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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This stew looks perfect! I only have Russet Potatoes because all others are gone from the store. Would these work or should I leave them out and serve over mashed potato instead? I also love the taste of Rosemary in stew like this, but wonder if you think it would detract from the taste if I were to add some. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Christy, russet potatoes will work here; just cut them into bite-sized chunks so they cook through. And it’s perfectly fine to add some rosemary. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! I stumbled upon your website and am loving it! Always wish I had gone to culinary school, especially now that I am a stay at home mom with some boys who love to eat!!
Hi sounds delicious can you make this recipe in a crock pot, after browning the meat?
Yes, (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Hope you enjoy!
Made this and accidentally poured too much wine (what is too much wine right?) but boyfriend said it tasted alot better heated up the next day. I’m back to write a review for the first time I made as I’m back for the recipe Cus I’m making it again tomorrow! Didn’t add bay leaves.
Problem is how do i stop the beef from splattering oil too much?? I had to mop my floor thrice.. 🙁
Glad you both enjoyed this! Yes, the oil splatter is definitely frustrating. The best solution is purchasing a shield like this.
Made it today, just got done eating din. It was just absolutely delicious, Jen. Everyone of your recipes are delicious. You’re my fave. Thanks.
❤️
We tend to make Beef Bourguignon only on special occasions, but while this takes some time to prepare, it is a very simple affair; so we will make it more often.
I have made several different versions of this dish from time to time, even have done the “Julia Child” moment. All are good, but this recipe has all the boldness of flavor one comes to expect from this stew. Without question it was and is a “keeper” in our family.
A very minor point, but why do you use dried thyme over fresh? Is it to provide the same kick of thyme without having to use a lot of fresh thyme leaves that require chopping for the same strength of flavour?
Yes, I use dried thyme because it’s an easy shortcut that still provides plenty of flavor. 🙂
Can I just do this on the stove? I am not 100% sure my heavy-bottomed pot is oven-safe.
Sure – just give it a stir every once in a while so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Hope you enjoy!
The absolute best beef stew I have ever made! Rave reviews from my family! The sauce was rich and perfectly flavored! Thank you for sharing!
I have made this several times before and love it. I have always had fresh garlic, but, with shortages at the grocery right now, I have been completely unable to buy whole garlic. I have canned minced garlic and, of course, garlic powder. Should I use 3 teaspoons of the minced garlic, or will that be a poor substitute and also maybe just too overpowering? Thanks for your help!
Oh, also, I could not find chuck roast. Butcher department said Sirloin Tip Roast would be the next best. Hope it still comes out reasonably tender.
Hi Julie, In a pinch, it will work to use minced garlic; I’d use about 1 tablespoon. And I worry that a sirloin tip roast will be too lean and not terribly tender, but several readers have made the stew with it and have had success. Please LMK how it turns out!
Thanks for your help! I did end up making it last night before hearing from you with 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. I didn’t cook the garlic quite as long with the onions, as I was worried the minced garlic would brown too quickly. The flavor was still excellent.
The sirloin tip roast that I had the butcher chop for me actually turned out quite well. Granted, it didn’t have that “fall apart in the pot” quality but it was still tender. The family loved it as always.
Plan today to make the Artisan Bread that you just posted. Know we are bound to enjoy it. Thanks!
So glad the stew turned out well – thanks for the follow-up! If you have any leftovers, you can sop up the broth with your freshly baked bread. 🙂
Made this for dinner last night with a fresh loaf of warm French bread. Used a nice dry red wine both for the stew and to drink. There was not a bite left. Absolutely delicious!!
Hi!
Can I skip tomato paste? Want to make this tonight and it’s the only ingredient we don’t have
Hi Collette, If you have canned tomato sauce on hand, you can replace the tomato paste with it. Hope you enjoy!