Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
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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
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- 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.
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Thanks for this recipe. It had great flavor. I followed the directions exactly. In the future, I will swap out at least half the wine for broth as it had too strong a flavor of wine for my taste. ( I don’t care for red wine very much.) I will also either parboil the potatoes or add them in sooner as they were not quite done.
Superb. Taste is amazing. Aroma is amazing. Meat sooooo tender. I made mine the night before the meal and let it “Age”
Great team project.
Can I use oxtail instead?
Hi Corinne, I’ve never cooked oxtail, so I can’t say for sure how it would work here. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
This recipe is great! I did not deviate from the recipe and my final product was delicious. I have never been able to do a really good beef stew until now. I used a cabernet. And yes it was a bit of work in the beginning but so worth it.
This recipe is perfect as is. Followed the directions exactly with the exception of substituting baby red potatoes. It turned out amazing! Served it over egg noodles but would have been good on it’s own too.
Beef stew was delicious, just the right seasonings and thickness. Chuck roast is a good choice of meat, nice and tender.
It was very good but mine took a few more hours to cook the veggies and only thickened up after a day or two. I also added peas and more salt and pepper after the first day.
Yes I made the beef stew recipe and it was so delicious. I will be making it for my family Christmas day dinner
This beef stew was amazing. Omitted the potatoes as it will go over noodles.
Thank you!!!
Excellent! I made this last night while the snow was coming down. Perfect dinner for a snowy evening. It was soooo good, thank goodness we have leftovers because I am sure it’s going to taste even better today. Thank you, Jenn, for another home run!
Hi! I want to make this but dont have the right pot for my oven. Could i cook this all on my stove? how long would you recommend simmering this for in lieu of braise in the oven for 2 hours?
Thanks so much!
Hi Mary, You can cook this for the same amount of time on the stove. Just give it a stir periodically so that it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
It turned out great! I used Worcestershire sauce instead of balsamic vinegar and vegetable broth instead of beef stock because I was too lazy to run to the store. I recommend getting a really good marbled meat like recommended – it makes all the difference.
I don’t usually like stew, but this was amazing! I did use stew meat and the meat came out very tender and perfect. I wish I could bottle the smell of it cooking, I highly recommend this recipe to anyone.
Hello! I am eager to make this recipe, but I only have a 4 qt Dutch oven. If I were to cut the recipe in half but follow all the same temperature and time, would it work?
Yep – hope you enjoy!
Made this for my family and it was DELICIOUS! I loved adding the carrots and potatoes later so they didn’t get mushy. I actually made one day but served the next day and the flavors were excellent! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Made your stew tonight, followed the recipe as described, omitting the wine and substituting with additional beef broth. Added sauteed mushrooms, and peas at the very end, as well as a slurry of 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup cold water to thicken the broth slightly at the end of cooking time. Delicious!! Will definitely be my new “go-to” beef stew recipe.
This was delicious. Beef was so tender. Perfect for a Canadian winter night.
I’d like to point out an error. Yukon potatoes are not white potatoes. They are yellow, hence the name “Yukon gold”.
Thanks.
I made your beef stew recipe and it received excellent reviews from my friends. Tasted wonderful- definitely a 5 star keeper.
I made this for my daughter who was returning to the UK from Italy and, having been fed pasta and pizza every day for two months, wanted some winter comfort food. So we settled for beef stew, and I chose this recipe because she loves the carrots and the potatoes. My small variations were a bit of 70% dark chocolate (but half the sugar in the recipe) and a few juniper berries. Also a spring of fresh thyme. For wine I used Rioja, and for potatoes pink fur variety, which may not have been the best (they became a little too soft). Served with some really good quality Mediterranean bread. Turned out wonderful, the meat soft, the carrots and onions perfectly cooked, and the taste and consistency of the sauce also perfect.
Hi Jenn,
I’m a big fan of your blog and make many of your recipes!
I want start your beef stew recipe one day before I serve it but I’m not sure at what point I should stop and put it into the fridge. Do you have a suggestion? I have made this beef stew before and it is WONDERFUL!! Thank you, I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Kimber, So glad you enjoy the recipes! I would make the whole thing a day ahead, but if it’s a time issue, I would stop at the point when you add the carrots and potatoes.
Great recipe!
I was disappointed with this stew recipe. I expected a thicker broth and tastier vegetables.
Hi Jenn,
I am looking forward to trying this recipe, but I’m gluten free. Can I substitute the flour with arrowroot or cornstarch?
Thanks!
Addy
Hi Adelaide, Arrowroot starch will work. 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!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it always turns out really great. One of our favorite things to do is make beef pot pie out it.
I have some port wine I need to use. Can I substitute that for the red wine?
Hi Paula, I think it will be too sweet — sorry!
I made this recipe a couple of times before, but made some changes and it turned out ok. This time I followed the recipe exactly as written and it was excellent. Thank you Jenn, for another amazing recipe!
Absolutely delicious. I made per your instructions but only used half the amount of wine. We ate it for dinner three nights in a row and the small bowl we had left was my lunch the fourth day. My mom made it too and they also loved it. I’m making it tonight and I will add celery, peas, and mushrooms.
any suggestions on time recommendations for using a slow cooker?
Yes, 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). Enjoy!
Can you use a instapot for this recipe and for wine can you use chianti?
Yes, I chianti should be fine here. And I’ve never made this in an instant pot, but a number of readers have commented that they have 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 and that you enjoy if you try it!
The concept of this recipe is pretty simple and pretty smooth. The only problem I have is that I’m not good enough a cook to do my own thing with a recipe, but good enough to know that it’s missing a few things in regards to seasoning. I’m going to cook it again and see what happens.
Delicious! I made a few changes — I didn’t add the tomato paste or sugar, I cooked it in a crockpot for 7 hours, then removed the liquid and reduced it to allow the sauce to thicken for 10 minutes — it turned out wonderful!
Did you cook it for 7 hours on low or high?
Hi Jenn,
This recipe sounds amazing. I could only get 2 1/2 pounds of chuck roast. Do I need to adjust the other ingredients?
Hi Terri, You should be fine with 2-1/2 lbs. of beef without adjusting the other ingredients, but you could definitely supplement with extra potatoes and carrots. Hope you enjoy!
I followed your recipe except that i used a pressure cooker to pre-cook the beef 12 minutes under pressure in salt, peppercorn, and bay leaf (my standard way). That cuts it down to the 2 hours of braising the beef. The rest is as per per your recipe. Turned out great. Good Recipe for keeps!
I just made your Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes and thank you for the recipe. With only 2 lbs of beef I cut everything else by a third except the carrots and skipped the potatoes intending to put it over noodles. There are what I’d consider three two-person portions. I also added three tablespoons of bone broth to each container after it was portioned to thin it a bit and allow that to meld as well. I’m not sure if it matters but I will let it meld in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then put it in the freezer. I CANNOT wait for a monster snowstorm!!!! Hopefully, I’ll have mushrooms on hand to sautee and a big green salad when that great day arrives. Best wishes for happy and safe holidays ahead.
This was so good and exactly what we needed now that the weather has turned cold. Thank you!
Can you use something besides wine?
Sure Purvee, you can replace the wine with additional beef broth. Enjoy!
Wonderful. Here’s what I did differently-
Instead of with a tongs, I flipped the searing beef with my fingers – trying to do it with a tongs drove me crazy.
I also add two stalks of chopped celery in when I add the onion and garlic.
Instead of two cups of wine (like 2/3ds of a bottle), I use about four, maybe six ounces. Wine costs money, and I always forget to buy the cheap stuff for cooking.
Instead of throwing the potatoes and carrots in with an hour to go, I parboil them separately and throw them in when the beef comes out of the oven (2 1/2 hours). I let the pot, with the vegetables, sit on the stovetop for almost an hour, cooling down, before eating. Reason I don’t add them into the pot and let it cook in the oven for an hour is too many experiences of potatoes being overdone, with carrots underdone.
Best stew I have ever had. I used our own carrots pulled fresh from the cold December ground. Wow – with fresh sour dough to sop up the juice it was truly amazing. Looking forward to leftovers.
I’ve made this recipe so many times. It’s a family favorite! I want to make it for tonight but only have russet potatoes. Will those be ok? Any special prep I need to do? Thank you!
Glad you like it! Russets are fine. Just make sure you cut them into bite-sized chucks so they cook through.
Hi Jenn. Great recipe, I scaled it down for our family of 3 and added peas, parsnips and mushrooms. It was lovely. Even my fussy 9 year old cleaned his bowl. However, I did feel there wasn’t enough liquid, probably due to my scaling, so next time I will add a bit more stock. My husband had the leftover for lunch the next day. Will be making this again. Thank you.
Just made this. It is delicious! Definitely adding to my repertoire.
Always make a stew on a Sunday and thought I’d try yours I take it I can cook on the stove instead of using in the oven? Really looking forward to it
Hi Mark, It’s fine to cook this on the stove. Just give it a stir every once in a while so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Enjoy!
Trying out this recipe right now, I was wondering if I can substitute the dry thyme for herb de Provence
Sure 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I’ve been bored with my beef stew; thinking about how I immediately like it, but left overs… not so much.
I gave yours a try and immediately loved it and loved re-heating as well. My husband is always grateful for home cooked meals, but this one he repeated several times how much he liked it.
I added way too much broth (and no water), so I ended up taking two thirds of the juice and made a gravy.
I used stew meat from Sam’s Club. We live in MN and Sam’s has really great meat, but when I shared the recipe with someone that isn’t close to Sam’s, it was nice to give them your tip about using well marbled chuck roast.
Thank you so much for sharing and happy holidays to you and yours!
This was delicious I am wondering if you can cook it on a lower temp for longer?
Hi Karen, I suspect that would work, but I wouldn’t change the temperature significantly.
I’ve made this twice and my husband who doesn’t like soups and stews absolutely loves this meal! The house smells heavenly while it is cooking and if a candle with this scent were developed we would buy it in a heartbeat!
Easy and delicious. I would be happy if I got a bowl of this at a restaurant.
Hey Jenn, I am definitely NOT very good at making a new recipe and waiting for the next day to serve it….but your recipe so I followed your recommendation.. this recipe is Excellent! Thank you so much!
Jenn.. one word: Wow.
Glad I chose your recipe over the several others that appeared on Google. It was simply outstanding yesterday on a snowy day in Pennsylvania. Thank you & Happy Holidays.
What would you recommend as a substitute for the boneless beef chuck? I am having a difficult time sourcing that cut. Thanks!
Hi Ryan, Lamb shoulder would also work nicely in this recipe. Hope that helps!
I call this recipe my “Beef Stew Redemption” because it was my first time making stew in over 3 years… after an absolutely catastrophic failure. This recipe is IT. SO GOOD, and easy to make. Highly recommend!!
this recipe was fantastic!!! about to make it again
basically followed the recipe with adding the cooked mushrooms at the end and frozen peas
thank you
This is my first ever beef stew and I was excited to finally use my dutch oven in the oven and not just on the stovetop. Thank you for such an easy to follow recipe. I almost always end up adjusting recipes that I try to my liking but this one needs no adjustments! Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
So good! This was the perfect meal to enjoy while decorating the tree we cut that morning. Perfect for cozy weather.
I love stews but have never made one for myself. This recipe was easy to follow and turned out amazing! When I went to my local store I couldn’t find anything labelled chuck/shoulder etc. As an infrequent meat eater I was overwhelmed and ended up going with the “stewing beef.” However, I made sure that it wasn’t lean and there was a lot of visible marbling. It ended up turning out very tender & delicious! Can’t wait to make it again for friends & family in the years to come, hopefully with the right cut!
Follow up: I’ve been seeing lots of comments about not being able to find this cut. I live in Ontario, Canada. Apparently “chuck” is not what beef shoulder is typically called here! Might be labelled that way some stores, might not. So if you are not in the USA, double check what the cut is called locally or ask at the butcher/meat counter. From what I understand as a non-expert “blade roasts” might be what you’re looking for if you can’t find “chuck.”
SOOOO TENDER!
The beef just falls apart and the veggies are packed with flavor. This was worth the time in the oven—it really amplifies the taste of the classic pot roast. This is SO much better than just popping beef in the crock pot with some French onion soup mix.
I will be making this from now on when the family requests beef stew or pot roast!