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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.

Spoon in a bowl of beef stew with carrots and potatoes.

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

Stew ingredients including carrots, tomato paste, and beef broth.

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

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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.

Knife cutting beef on a cutting board.

Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Seasoned beef on a cutting board.

Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.

Pieces of beef in a Dutch oven.

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.)

This step is a bit time-consuming  but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew.

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.

Onions cooking in a Dutch oven.

Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.

Tomato paste in a Dutch oven with onions.

Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

Flour in a Dutch oven with beef.

Stir until the flour is dissolved.

Beef mixture in a Dutch oven.

Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.

Broth and seasonings in a Dutch oven.

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.

Broth boiling in a Dutch oven.

After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.

Carrots and potatoes in a Dutch oven with broth.

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.

Dutch oven of beef stew.

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.

Bowls of beef stew.

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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.

Servings: 6
Total Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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 Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Always great when you and the hubby can agree and we both rate this recipe 100% the best stew we have ever had. Not a huge fan of wine in our food so reduced that down to 1/4 cup and increased the broth and added peas at the end. This is my first recipe from Once Upon A Chef but most definitely will not be my last. Thanks Jenn I look forward to trying many more of your delicious recipes.

  • Made this today exactly like the recipe. Sooooo good and so enjoyable to make. It took a while, but I had the time today and loved the process! And so thankful you were specific, mentioning things like browning the beef in batches and giving specific time like 5 minutes to brown each batch. It helped someone like me who is not a great cook. I stumbled upon this recipe today when searching for a good stew recipe. I have now signed up for your newsletter and want to try some of your other recipes. And, bonus, I got to finish up the night with a glass of leftover cabernet.

  • This was so easy to follow and was absolutely beautiful more for the next day so looking forward to that … I am going to try the chili next.

  • OMG, I am making this for the 4th time, everyone loves this stew. I think I used wine and extra beef broth instead of H2O.
    Absolutely Fabulous.

    • — Debbie Spencer
    • Reply
  • Absolutely gorgeous, the whole family loved this. Thanks for the advice on which cut of meat works best.

  • Hiyah, I was wondering if there is a way around using red wine? I’m not allowed to use this so was hoping it could be missed /substituted.

    please let me know thanks!!

    • Sure, Zara, you can replace the wine with additional beef broth. Hope you enjoy!

  • I’m a big fan of your recipes! I just tried this one and love the flavors but after the 3 hours of cooking, my broth is not thickened and there seems to be more of it than what is shown in your pictures. I followed the recipe exactly. Should I cook it longer? Thank you!

    • — Anne L Portera
    • Reply
    • Sorry to hear the broth is too thin. If you’d like it thicker, near the very end of cooking time, you can make a paste with 1 T soft butter and 1 T flour; whisk it in and bring the stew to a simmer and it should thicken up. Another option — after removing it from the oven, you can put it on the stove at a gentle boil and simmer, uncovered, until the broth is thickened to your liking. Hope that helps!

  • The other night, I made a slight modified version of this recipe: doubled the thyme, 1 teaspoon of rosemary, ignored the bay leaves, and cooked for an additional hour because I wanted the carrots really soft.
    The end result was fantastic. My son and I enjoyed the rich flavors for a few days in a row. I look forward to making more recipes from Once Upon a Chef. Thanks, Jenn.

    • — Robert Corrington
    • Reply
  • Could I substitute some of the beef broth with consomme? Have made the recipe once and loved it but currently have more consomme than beef broth in the pantry.

    • Sure, Annette, consomme should work here. Hope you enjoy!

      • I used consomme – it was outstanding!

  • Hello,
    Am I able to make this in a slow cooker? If so, for how long?

    Thank you for your help with this!!

    • Yes, 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!

  • I put too much sugar accidentally. almost double. any suggestions on how to balance the flavor now?

    • Hi Adam, Oops! It may be OK. If you find that it’s a bit too sweet, you could add a pinch of salt or a splash more balsamic vinegar.

  • Great site I like the reviews I depend on them a lot, as when you have that many 5 stars it has to be good

  • Great. That is why you are my go to site. I doubled the recipe and added a parsnip and a turnip. I know I am bad but it was worth it.

  • Hi, Jenn! I made this recipe last Wednesday.
    Beef was extremely tender and flavorful! Of course the carrots and potatoes complement it well.
    Took me all afternoon, but was worth it!! I made the full recipe for my wife and I. We froze another two dinners for later. Thanks for the tip about not freezing potatoes.

    • — Richard Wilson
    • Reply
  • Have made this so many times now, and as I finish the last mouthful I think about how soon I can make it again. A winner with the whole family, thank you for this amazing recipe!

  • Absolutely delicious. I cook it for about four hours and add mushrooms instead of potatoes. divine

  • Delicious comfort food on a cold winter night. Thanks for another great recipe. Mushrooms at the end were a nice touch. My New Year’s Resolution for 2020 was one new recipe a week. As it turned out, 2020 was a great year to raise the bar. We found ourselves…. a lot! Your recipes featured prominently in my endeavour. Thank you for sharing your recipes. We haven’t tried one yet that we didn’t like.

  • Another absolute hit! I have your cookbook, and have made many of your recipes prior to that purchase. This is absolutely delicious, and I am currently enjoying it the day after. My modifications/hints for those looking to make it. I bought a 2.22 pound roast, my husband and I had two servings each last night at dinner and we have enough leftovers for about 2 to 3 servings. Instead of 2 cups of water I did filled the tomato paste can another 2 times with the leftover paste. I did five regular size Yukon potatoes and quartered them, and I did half a bag of baby carrots. Because I like them, I sautéed portobello mushrooms in oil and butter with rosemary sprigs and added them to the last half hour of cooking. Like others, I added a very healthy dose of herbs de Provence prior to taking the meat out of the pan the first time around. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon, I really like the flavor, I might experiment with something drier next time. It took me one full hour from ingredient collection to actually putting it in the oven. I served it with a warm spinach/pancetta/shallot salad and crusty bread. I shared the recipe this morning on two different cooking groups on Facebook.This is an absolutely wonderful and hearty recipe, and I greatly appreciate you creating it.

  • Used balsamic glaze instead of vinegar (just because that’s what I had) and also added a little extra tomato purée than advised as like strong flavours. Lovely with dumplings added 20-30 minutes near the end. Lovely recipe will definitely use again

  • This is better than I had in Paris! It’s out of this world good! The meat melts in your mouth the broth is Absolutely delicious! Well worth the wait of the cooking time! Thank you thank you thank you

    • — Joella Renninger
    • Reply
  • Literally one of the best things I have ever made in my life. Every bit of this recipe is perfection. The carrots were the perfect amount of tender but firm, the roast melted in my mouth, and the red wine/balsamic combo was perfect. I subbed veg stock because I forgot beef broth and also subbed a coffee stout for the water and I will be making this again and again and again. I never write reviews but had to come back to say this makes me feel like I’m a fancy elegant Frenchwoman in a beautiful country cottage. 🤩😍

  • Really good. A terrific recipe. In my opinion the sauce was maybe marginally tastier before i added the carrots and potatoes, but still truly delicious

    • My wife and I made your stew today and oh, my! Unbelievably, outrageously good. We like our carrots on the soft side so we cooked them from the beginning. Was perfect for us. We also added celery.
      We checked on the stew after 2 1/2 hours and went ahead and added the potatoes, a can of green beans, and a can of corn. We also like to use beef consume instead of broth. The beef was so tender it made me want to cry! The heck with black eyed peas on New Years. From now on, it’s your beef stew.

  • Overly gravy tasting I like stews with a more clear broth

  • This had to be the most delicious, warm, cozy and comforting meal I’ve ever tasted. It got rave reviews from my family who are so appreciative of all of your recipes. The meat was so tender, the sauce was thick and delicious, and the carrots were cooked to perfection. Perfect recipe and quite easy to make. I made a side of acini Pepe Pasta to use as a bed on each plate, and placed the meat, potatoes and sauce on top. Absolutely amazing. Thanks Jen so much for sharing this recipe, and all of your recipes. I will be making it again real soon.

  • Made this twice and it’s a huge hit! Amazing for a cozy meal that will keep you full and happy.

  • I followed the recipe and it did not turn out perfect. I think it was way over cooked. After the two hours in the oven there was no juice left at all for me to add potatoes and carrots so I had to add more broth. Then I let it bake for the extra hour and there was no meat to be seen. Next time. I’ll put everything together for and hour and a half and take it from there. But the taste was good, I would probably do one cup of wine and 3 cups of broth next time though.

    • Sorry you had a problem with the liquid to meat/potato ratio! Did you use a pot with a tight fitting lid?

  • This recipe is very close to how my mom made hers. I’m surprised know one ever adds in parsnip or turnip. When I feel ambitious, I will tenderize the beef with 1/2 the-garlic, onions, celery & carrots and remove the beef before blending it up for a richer broth. Then add in the rest of all the veggies. But love this basic recipe that I just tweak.

  • Had this at a friend’s. Had to make it for my family later. Can not describe how good this is and I’m not a stew lover!!!! Will keep making this, love that it’s a process, great for Sundays…..

    • — Valerie G Vevera
    • Reply
  • This stew is fantastic every time! After it’s totally done, I take a wide pronged potato masher and break up the meat a bit as I don’t like big checks of meat. I’ve made it about 5 times and serve with easy homemade bread. This time, I’m putting it over some wide noodles. Yum!

  • Simply one of the best winter meals I’ve ever had. I made it exactly as written. I will do just one thing differently next time: I’ll either use less wine and more beef broth OR I’ll use better wine. Delicious!

  • We are getting our first snow tonight so, I made this tonight. I followed your recipe as directed added all ingredients, except I don’t have a dutch oven pot & I didn’t have oven safe pots. I cooked the stew on the stove. Took about 3 1/2 hrs. This stew recipe is my favorite I absolutely loved it & my BF went back for seconds. Thank you for sharing. I’m ordering a much needed dutch oven pr
    obably 5 qt. and will cook this Stew again soon.

  • Hi Jenn just want to take this opportunity to wish you a happy new year and give thanks to you and your amazing recipes that never fail and always please and amaze! We enjoyed this beef stew with added mushrooms, the pecan crusted salmon, Thai curry chicken skewers, candied pecans for Xmas dinner! And through this challenging year many more of your recipes were immensely savored! 😋 Wishing you the best, happy holidays to you and your family, keep loving what you do! GRACIAS! Janio.

    • ❤️

      • Hi Jenn I enjoy your methods and recipes a lot, thank you so much. When you state cook in the oven does this mean to place literally inside the oven? I assume not because the image shows stovetop.

        Thanks for all,
        Deborah Fullerton

        • Sorry if you found the pics confusing – yes, this does go in the oven. If you’d prefer to cook it on the stove, that’s fine. Just give it a stir periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Hope that clarifies!

  • I made this yesterday with the intention of serving it today and the flavors are wonderful and meat is tender but my sauce is thin. I followed the recipe except set oven at 300 because my LeCreuset dutch oven seems to get too hot in recipes if I don’t adjust. Should I try braising longer? or maybe adding a slurry? I refrigerated overnight and will try both to improve it! Thanks for another great recipe.

    • Hi Pat, If you’d like to thicken the sauce, I suggest making a quick beurre manié. Mash 2 tablespoons each soft butter and flour together, then whisk it little by little into the simmering stew. (You may not need all of it.) It should thicken right up. Hope that helps!

      • That worked perfectly! Thank you Jenn for your quick reply in time for dinner 🙂

  • Yum, yum, yumyumYUM!!! Absolutely spectacular! Finally made this after checking out the recipe a billion times…only regret is having not made it sooner. Once again, thank you Jenn for sharing another fabulous recipe!

  • this was the best, most delicious stew I have ever made! low & slow in the oven made all the difference in a perfect sauce. just husband and me for Christmas Day dinner during this time of the coronavirus and I made this for us. he raved – gave me 5 stars!! haha. Made parmesan biscuits and ceasar-type salad and it was a perfect meal.

  • This is fabulous! It’s a 5-6 hour project, but worth the effort. Per someone’s suggestion in the reviews, I sauteed some cremini mushrooms in butter, salt & pepper and added in last 20 minutes or so. It was a nice addition to an already spectacular recipe! This is a great comfort food and beautiful holiday dish. Will make again and include sauteed mushrooms.
    Thanks, Jenn! All the best in the new year and I look forward to getting your emails.

    • — JANE SCHLAMOWITZ
    • Reply
  • Hi! I love all your recipes but I don’t consume alcohol.
    I really want to make this-What would you substitute the wine for?

    • Hi Safia, You can use more beef broth. Enjoy!

  • Awesome beef stew… except I don’t like onions that much so I used only 1 medium onion also instead of water I used beef broth.. came out very good and easy to make.. so far everyone who has tried it asked for the recipe .. definitely trying more of these recipes

  • I made this today and followed your exact recipe Jenn, and it was a huge hit! Excellent flavour, tender meat, definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing your great recipes, I have tried many and they have all been well received by the family. My granddaughter liked this Beef Bourguignon so much she was eating the remains from the pot!

  • Loved this and it came out perfectly. I added the mushrooms at the end ( maybe 20 min before) after sautéing in garlic butter, thyme, until deep and golden. Deglazed with red wine.
    Thanks for another wonderful recipe.

  • Haven’t made this yet, but has been in my thoughts to do. It’s almost the same way I make mine(sans recipe). Last time I made, it turned out so good, we ate it every day u til it was gone😊.
    The one thing I did differently was to use tomato purée. I had a 16 Oz can and mixed with water for my liquid. Added wine after the beef sautéed. Scraped up all the fond nicely. After all cooked, then added frozen peas.
    Thanks for your recipe. Will definitely make after the holidays.

    Do you have any great Jewish recipes?

    • Hope you enjoy it, Sunny. You’ll find some favorite Jewish recipes here.

  • My sister made this several weeks ago and it was excellent! Can I substitute pearl onions for regular onions? If I add mushrooms at the end should they be sautéed or just included with the other vegetables? Want to use baby bella’s should they be whole or sliced?

    • Hi Rhonda, Yes, you can use pearl onions and mushrooms – I’d sauté them in butter and then add them at the end. And I’d probably slice the mushrooms. Hope you enjoy!

  • This is by far the best beef stew I’ve ever had but you’re right it does take a little time I’ve made it three times and it is always taking me five hours to prepare. Thank you for the Recipe

  • What is the minimum capacity Dutch oven you would recommend to use for this recipe (i.e., what size is a “large” Dutch oven?)?

    • Hi Kate, I have a 5.5-quart Dutch oven for this and it fits perfectly. Hope you enjoy if you try it!

  • This was melt-in-your-month delicious. Next time, I will make a couple changes: only 1 cup of dry red wine, 3 cups of broth, add 1 Tablespoon of Herbes de Provence, and I added 3 celery stalks cut to 1″ pieces.
    Although I’ll make changes, the procedure and methodology of this stew is wonderful, thus the 5 stars! We love your recipes, Jenn. Thank you.

  • We have Beef Bourguignon every year for Christmas, a crisp French baguette, bottle of nice red wine. It’s delicious.

    • — Virginia Murrell
    • Reply
  • this the exact recipe from The Frugal Gourmet – Once Upon a Chef Cookbook, why not credit the original source?

    • Hi Kristin, I’ve had this recipe on the blog for a long time, so any resemblance to the Frugal Gourmets’ recipe is coincidental. Hope you enjoy if you try it!

      • Cooked a beef stew for the first time. The recipe was easy to follow and my friends love it. Even my hubby who isn’t a meat fan loves this dish. It will definitely be my future party dish to serve!

    • The Frugal Gourmet’s recipe calls for bacon and mushrooms – no mention of either in this recipe. Not the exact same recipe. When you have a classic recipe like this one, there are many interpretations of the original.

  • Mmmmm! So Good! This dish is superb! Enjoyed serving it on a snowy Sunday evening in Montreal, Canada. I have made beef bourguignon before but this recipe was as good if not better than Julia Child’s and so much easier on the wash up.

    Thank you

    • — Danielle Theriault-Lindquist
    • Reply
  • This recipe is killer! Just delicious! I took the advise of one of the other reviewers and added a TBSP of herbs de provence. Next time I will add another cup or two of beef broth, as once the cooking was done, there wasn’t enough liquid! I highly recommend this recipe! Sticks to your ribs!

  • Only change I made was substituting the water for more beef broth and adding more potatoes because I love carbs lol. This was SO delicious, rich and satisfying.

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