Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
With over 4,000 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the all-time most popular recipe on my website. It is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Chunks 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 in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce. It takes a few hours to make, but the recipe is mostly hands-off. Go ahead and make it a day or two ahead of time; the flavor improves the longer it sits.
This stew is part of my classic French recipe collection, which includes similar slow-cooking comfort food recipes, like coq au vin and braised short ribs, and impressive main courses, like steak au poivre or roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce.
what you’ll need to make beef stew with carrots & potatoes
The most important thing is to start with the right cut of meat. You want to buy chuck roast that is well-marbled—that means it should have a good amount of white veins of fat running through it. Stay away from meat generically packaged as “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean (I can guarantee you it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it).
For the wine, use any dry red (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
How To Make Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
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 make the beef tender.
Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
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.)
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.
Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.
Stir until the flour is dissolved.
Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.
Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking. You can leave out the potatoes and serve it over buttered egg noodles, or toss in some frozen peas or sautéed mushrooms at the very end. Either way, it’s soul-satisfying comfort food for a cold night.
You may also like
- Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
- Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Guinness Lamb Stew with Vegetables
- Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
- Coq Au Vin
- Meatloaf
Video Tutorial
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
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 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.
- Note: 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 539
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 54g
- Sodium: 1189mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Amazing meal, one of the best we’ve ever had. It was like eating at a FIVE STAR restaurant. I made this a couple of days ago. We are still eating it. I followed the recipe exactly! I didn’t change one thing. If you’re timing the whole thing be sure to leave enough time for all the cooking on the stove top which takes some time. I should have started a bit earlier. I was going to change a couple of things but then decided to follow it exactly and I’m glad I did. The recipe is PERFECT!!
I made this for New Years Eve dinner for our family and it was amazing. Really delicious and easy, what more could you want! Thanks Jenn, I will definitely be making this again!
Hi Jenn
Can this recipe be cut in 1/2 for those of us without big families? Thanks
Love all your recipes and want to make this but not for 6 people.
Thanks! Janet
Sure, Janet – but just know it freezes nicely if you’d like to make the whole batch.
I made this tonight. Well worth the prep time, and not too difficult. Turned out delicious! Beef was tender, which means a lot because I’m very picky with beef. I made a few minor changes: used already cut-up stew meat (with visible marbling) from grocery store, added multiple bay leaves and multiple allspice berries (remove after), and used Herbs de Provence instead of only dry. thyme.
I want to make this this weekend but only have rib-eye Meat. Will that work??
Hi Lauren, Ribeye isn’t an optimal cut for this. I’d really recommend sticking to the beef chuck — sorry!
I’ve made this once before as directedand it was amaaaazing. Do you have any adaptations for the slow cooker?
Glad you like it! For a slow cooker, I’d sear the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cook it in the slow cooker for 4 – 5 hours on high (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
This has been my go-to recipe for stew since I first found it. Super easy but now I’m pressed by the family to bake fresh bread to go with it because I did that once before and they think it’s mandatory to have the bread to clean the bowl. The aroma while it’s cooking is to die for. I have three Golden Retrievers who populate the kitchen the entire time from start to finish. I always save them a chunk of the meat when I’m slicing because not giving that to them would be just plain animal cruelty after they waited so long for it to be served.
Absolutely wonderful. I did make it a day ahead and reheated it. It makes the house smell great too. All I can say is make this you won’t be sorry.
Hi Jenn, I have company this Saturday and wanted to make this recipe, i was thinking of cutting out the potatoes and pairing with mashed potatoes. Do you think that is complimentary? If I keep potatoes to it, what do you think are good sides to pair it with?
Hi Nancy, This would be delicious served over mashed potatoes. If you choose to stick to the recipe and include the potatoes in the stew, it would be nice paired with these buttermilk biscuits. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for always responding to questions. I made this last night skipping the potatoes and serving it over mashed potatoes. It was a huge hit and my house smelled terrific. The only changes I made was to use one cup of wine instead of 2 and replaced with 1 extra cup of beef broth as I was worried I would be able to taste the wine after cooking and I don’t drink but the alcohol had burned off and was delicious. I used 1 Tbsp of fresh thyme vs dry thyme since that is what I had. Great one pot meal if adding the potatoes. This one is a keeper!!! Thanks.
Wonderful beef stew recipe….the addition of the wine really makes it, IMO. I have made this recipe a few times and added/ substituted various vegetables/wines. Comes out delicious every time! I do decrease the sugar if I use carrots, as I think they add plenty of sweetness.
Can I add rosemary and sage, or will this significantly change the flavoring combinations?
Hi Alicia, It may change the flavor slightly, but it should still be good!
No better recipe exists…. don’t even question it..!
Hi, could I sub cornstarch for the flour to make it gluten free? Is it ok to cook it in with the beef or should I just mix with water and add with liquids? Thank you
Hi Marie, 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!
Great recipe, made this dish twice and love it! Easy and delicious fall meal.
Made this recipe the night before we planned to eat and it was perfect. The day in between really makes a difference as the flavors penetrated the vegetables much more. I wouldn’t change a thing flavor or seasoning wise!
I made this last night for my parents – my mother is super picky when it comes to beef stew. WE ALL LOVED IT, so much so that my Dad called me this morning to tell me not only was it the best beef stew he’s ever had but he was dreaming about it all of last night. YUM!
WOW is all I can say! I followed this recipe to the letter and it was amazing. I think the only thing I would change next time is do what some others have said and use more beef broth in lieu of the water. It was incredible and I have found my forever Beef Stew recipe (sorry Mom!) Thank you Jen for posting this, love love love your site and your delicious recipes!
Delicious! Used the potatoes and carrots and added frozen peas at the end. My husband said it’s the best beef stew he’s ever had. Thank you for the recipe!
Your recipe is spot on. I have made it numerous times in the past 2 years, sometimes adding and deleting potatoes, mushrooms but the overall taste is always perfect. The right cut of beef is crucial.
Planning on making this for a Sunday dinner. If I don’t have a dutch oven and am cooking on the stove can/do I still put it in the oven for the recommended time?
Hi Liz, you can cook this entirely on the stove. Just give it a stir every once in a while so that it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
I bought my stewing beef before I read your comments and you described it perfectly, prepackaged, lean, no marbling. You name it. So I’m putting off the stew until I buy better beef but what can I do with the meat I bought. Just throwing it away is not a option.
Hi Penny, While chuck will give you a more tender result, you can get away with using the stew meat. It should still be good.
First time I cooked this. It turned out perfectly. Your secret was in the detail: kind of meat and the size of cut of the veg. etc. and the timing. Measurements of liquid. All perfect.
Thank you so much.
Deeelish! Thank you for posting this stew recipe. Easy to follow instructions. It was worth the cooking time it took! Served it up to my family and my Husband said, “honey you can make this anytime you want”. My best critic!
Jo
So easy and simple to make, I cut the cooking time in half by making it in in the instapot. Delicious! Will be a staple this winter in the Midwest 🙂
I forgot to add, it wasn’t as salty as I would like so I added 1 tsp of mushroom seasoning powder, made it perfect!
Jennifer, I just spent the morning preparing your recipe for Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes. It was extraordinary!. I followed each step, using your suggestions and photos to copy your technique and to follow your suggestions. This is a recipe that I will prepare again and again. Thanks you!
My family loved this stew. Best ever! Definitely recommend.
Hi Jenn!
I’m about to make this stew today (I am SOO excited, it’s all I can think about) and I was wondering if I could use beef chuck short ribs in addition to the boneless chuck roast. I already had some short ribs on hand and I would love to use it in the stew. What are your thoughts or recommendations?
Sure, Tiffany, you can get away with that. If you happened to want to make two meals and freeze one, you could also consider this recipe (they’re very similar). Hope that helps!
This beef stew has a full bodied flavour. The beef is very tender and is a recipe that I will definitely look forward to making again. I would serve it to company in a bread bowl.
Hi Jenn! Love your recipes. I want to try this, but we have a tiny oven and my Dutch oven won’t fit (NYC for you). What do you recommend for an all stovetop cooking process?
Hi Emily, It’s perfectly fine to cook this entirely on the stove. I’d simmer it over the lowest heat and give it a stir periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
I just made this recipe for a friend of mine who is ill. I wanted to make her the ultimate comfort food and this did not disappoint. It was absolutely delicious! One of the best beef stews I have ever made or eaten! Definitely a keeper and will be added to my winter meal rotation. Thank you!
This is the best beef stew I’ve ever had. I didn’t have wine so I did 4 cups of beef broth and two of water. I also added more balsamic vinegar to add more flavour to replace the wine. In Canada I learned we don’t have chuck roast. But a similar cut is beef blade. So I bought a beef blade roast and chopped it up. My meat was falling apart. OH, I also added rosemary. I think it really added to the dish. I like my stew thick so I also added cornstarch at the end until I liked the consistency.
now I’m thinking to modify this recipe a bit and throw it in a beef pot pie. Maybe just cook the meat and onions down and throw it in a chili.
I’m excited.
It’s 5:30 AM and I am eating this stew. Yes. It’s that good! I already told my husband we are having it again next week. This stew could be the first thing that he’s finished before me. Again. It’s that good. I opted for the egg noodles instead of potatoes and added sautéed mushrooms at the end, as suggested, but I made no changes to the recipe—there’s no need to. It’s perfect!
LOL — glad it was a hit!
We took a trip to a France in 2019 and my husband had a French beef stew near Saint Mont Michel and loved it! I decided to make your recipe and didn’t make any substitutions. He LOVED this recipe and said it was just how he remembered at the restaurant and is asking when I’m making this again. What a wonderful stew and thank you so much for bringing us back to France for a bit!
The best recipe ever!
I followed it almost exactly (I didn’t cook the beef all perfectly separate #impatient)
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.
OMG this is so good and flavorful. Easy to make. I did add some fresh green beans and mushrooms.
This is my go-to recipe, have made it multiple times.
It is always a big hit, and has a delicious depth of flavor. Thank you!
I’m we are having a baby and I am trying to meal prep ahead of time. How would I do this with this recipe? Essentially how do I freeze ?
Congrats!! The stew freezes nicely. See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions.
I made this twice, had to cut down the time by half( I also had half the meat) and it is simply phenomenal. Thank you!
Fantastic beef stew. Will now be my go to recipe. Made a batch plus half and sent some home with my daughters family!!!! Thanks so much
I made this stew 3 days ago along with the buttermilk biscuits and both turned out perfectly. The stew was so delicious and even better the next day. Not had much luck with those sort of biscuits before (being originally from the UK, biscuits have a different look !), but they turned out great. I like that there is no rolling just patting. Love your recipes.
Made this today, and it’s fabulous. So comforting on a cold blustery fall evening. Hearty and delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Jen,
I’m making this for the first time now but plan on having it tomorrow….should I cook carrots and potatoes now, or finish the last hour with them tomorrow?
Hi Lu, It really makes no difference, so I’d probably finish it now and reheat tomorrow for ease.
My husband said this was the best beef stew he had EVER had…..’nuff said.
Well, almost….I agree and want to thank you for the chuck roast tutorial. I hate fatty meat and would have normally cut all the fat out and not used a lot of the fatty pieces, but I trusted you and am glad I did! The meat was meltingly delicious.
If I only have 1.5 pounds of beef. would that work? Should I still do the same amount of ingredients or only do half of each? Also, can this all be done on the stove?
Hi Samantha, yes, I’d cut all the ingredients in half and you can cook it entirely on the stove. Just stir it periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
I was planning to cook this today and serve it tomorrow, but my family couldn’t wait to taste it! I added celery to the onions and garlic, and I added fresh thyme from my garden. MAGNIFICENT!