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.
Add a Comment
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Hi! If I’m using 4lbs of meat should I increase the liquid?
Yes, I’d increase everything by 1/4. Hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness! This is THE best tasting beef stew I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe EXACTLY. I even bought a 5qt Dutch oven and it was plenty of room for all the ingredients. It smelled heavenly while cooking. It was still a little soupy after 3hrs but I just added the flour/butter paste (I ended up using 2 Tbsp each for desired thickness) and it thickened right up and no lumps! I used an $18 bottle of merlot and beef stock and the flavor was SO rich and delicious. The meat was tender, melt in your mouth goodness and veggies perfectly done. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
Please advise on what to use if we want this to be gluten free? I read through some of the reviews and the use of almond flour but do you suppose I can use corn starch? Or arrow root starch? If so, what would be the appropriate measurements? I have heard that one can also use dried mushroom powder – for paleo purposes (although we are not paleo restricted). I don’t know much about mushroom powders but I can imagine it is pretty flavorful Thx Jenn … your recipes never disappoint and I am sure this is divine! Can’t wait to try 🙂
Hi Faye, I’m not familiar with mushroom powder so I can’t weigh in on that but any number of gluten-free options will work here. You can use gluten-free flour or arrowroot starch as you mentioned. If you want to use cornstarch, you’ll want to wait until the very end and 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 and 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!
Thank you for the best beef stew recipe I have found. I may have to double the recipe in the future so there are leftovers. Very rich and flavorful!! Thick cut italian bread on the side. Plates looked like they didn’t need washed after everyone was done.
Just made this today and it came out wonderfully. I tasted a couple spoonfuls. The flavors and the thickness of the sauce were perfect. I’m letting it sit for a few hours while my french bread dough is rising. Thanks for the recipe.
I used round roast instead of chuck, but besides that followed it exactly and it was Delicious! Leftovers didn’t last long either, can’t wait to make it again!
I want to make this to bring over to someone’s house for dinner but they have a gluten allergy. Any suggestions on how to make this gluten free but still have a thick sauce?
Hi Chad, you can definitely use gluten-free here. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe twice and my family really loves it. Can i just stew the beef without browning it on the stove?
Hi R, I really recommend browning the beef — it adds a ton of flavor (and the brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan add a lot to the depth of flavor as well).
Just made a slightly modified version of this and it was outrageous. Such a good base to build off of. Very easy to work with and I feel like I could have made a lot of missteps and it still would have come out very well. Great recipe and excellent instructions.
I had a few pounds of leftover grilled tri-tip that came out super tender, as well as some grilled shiitake mushrooms (would probably skip these next time, they actually didn’t soften up very well). For herbs I used lots of rosemary, thyme and some sage.
At the two hour mark it was slightly sweet (could have been the mushrooms and cab sauv) so I added a little extra salt and quickly seared the potatoes/carrots in some additional rosemary/butter. Balanced out very nicely at the end.
Will definitely be making this again and enjoying it through the rainy months. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve made this several times and it’s excellent – though as always much depends on the quality of the stock. (For me that makes this dish a 3-day affair of roasting bones, simmering stock, and then following your excellent recipe.)
I wanted to ask what your main reason for using balsamic vinegar is? I mean is it a chemical matter of deglazing the pan or for taste – or both?
Many thanks for this and many other of your recipes (esp the green lentil stew) – and tx in advance, too, if ever this answer should get an answer.
Best
Matt
Glad you like it, Matt! the balsamic vinegar adds a subtle sweetness and another layer of flavor to the stew.
Thanks so much for replying. Such a thoughtfully and well curated website – I hope it is worth your while.
Best
Hello all you cook enthusiasts! I made this yesterday for the Hawks game, however, I used my stovetop method.
It was a complete knockout! Everyone had seconds, please give it a try it is delicious!
Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe.
Sincerely,
Javier
That’s how I am making it now…should I continue with the two hours, then add carrots and potatoes, or should it be cooked longer than two hours before adding veggies.
Hi Jude, the timing will remain the same on the stove. Just stir it periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
Hi there,
I accidentally bought sliced meat instead of cubed, it’s quite thin (Korean style).
Wondering if there is a way to modify the recipe to incorporate this?
Thanks,
Phil
Hi Phillippe, I think it should work, but probably won’t take as long to cook. I’d add the potatoes and carrots about 30 minutes earlier to ensure they cook through. Hope you enjoy!
Can I make this in my slow cooker once I do thé sautéing instead of putting in an oven.?
Yes – hope you enjoy!