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.
Made exactly as directed, except I had to use beef stew meat from the grocery store because that’s what I had. It came out perfect and delicious. The sauce was rich and thick and not at all soupy. Honestly the first beef stew recipe that I’ve actually liked!
Hi how can I make this slightly thicker towards end of cooking? Shall I take lid off? I want to add flour but afraid it will clump
Hi Tini, 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!
Can this be done entirely on stovetop? Or would the results change?
Hi Jamie, It’s fine to cook it completely on the stove. Just give it a stir periodically so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Enjoy!
Great recipe! I have three small tweaks I would recommend:
1). I cooked mine after adding the veggies an extra 30min to cook them through (still not mushy at all)
2). I would leave out the 2c water completely. After cooking, my sauce/broth looked no where as thick as what’s pictured. After comparing with other recipes, most don’t add the water. If you must do so to cover all the solids, then I recommend straining the liquid at the end and reducing by half. Trust me, it’s worth it!
3). It’s not bad with the golden potatoes in it, but I wound up taking them out and serving this with mashed potatoes. This was my preference, and I’ve seen it this way elsewhere.
Great base recipe, and it can be served as is just fine. Wonderful flavors. Serving minne with mashed potatoes, I’ve actually gotten 7 large servings out of it (a pleasant surprise)!
This is seriously good enough to serve as a fancy meal to guests! Thanks for sharing.
I made this for a group of friends this weekend and everybody loved it. I used chuck beef which was very marbled and came out super tender. It was quite a big pot so had to brown the meat in six portions. I tied a fresh bunch of thyme with some string instead of using dried herbs and I finely chopped some fresh rosemary, which I fried off with the onion. Also used Worcestershire sauce instead of balsamic vinegar and I added some parsnips too. Big success!
I just made this and have to admit I was skeptical; it’s not the type of meal I go for when I’m looking for recipes. Given the track record of the recipes from here that I make that are amazing, I decided to take a leap. It did not disappoint- both my husband and I thought it turned out deliciously. I accompanied it with buttermilk biscuits.
I followed the instructions and this is THE BEST stew I have ever made. Thank you for mentioning the cut of beef, I have made stew with pre-cut beef and it is never tender. I have never made stew with red wine, and now I will not make it without it!!!!!
I am humbled. I thought my usual beef stew was pretty great, but decided to try this version. This is truly the best I have ever made, or eaten. And I was sceptical about not flouring the meat before browning, but I was so wrong. I think the balsamic is key. I use an aged balsamic with a lot of body, and a very drinkable but modest California cab sauv and the beef stock, and enough water to bring the liquid to the top of the ingredients in my baking dish. I think it was probably a bit less than two cups. This is so good. Thank you thank you.
This recipe looks amazing and I’m going to make it soon omitting the sugar and substituting beef broth for the wine. I have a question though… my boyfriend wants me to add cauliflower and broccoli. I’m nervous this will disrupt the flavors, and I know it will need more liquid to compensate for the bulk of veggies. I was thinking about adding the veggies for the final 30 minutes of cooking. I would appreciate your advice.
Hi Amy, I think this would be best without the cauliflower and broccoli. That said, if you want to add them, I’d sauté them separately and add them in at the very end. And I don’t think you’ll need to add more liquid. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it.
Hi, I’m in the UK and we do not have beef broth in supermarkets. Would beef stock be a good substitute?
Yep that’s fine. Enjoy!
How many people does it feed this amount feed?
Hi Asma, this serves 6. Hope you enjoy!
Everyone in my family loves this one. I made it a couple of times already, mostly at the request of my husband who seems to have been utterly bewitched by this stew, lol! Anytime I have no idea what to cook and I ask him, he suggests beef stew.
I have made this with and without wine and it was delicious both ways, however, the undesirable characteristics of wine do not disappear during the cooking process, they are accentuated! Make sure to use a wine that you wouldn’t mind drinking, if you are to use wine at all. Happy cooking!
Another amazing recipe. My family loved this stew so much. I left out the wine because the grandkids don’t love that flavor yet – just included a bit more broth. It was completely wonderful.
I agree it was a bit time consuming to cut, trim and brown the meat, but wow so worth it in depth of flavor. Normally I add peas and corn to my stew at the end, but this stew did not need any further additions.
I have become such a huge fan of your recipes. Another home run, Jenn!
That’s exactly how I make it and I’ve been making this stew since 2019! Tried wine first and then added more broth as kids weren’t too keen and they LOVE IT NOW
Can I make this gluten free? If so, would you use gluten-free flour, or cornstarch with water?
Gluten-free flour works great here. Hope you enjoy!
I made this last night and it was a hit! I used all beef broth instead of wine and water, and I added some arrowroot powder in with the flour to thicken the sauce. Also needed a little more salt and pepper. It was delicious and even my super picky hubby gave it a 10/10! We served with french bread and mashed potatoes. Thanks for the great recipe!
I substituted tapioca starch for the flour to make it paleo, left out the onion and garlic & replaced with garlic oil (to be low-Fodmap), and used red wine vinegar (diluted 1:1 with water) in place of wine. I also served it with mashed potatoes, and it turned out great!
Did you use a sugar substitute? I want to make this but am doing paleo so was wondering what to replace it with.
Hi Amy, just wanted to weigh in. I like how the sugar balances out the savory flavors of the stew, but feel free to omit it to work with your paleo diet. It will still be delicious. 🙂
Thank you!
I need to make this to feed 8. Do you think I just need to cook a bit longer?
Hi Ann, even if you increase the quantities a bit, the cook time should be the same. Hope everyone enjoys!
Thank you Jenn for responding so quickly to questions. So many other sites don’t do that.
My pleasure! 🙂
Served it day after making it. Normally not much feedback for stew, but guests all commented on the flavour! A keeper.
On busy days I would love to try this in a slow cooker and come home to the amazing smell of this meal. Do you have any recommendations for this?
Hi Lynette, Yes, this will work in 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). Enjoy!
My butcher did not have Angus beef chuck roast today (even though he said they would yesterday). Supply chain!! He did have Angus shoulder roast which I got instead. It’s on the stove and I’m hoping it will be delicious because I’m serving tomorrow nite to special friends. What do you think? Also would like to know if others hold out for Angus beef instead of plain choice beef. I do because we think it is much better for steaks etc but I’m wondering if it matters for a stew. Love your recipes — can’t wait to try your Coq au Vin!!
Best beef stew I have ever tasted!
Fantastic recipe. With a loaf of French bread… mmm. Just wish I had a pot big enough for a larger group!
What type of red wine do you recommend? I was thinking of using burgundy.
Hi Tammy, You can use any dry red (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink. Hope you enjoy!
This was a wonderful recipe (husband approved). Only thing is change is less sugar (tad bit too sweet for me) and start the potatoes and carrots at the 1 1/2 hour mark instead of 1 hour mark.
We really enjoyed this recipe. I like that you add the flour to the stew as opposed to flouring the meat. Had to leave out the wine as we were feeding a pregnant mom and baby. Used beef bone broth and water and it was still rich and tasty. Saving this recipe!
This recipe is just what I’ve been looking for! The method for cooking this makes the meat so tender – this one is a keeper!
Hi Jenn! I’ve made this stew many times to rave reviews. I was wondering if you can add frozen small pearl onions to the stew in addition to the two medium yellow and would you do it at the beginning or wait until adding the carrots and potatoes. Many thanks! Love your recipes!
So glad you like it, Janis! Yes, Yes, you can use pearl onions – I’d sauté them in butter and then add them at the end. Enjoy!
Made this from the new cookbook, but wanted to review here. It is DELICIOUS!! Made exactly to recipe except used 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, because I was trying to use up an open container of broth. Best beef stew I’ve ever had! Will definitely make again!
Hi Jen, I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s yummy. Question, can I add some red cabbage (trying to use leftover) or will it ruin the taste? Thanks
Assuming you like the taste of red cabbage, it should be fine. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
THE best Beef Stew recipe out there!
I’ve made this over a dozen times at this point and it’s always phenomenal!
As with most recipes, read thru all the “tips & suggestions”. All those steps regardless if it feels a bit time consuming are completely worth it. The finished product yields such a rich sauce to the stew and the meat is just incredible by the end.
I discovered your blog years ago Jenn and I must say I’ve learned so much between the recipes and just techniques in the kitchen. It’s definitely a hobby for me and so I don’t have any professional culinary experience but I feel like we get so much information from your recipes as well!
Just got the recent cookbook and looking forward to more recipes!
Another winner! This is by far the best stew recipe I have made. Absolutely delicious! Your recipes are truly perfection! Thanks!
Jenn,
This is FANTASTIC!! I do have a question. I’m hosting a dinner party this weekend and will need to make it in advance. How do you recommend cooking the potatoes separate- oven or boiled on stove top? If on the stove top, do you salt the water, cook the potatoes whole of halved?
Thank you!
Gina K.
Hi Gina, You really don’t need to cook the potatoes in advance but if you want to, I’d boil them. I’d cut them in half before adding to the water. Feel free to add a pinch of salt (and I’d undercook them just a tiny bit so that when you add them to the stew and reheat, they won’t get too soft. Hope that helps!
This was excellent. I added carrots and potatoes a half hour in bc I got nervous they wouldn’t cook through (I had ginormous carrots lol) I took out of the oven after the cooking time and simmered on stove and added some cornstarch to thicken more. I added sautéed mushrooms in at the end with frozen peas. Seasoned to our tastes. Hard work but just delicious.
This was watery tasting and not rich at all and I only added 1 cup of water and the rest beef stock. I’ve never added water to beef stew before and never will again!
Just why??
I’m surprised yours turned watery. Mine was the perfect thick, rich stew consistency. Did you add the flour?
OMG- I’ve been making stews for 40 yrs. with a basic recipe from my mom.This Recipe knocks it out of the park! The Dutch oven gives you wonderful taste. The aroma is magnificent. Also made, Red Lobster quick cheese biscuit mix-5+ A must and keeper. Used 4c broth and 1c.red wine no water.
Hi Jen,
I’ve been making this recipe for years and love it. Today I had some rutabaga left over from another recipe so I reduced the potato by half and added the rutabaga. Terrific!
Absolutely Delicious! I didn’t want to waste the extra broth I had opened so I just used 2 cups extra beef broth in place of the water and it came out wonderful. 5 stars!
I heartily agree with John below. My husband made this last night and I thought it was the BEST stew I have ever had – and I have been eating stews a LONG time. I can hardly wait for the leftovers!
I couldn’t believe the 5 star 3k+ reviews, but once I made it, I’ll never make another beef stew recipe. The combination of ingredients, and the balsamic make this a home run. No wonder everyone loves it.
I cut the meat and veggies smaller than shown in the pics, and I add them at the beginning, rather than for the last hour. I like my potatoes cooked to death. Everything else I do exactly as the recipe. So happy I found this. Thanks very much!
Love this recipe!! Make it every time! I add a few of the potatoes in a little earlier to make it nice and thick. I love this tasty meal especially on a cold winter night x
I have about a 3-4 lb whole beef tenderloin left over from a recent party. Since it won’t need to braise for a long time, what changes should I make? It has been previously marinated and grilled to about rare.
Hi Bonnie, I wouldn’t recommend tenderloin for this recipe — I’m sorry!
If I make this with boneless short rib meat cut up does the cooking time remain the same? Ive made this recipe several times before with chuck and it is by far the best beef stew recipe ever. The balsamic takes it over the top.
Hi Debbie, I’ve never made this with short ribs, but a few readers have commented that they have and were happy with the results. I suspect the cooking time would be the same, but I’d check the meat for tenderness before serving. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi, I bought a whole beef tenderloin and butchered it to use the centre cut for your beef tenderloin roast with red wine sauce. Can I use the ends of the tenderloin for this stew? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica, I wouldn’t recommend tenderloin here — sorry!
I made this beef stew with carrots and potatoes and it was fabulous! No leftovers! I did use stewing beef against your advice but I get my beef from a good source and it was all I had on hand. It was still very tender; braising is obviously the key. Thank you! Loved it!
Made this recipe on two different occasions in the crockpot. One was beef the other pork. It turned out so good each time that I canned some of both types yesterday. I will be adding the flour when we open them up in the future. 😊
What adjustments do you have to make with the liquid If you make it in the crockpot? Thank you
Hi Annie, while I think this recipe will work in a crockpot, I don’t have any experience using one so I don’t know if you will need to adjust the amount of liquid – I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!
The stew turned out excellent! I made one crockpot with the beef one day and with pork a couple of days later. Two days after that, I canned some of each to add to the pantry.
P.S. To can it, I had to leave out the flour until we open it at a later date.
Grass fed beef stew is on sale at my local meat market. Do you think grass fed beef would be too lean for this recipe?
Hi Diane, I haven’t made this with grass-fed beef, but a few readers have commented that they have successfully. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I made mine with grass fed stewing beef. It turned out great!
If you’d like to freeze this, it actually freezes very nicely with the potatoes. If you’d prefer to make it ahead and refrigerate, I’d suggest up to 3 days ahead. 🙂
Hi Jenn! Your “Freezer friendly instructions” state to omit the potatoes as they don’t freeze well. 🙂
Hi Lori, sorry for any confusion. I’ve actually frozen the stew a number of times with the potatoes and they are fine when the stew is thawed and reheated. I’m going to update the freezer instructions to reflect that. Hope that clarifies!
Hello! If I make a day ahead, do you recommend leaving it in the dutch oven in the fridge and then reheating on the oven under a low flame… or would it be better to reheat in the oven? Thanks so much! I have made this 10 times and LOVE IT!
Hi Carrie, you can definitely leave it in the Dutch oven. I’d reheat it on the stove over the lowest heat. That way, you can assess when it’s heated through without opening the oven several times. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe tonight but finessed it a bit, because I like my soup a bit thicker and salter, so I added a tad bit of extra flour once it was in the crockpot, and a bit of chicken bouillon to give it a little bit of salt. It tastes amazing but at the end, I realized I forgot 1 ingredient; the sugar! Once I added that, although late in the game, it tied everything together beautifully! Paired it with some French bread to sop it all up.
Best I’ve ever had. Guests will sop-up every bit of the delicious gravy with a nice piece of crusty bread or a dinner roll. EXCELLENT!!
This was A-maz-ing, to the point that my husband and I were looking forward to seconds the next day like you would a meal at a favourite restaurant. I did wing it a little with liquid quantities, added some Marmite and mustard but nothing too crazy. Can’t wait to make it again, fabulous Autumn comfort food.
Can’t wait to make this one today…. Can I do it in the slow cooker? If so, how do I adapt it?
Hi Anna, Yes, this should work in 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). Enjoy!
Great Boeuf Bourguignon. Have made it multiple times. It’s not too time consuming to make and it tastes amazing.
Forgot to mention it does get even better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. It gives the potatoes time to absorb the flavor and for the flavors to blend better.