terrific recipe, make it as is. And don’t worry about the onions! They completely disappear during cooking and add amazing flavor. I made my beef stock from 2 bouillon cubes in 16oz of boiling water which worked great, and I also cut the potatoes and carrots a little smaller than suggested to make them more bite size. The resulting broth/gravy tastes rich and hearty (the red wine is key!). This is a relatively easy recipe, most of its time goes into cooking and it’s worth every minute.
At what temperature do you set the oven?
Thanks
Hi Tessa, the oven should be heated to 325°F/163°C. Hope you enjoy!
Made this a couple of nights ago. Didn’t change a thing to the recipe. We loved it!! It is my new favorite beef recipe. Loved it!!
Can this be done in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can. I’d sear the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cook it in the slow cooker 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). Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! We are hermiting up. We don’t eat a lot of white foods because my husband needs to watch his sugar. I have everything that I need for your beef stew except for potatoes. We substitute brown rice or whole grains pretty much for potatoes. I know that potatoes soak up salt, etc. in a recipe. If I leave the potatoes out, with the intention of serving the stew over brown rice, do I need to alter the recipe?
Thanks! Jane🤡
No, Jane, no modifications necessary. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
The perfect comfort food, especially given that beef chunks are plentiful and chicken not available at all. 2nd time making it in as many weeks… flavor is sublime. Best stew I have ever had.
I just found this recipe two weeks ago, and I’ve made it twice. I enjoyed it so much the first time I made it, I actually ate it for breakfast and lunch the next day! I actually doubled the recipe this time so I can enjoy it for the next couple weeks. I made it with noodles on the side rather than potatoes, I’ve never been a big fan of potatoes in stew, they don’t freeze well, and get kind of grainy. It would probably be amazing with mashed potatoes as well. So delicious!
I made this for a potluck lunch at work and everyone raved about it. It is absolutely the best stew recipe I have ever used and I will definitely be making this again. The potatoes and carrots weren’t overcooked and the meat was oh so tender. My co-workers also raved about the Best Buttermilk Biscuits and asked for the recipe for these and the stew.
Surely the ingredients should. come BEFORE the cooking instructions!
Hi Lynn, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, under the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Went on the internet and found this recipe. Decided with this many 5 star ratings is must be good. It is!! Did not disappoint. It has such an amazing flavor. Tender meat, perfectly cooked veggies. I did however reduce the meat cooking time. Checked at 11/2 hours And meat was pretty much there. Maybe my sizes were smaller? Also, I hate a greasy stove. Browned the meat under broiler and went from there but strained the juices before adding to sautéed onions/garlic. Will make again! Thank you and we will try more of your recipes in the future.
Can I cook this in a crock pot? if yes, how many hours do you suggest?
Yes, you can. I’d sear the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cook it in the slow cooker 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). Hope you enjoy!
The reviews are so nice. I’m going to try this right away as today’s dinner!
But I have only 1 pound of beef in my house. Will it be okay to put only one pound, instead of 3 pounds?
Sure, Olivia, but you should cut all the other ingredients by 2/3 as well. Hope you enjoy!