Classic Beef Stew Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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.
Pair with
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
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Made this last evening – it was fantastic! I have made Julia’s traditional Beef Bourguignon in the past and while it was also good – the amount of time, dirty dishes, etc. have made me think twice about it. So happy I found this recipe which only dirtied ONE pan (and the leftover stew is still in the Dutch oven in the fridge – so still haven’t had to wash it) and was super flavorful and filling. Used a 3.75 lb roast so bumped up other ingredients a bit. Chose not to use the 2 cups of water and replaced with beef broth – and that way I didn’t have left over beef broth in the fridge. Also did the beurre manie to thicken stew at the end of cooking time. Thanks for a great addition to our cool weather menu!
I am planning on making beef stew this weekend for Halloween. I have never made stew before and so have been doing a lot of research–your recipe looks amazing and I plan on using it this weekend.
A few quick questions about some possible additions/substitutions that look interesting to me:
What do you think about using any amount of Ruby Port instead of a dry red wine? Too sweet?
Also, what do you think about cooking some bacon, searing the beef in the bacon fat, and then adding the bacon to the stew? I have seen this in a number of recipes for beef stew so wanted to get your thoughts.
Lastly, any reason not to use beef or chicken stock in lieu of the 2 cups of water?
Thank you!
Hi Derek, A few answers — I wouldn’t recommend the port as it will add too much sweetness to the stew, I think the bacon sounds great, and it’s fine to use more stock in place of the water; you may just want to cut back on the added salt. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! Such a rich velvety deep brown sauce/ gravy with tender meat and not too mushy carrots. We omitted the potatoes and served over mashed potatoes instead. Made the house smell divine.
My son has had Guinness beef stew. Is it possible to swap out the beer for wine, or does it change the ratios of everything else? I found other recipes, but I want to try yours.
Hi Renee, I haven’t tried this with beer but I think you could without any other modifications. Please LMK how it turns out!
I made this today and it turned out amazing! Even my picky 6yr old loved it. I added sauted mushrooms and frozen peas towards the end, as well as a bit of corn starch mixed with water to thicken a bit more. I’ll be saving this recipe. Best stew I’ve made and eaten!! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow!
Made it yesterday…a cold rainy day….it was delicious!
I couldn’t find chuck beef at my local grocery store, so I ended up buying pre-chunked beef labelled “for stewing” and it was definitely on the leaner side. I was worried it wasn’t going to get tender enough, as Jenn mentioned, but it turned out amazing! It was falling apart in my mouth! This was my first time making stew and it didn’t disappoint. I think the carrots I bought were too thick, I would get slimmer ones next time. Jenn’s recipes never disappoint, will be making again!
How important is the quality of the wine? Grocery stores sell cooking wine, but I’m not sure how that compares. Thanks.
Hi Meg, I wouldn’t use the cooking wine you can get in grocery stores but you can use something that is inexpensive but good enough to drink (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.). Hope that helps!
Delicious. I replaced some of the red wine and also water with broth. Also skimmed off about 45 minutes of cooking time and the beef was still very tender. Added some fresh sage which was also a nice touch!
Ok – so per usual I tend to deviate from recipes BUT I did utilize this recipe almost to the “T”, and I cooked this in my intant pot as I didn’t have the time to do it in my Crock Pot or Oven (I also don’t own a pot that can go in the oven lol).
Here’s what I did:
– Utilized about 2.25-2.5 pounds of meat
– Halved the ingredients
– Did NOT add flour (I didn’t have any, utilized cornstarch at the end)
– Added finely chopped celery along with the carrots and yukon potatoes
– Utilized beef broth instead of water (So 2 cups beef broth instead of 1 of each)
– Used Cabernet
– Cut the meat and vegetables into smaller pieces, also diced the onion.
– Used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil (was out of olive)
– Browned the meat on both sides for 3 minutes per side on medium-high heat (#6-7) until all meat was beautifully browned
– Cooked the meat/onion in a separate deep skillet, deglazed that skillet as directed and poured all that carefully into my Instant pot (I don’t like using the saute funtion on the instant pot really)
– Cooked in the Instant Pot on the Stew setting/normal for 35 minutes (or manual for 35 minutes), let it sit for 10-20 minutes afterwards (natural release), then let the pressure release.
– After adding a cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water) to the hot stew, I turned on Saute on low to get it bubbling for a bit and added some extra spices to taste. (We add Cavendars to a lot of things, stews being one of them, so sprinkled a lot of that, some more salt and pepper, a sprinkle of italian seasoning, and a dash of worstershire sauce)
Came out amazingly. It made 4 large bowls of stew. I can’t wait to try it again testing out different variations of spices. (: 5/5 for sure. I’ve never been so excited for left overs.
OH – it should be noted that I did do a Chuck beef roast and cut it into squares – seemed to be MUCH higher quality than precut stew meat!
So delicious!!
The best beef stew I have ever made/had. Melts in your mouth. So delicious.