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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Hello,thank you for this delecious recepie.made it for supper yesterday and it was one of the best stews i have ever cooked.
I just wish to share that I made this recipe and packaged it for freezer meals for someone who is experiencing ill health. It turned out amazing and I am receiving amazing feedback!
What kind of wine do you use?
Hi Mary, Any dry red (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, etc.) will work.
Hi Jenn,
I’m really excited to try out your recipe for this beef stew!
The problem is that I do not have an oven. Would I be able to cook this over a stove under low heat?
Looking forward to your advice! Thanks!
Hi K.T. It’s absolutely fine to make the stew on the stovetop — just keep the heat on low and stir every so often so the bottom doesn’t burn.
Absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it many times to the delight of my family. It makes the whole house fragrant and we look forward to eating the whole time it’s cooking. I use a bit less beef (2 lbs) and onions (1/2 of a medium), while adding celery (3 stalks) and mushrooms (1/2 lb) to the mix. Definitely recommend this one to others.
Hi! I am excited to try this recipe, but I don’t have a dutch oven. My only oven safe pot is not that thick, probably made of aluminum. Should I run out and buy a pot?
Hi Debi, You can cook it on the stovetop on low…just be sure to stir every so often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
Hi Jennifer, I ended up making it in the oven exactly as indicated in the recipe and it turned out amazing! Thank you!
I noticed that you said this recipe would not work well with strip steaks. Would it also not work well with rib eye, which I just happen to have right now.
Hi Carolyn, That’s correct — rib eye is not a good cut for stew. Sorry!
I stumbled upon this recipe and am so glad I did. I made this last night for my family and was super pleased with the results. I used the recipe as a guide and made a few tweaks based upon what items I had on hand. I only used 1 lb of stew meat vs 3, used red wine vinegar vs balsamic and added more wine and more stock than called for. Again, it turned out beautifully and I can’t wait to make it again!
This stew was absolutely delicious! The house smelled wonderful while the beef was braising. Followed the recipe exactly. Will be adding this recipe to my favorites! Thanks Jenn for another great recipe.
Hi Jenn, thank you for all the wonderful recipes! I always get rave reviews when I make anything from your site. Just a question, for your beef stew – would it be as good if I tried it in the slow cooker (after searing the beef etc, in a pot)?
Thanks!
Thanks, Colleen. That is so nice to read 🙂 The slow cooker will work, but the timing might be a bit tricky in terms of the vegetables.
This was delicious!
I make this soup often! Except I do a very low sodium version. It still tastes amazing and has a ton of flavor.
WOW! My first time making stew. This was Delish! I was cooking for a dinner party of 6 and found your recipe. I didn’t have enough time to do it all the day of dinner so I seared the meat and braised the night before then refrigerated until the next afternoon. Was concerned there wasn’t enough spices so added a sprig of fresh rosemary before braising. Would have been great either way. The next day, I roasted my potatoes and carrots before adding them to the pot and back in oven for an hour at 325 to finish off. (BTW I doubled the recipe because I was expecting 8 but had only 6 – glad I did because the leftovers are great). I had never worked with chuck before and had to ask the grocery butcher to cut me a 6 lb roast. Hubby was concerned I was trimming off too much fat when cutting but it was plenty marbled and the meat melted in our mouths. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes. Thank you.
This is the BEST beef stew I’ve ever made and I’ve been cooking for a few decades. Thank you for sharing it. It’s simple and very flavorful. The chuck roast cubes do melt in your mouth.
So here I am, in Central Massachusetts, waiting fo our latest foot of snow to fall…. And all I have for beef are some strip steaks from the freezer. Do you think this would be an acceptable substitute for the chuck? It has decent marbling, and I don’t drive in snow ( 23 years in South Florida has its disadvantages).
Hi Megan, I’m afraid I wouldn’t recommend strip steaks for stew. They won’t break down in the same way that a chuck roast does, and you’ll probably be left with chunks of tight, dry meat rather than meltingly tender beef. Sorry!
Beef stew recipe: best I ever made ..so simple….yet such depth of flavor.
Wow! This is the best beef stew recipe ever. I replaced the tomato paste with 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes and reduced the beef broth by 1 cup. Also, I used regular stew meat since my grocery store selection is limited.
What kind of dry wine?
Hi Sue, Any dry red will work, such as Cabernet, Merlot, etc.
I made the beef stew, it was excellent. I will definitely make again. My husband loved it and he is picky. Thank you for your great recipes.
I made this in my slow cooker and it was amazing. I followed all the steps up to adding the liquids and then transferred everything to the crockpot (on low) for 10 hours (had to run to work, so that worked better for me than the 2 hour braise). So delicious. I oven roasted the carrots and potatoes when I got home and added them the last 15 minutes of cooking. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. A new favorite!
All I can say is …Simple to make and Fantastic. Thanks so much,
I’ve made beef stew many times in the last 40 years but this was the best I’ve ever made. Everyone in my family agreed that this recipe was a keeper. The beef was very tender, the vegetables were not mushy, and the gravy was rich and divine.
I’m a beginner cook and decided to try this recipe after seeing all the excellent reviews. The stew came out beautifully, great taste, meat was melt in your mouth. I can’t wait to make it for my friends and family. Next time I brown the meat in three batches as advised instead of two as the smaller batch browned a lot better (I got lazy).
Thanks for sharing Jenn and I look forward to trying your other recipes!
I don’t have tomato paste or beef broth , what do I do ??? Also I only have regular vinegar, is that ok?
Hi Dawn, You can replace the beef broth with chicken broth, vegetable broth or water; the tomato paste can be replaced with canned crushed tomatoes; and regular vinegar is fine.
What’s the secret to reheating this, I always seem to overcook…
Hi Sharon, I just simmer it on the stovetop until hot. It doesn’t take long so it doesn’t overcook.
The first time I always follow the recipe and I am so glad I did. Right after cooking I tasted it and thought I had just wasted my money BUT I put it away till the next day, WOW.I think there is a song that goes “what a difference a day makes” it is true
My husband raised in lower Alabama back in the woods on soul country food said this French Stew was the best he had tasted. Good job on another education and recipe.
Can I make this beef stew recipe in a crock pot as well? If so, how would I alter it?
Thanks!
Yes, but it’s still necessary to sear the beef on the stovetop and go through all the initial steps, so not sure it’s worth the trouble.
My Austrian wife said this was the best beef stew she’s ever HAD and Austrians know stew!
I did use a wee bit more thyme and also added half a teaspoon of Kashmiri Chilli powder for a smoky flavour and a bit of heat. Fantastic! I can’t wait for dinner tonight to reheat it! 🙂
I’ve been making beef bourguignon and stews since culinary school. This is the best I’ve made or tasted! Get well-marbled chuck whole and cut it yourself. I agree 100% with the author, if you can help it stay away from “stew meat”. Pricing should be pretty much the same as chuck especially if you cut it yourself. I used a dry Pinot Noir and was excellent. I also substituted sherry vinegar for the balsamic and just let it reduce. FYI I would be careful using “cheaper” balsamics as many have added sugars and color. Unless it’s authentic you’re better off using a “cleaner” higher quality vinegar, IMO.
Perfect and I have not even tasted it:-). Will do that tomorrow. Added some cumin to the spices, just bacause I love that spice.
Amazingly good! I added smoked paprika. The house smelled wonderful! We could hardly wait to eat it. Thank you!
Best ever!
Absolutely the best. Even bought the Pacific organic broth. Weighed potatoes and let cool and reheated next day. Would not change a thing. Cost about $40 to make. Good wine. 5 stars!
I made this today and it was absolutely amazing! ! I added chopped hot pepper for some kick and I used “stew meat” (I didn’t know what was advised above before I purchased it). It was VERY tender and I was pleased with the outcome. I will continue to use stew meat for this recipe.
I also used Carrefor’s packaged fresh stew meat and it was incredibly tender and took on so much rich flavor!
But to be fair, their stew meat was nicely marbeled
Made the stew last night, taste awesome, just what we wanted. I must have added more potato/carrots then called for, because I don’t have enough of the soup/stew. So it is on the dry side, do you have a suggest to add more?
Hi Susan, You can add a little beef broth to increase the liquid in the stew.
That stew was everything! I didn’t even let it cook as long as was recommended and I didn’t have the red wine but it was delicious! What winter stews are supposed to be. Thanks, Jen!
Best. Stew. Ever.
great idea leaving the veggies to the last hour of cooking.
Which temperature for fan assisted oven?
Thank you
Hi Andrea, 300°F should work.
This is by far the best beef bourguignon recipe on the internet (in my opinion). So amazingly good! The only thing I did differently was add mushrooms but other than that I followed the recipe to the letter and I will continue to do so!!!
I’m not really a cook but I admire the concept. I was in the mood to cook and I decided on a beef stew. I googled beef stew recipes and found this site. I am glad that I did because my beef stew came out really good — with great flavor. I used red potatoes (love them!!), and threw in some frozen sweet peas. I had to cook a little longer than the recipe described because my carrots were still a bit crunchy. This did not affect the overall dish in the least bit.
I followed the advice of Jenn and saved the dish for the next day — yummy. I will definitely use this recipe again, next time I may add frozen corn in the mix. Thanks for sharing…..
P.S. I’m glad the sauce/gravy wasn’t thin like a soup consistency. The thickness was just right; at least for me.
I cook all the time but have never left a review for a recipe. I had too, this is incredible! I threw everything in the slow cooker (crockpot) all at once, omitted the oil and added celery. It took around 5 hours to reach perfection on a ‘high’ setting. So easy and delicious, thank you!
Hi, Joelle. When you used the slow cooker, did you add the veggies (potatoes and carrots) as well? Did you also brown the meat first? I’d like to give this a try on a slow cooker like what you did. Thanks!
Amazing recipe. This stew was so rich in color and flavor. Definitely my new Sunday go to. Very easy to prepare and immense flavor.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was super tasty. The flavors were very rich and complex, yet this was easy to prepare. Thanks for my new go-to beef stew recipe!
I just finished making this beef stew, and I agree with the crowd…it is delicious! I could not wait to let it sit, which I imagine will only improve the flavor. I did not have beef stock or tomato paste in the house, so used chicken broth and some crushed tomatoes. I can only imagine how aromatic and flavorful the orginal recipe would be, but the substitutions worked well. I cooked it on top of the stove and it worked well.
In our home, if a recipe is great we consider it “company worthy” and if it’s excellent it’s “restaurant worthy”. We are trying to figure a new category for Jenn’s beef stew. Superb…maybe “royalty worthy”. Thank you Jenn for this wonderful recipe!
Do you think that I could use chicken broth in place of beef broth? Thanks.
Hi Merril, Sure, that’s fine.
I wonder if vegetable broth might be better
and add more flavor than chicken broth?
This is the best beef stew I have ever made! Thank you so much for your recipes.
What temperature in the oven??
325°F
this stew was amazing the only thing i disagree on is the the serving count in my house it was only good enough for two, lucky me only two of us at home that wanted beef stew but yet it was awesome
Hey. This I’m interested in trying your recipe but I’m a little confused on the directions.
Is this a stove top recipe? I saw you said braise in the oven but the pictures are all stovetop.
Do I take the meat out of the pot after i brown it?
If this is not a stovetop recipe do you any suggestions on how to alter it to make it one.
Sorry for all the questions, I’m a new cook
Hi Amber, The whole pot goes into the oven to cook after the liquid ingredients are added, so be sure to use an oven-safe pot.