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 was fabulous months ago but time consuming. Any chance this could be made in two days ? Please advise when you have a chance!
Hi Staci, Glad you liked it! I don’t recommend spreading the cooking out over two days – I worry about it from a food safety standpoint. Sorry!
This was the BEST beef stew recipe I have ever made. I have been cooking for 45 years and NO BEEF STEW RECIPE I EVER MADE was as good as this. The meat was tender; the flavor of the gravy was exquisite – I left out the salt (I minimize salt) in all my recipes but my beef broth had just enough salt to make it all perfect. The addition of balsamic vinegar and red wine (I used GOOD red wine) added a beautiful depth of flavor. The timing of braising the meat was spot on and the addition of potatoes and carrots with additional cooking time was also perfect. I added a LOT of mushrooms about 30 minutes from completion. Other than minimizing the salt and adding mushrooms, I followed this recpie as is. Kudos to the creator of this recipe.
Can I make this in instant pot?
Hi Eliza, I don’t have experience with one, but a number of readers have commented that they have made this in an Instant Pot and have been happy with the results. One recent comment indicated: “I cooked at high pressure for 35 min, although next time I will add 5 more min, then depressurized, added the potatoes and carrots, and cooked for another 10 min. Also added a bit less liquid, since you lose none in the pressure cooker.” Hope that helps!
Stunning, haven been looking for a beef stew recipe for such a long time, this is the best ever!
This is a super delicious stew!!! I really love it. My family and I are long term house guests (due to a catastrophic house flood) I’m going to make it for their family. I’ll be feeding 8 people including a grown man and two teenaged boys so I’m going to 1.5x it to ensure there’s plenty. I can’t wait. They’re going to really love it!!!
Perfection!
Hands down the best beef stew recipe that I have tried. I came across it a number of years ago, and it has been my family’s go-to for beef stew. Our daughter, who grew up eating this stew for Sunday family dinners, just asked for the recipe, now that she is living on her own.
Your beef stew is delicious & I am making it tomorrow. We love onions so wondered if I could add some onions in with the carrots & potatoes, also maybe frozen green peas. Would it change the taste of the stew? Your recipe is perfect I dont want to ruin it! Many thanks
So glad you like it, Stella! When you say onions, are you referring to pearl onions? I ask as the recipe already has onions. If so, adding both them and peas would be perfectly fine but I don’t think you need to add either one until close to the end of the cooking time; you’ll just need to warm them through.
It’s our go to stew recipe, except we cut about 5 or 6 pounds of beef chuck into thick steaks and sear them with a nice brown crust instead of dicing and searing individually in batches which takes ages. This method ctually helps the meat retain its juiciness!
We also add a dash of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce for increased umami flavour with the tomato paste.
Double the garlic, and 1/3 increase everything else, split into two Dutch ovens which thankfully both fit side by side in our oven.
Absolutely fantastic recipe, we’ve made it ahead of time and brought it to camping trips for big groups which has gone down a treat. And stock up on a double batch so we have frozen batches for quick and easy meals. Also great to share out with our elderly neighbours during inclement weather or power outages.
If anyone is hosting a dinner party this recipe translates to make wonderful beef pasties with puff pastry, although I recommend cooking down the sauce or thickening it! Pairing it with an easy spinach, feta, and ricotta pasty means options for those guests who are vego. Worked a treat for a harry potter party we hosted last year.
Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Thank you for your comment! I haven’t made this recipe yet because I need to double it and the searing the meat in small chunks is so time consuming. I will try it the way you did it!
I was nervous to make this yesterday because I was having guests for dinner and had never made a beef stew. The 5 stars convinced me to try it anyway. The stew came out perfectly. The meat was super tender, the vegetables were cooked just right, and the sauce had a lovely sweetness! It was a hit with my guests who had seconds and thirds. This recipe is a keeper!
This recipe was the best I have ever had and my family loved it . Will keep this recipe in my recipe box. Thank you