Classic Beef Stew Recipe
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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
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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.
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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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Throw out your other beef stew recipes. This is the only one you’ll ever need. This stew is INCREDIBLE.
I have tried this recipe 3X’s hoping it’s me. It is not me. This recipe calls for way too much liquid and by the time it’s cooked at 325 for 3 hours the potatoes and carrots are mushy.
I have experimented too many times to realize it is NOT me.
We truly enjoy a good hearty beef stew , this is not it.
Please promise my email is not published.
I’m not an expert, but my husband just declared that the stew I made today is “amazing,” and “delicious.” The potatoes and carrots don’t go in until the beef, other ingredients, and liquid, have braised the first two hours of the three. Our carrots and potatoes were perfect. Don’t give up, it’s worth it. I usually put an extra cup of beef broth and only 1 cup dry red wine. So good!
Hi Marilyn,
The beef needs to braise by itself in the broth and water so it can become tender – that is the first 2 and a half hours. The potatoes and carrots are added in the final hour, so they cook but don’t become mushy. The pro tip she offered, 2 tbsp softened butter and flour mixed to form a paste and stirred in at the end, works well if you feel there is too much liquid.
I agree that this recipe has too much liquid so I just omit the water. Problem solved! This is one of my family’s favorite dishes. Give it one more try without the water and add the veggies (I use Yukon gold potatoes) in the last hour. Bon appetit!
Love this! Makes the house smell delicious and is a very comforting, nourishing meal that is company worthy. The only tweaks I made were adding a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and mushrooms which I sauteed separately. Good with rice if you have hungry teenagers like I do. Nice for a day when you’re having family time at home around the holidays.
Amazing! Thank you for making me look like a chef! Came out so good!
Can I add fresh mushrooms to this?
Sure – I’d season and sauté them separately and add them in at the end. Enjoy!
This stew was a huge hit at our Christmas Eve dinner. Everyone raved about it, and on a table of amazing food, it was gone in 15 minutes! What’s especially notable about this is that I do not eat beef, I had never cooked beef in my life, and I did not even taste it! But with Jenn’s incredible recipe, I was able to make a dish that my beef-eating guests loved and talked about all night. Amazing! Thank you Jenn. I come to your site because I have never tried one recipe that did not turn out beautifully, taste wonderful and delight all those I was cooking for. Many thanks!
I’d like to replace the water with wine, to make a richer sauce. Any reason why not? Looks like a great recipe!
Hi Laurie, so the wine flavor is not too intense, I’d suggest using 3 cups of beef broth and 3 cups of wine. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe so many times and absolutely love it! I’ve made it with beef chucks but also discovered that veal shank is even better!
I’m making this for the first time to take to our holiday dinner. If the stew has been out of the fridge for 30-60 minutes, how long should it take to heat it on the stove?
Thank you!
I’d guesstimate around 30 minutes, but leave yourself more time, as that’s truly an estimate!
I have made this recipe before and it is truly the best! But my husband has stopped drinking, so I no longer cook with red wine (a bit of a bummer for cooking, but totally worth the trade-off!) I am not sure it will have the same rich flavor if I just use all beef stock. How would you recommend I adjust the recipe?
Hi Patty, it will still be delicious substituting additional beef broth for the wine. 😊
Hi there – I love this recipe! In the past, I’ve only made this in a nonstick pot, and it always came out perfectly. However, I recently switched to an enamel Le Creuset dutch oven. As I seared the meat in batches, the fond turned black. Is it OK that I left the fond as-is in the pot, or should I have removed the black bits and cleaned out the pot? Thanks!
Hi Monica, glad you like it! Yes, it’s normal that the fond gets very dark like that — leave it as is. It eventually gets scraped up and adds lots of flavor to the broth.
This was seriously the best stew I’ve ever made! Thank you for this incredible recipe that I’ll always use going forward! My husband said it was the best dinner he could have ever imagined after shoveling the driveway… a hot bowl of rich deliciousness!
Many thanks!