Beef Stew Recipe with Carrots & Potatoes
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This classic French beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. Slow-cooked in a wine-based broth, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a richly flavored sauce—perfect for chilly nights.
With thousands of 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the most popular recipe on my site—and for good reason! It’s incredibly delicious and the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Pieces 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, the meat becomes fork tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce.
This beef stew recipe is largely hands-off and even better when made a day or two ahead. It also freezes beautifully. Serve it with artisan bread or popovers to soak up the rich sauce, or ladle it over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for an extra-hearty meal.
“SERIOUSLY EPIC! Hands down, the best beef stew recipe I have ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Stew
- Boneless beef chuck: The key to tender, flavorful stew. Look for chuck roast with a good amount of marbling, or white veins of fat running through it. Avoid generic “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean.
- Olive oil: Used for browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables.
- Yellow onions and garlic: Adds sweetness, depth, and savory aroma to the stew as they cook.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds acidity and depth, balancing the richness of the stew.
- Tomato paste: Thickens the stew and imparts a rich tomato flavor.
- All-purpose flour: As the stew simmers, the flour helps thicken the broth, turning it into a rich, velvety sauce that clings to the meat and vegetables.
- Dry red wine: Adds bold flavor and forms the base of the stew along with the broth and water. Use any dry red wine like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon that is inexpensive but good enough to drink.
- Beef broth and water: Forms the liquid base along with the wine.
- Bay leaf and dried thyme: Classic aromatics that infuse earthy flavors.
- Carrots: Adds natural sweetness and texture.
- White boiling potatoes (baby Yukons): These small potatoes soak up the rich broth and add heartiness.
- Fresh parsley: A fresh garnish that brightens the stew.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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. (If you don’t have a Dutch oven or prefer to cook the stew on the stovetop, that works, too! The timing will be the same—just keep it on the lowest heat setting and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.)
After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.
Return the stew to the oven and cook for one hour, until the meat and veggies are tender and the broth has thickened.
For a thicker sauce, mash 2 tablespoons each softened butter and flour into a paste. Bring the stew to a simmer on the stovetop, then stir in small amounts of the paste, letting it dissolve and thicken the sauce before adding more.
Want to make the stew in a crockpot? Sear the meat and cook the onions and garlic as instructed. Then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the carrots, potatoes, water, wine, and broth; cook for 4 to 5 hours.
Video Tutorial
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Beef Stew
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. Slow-cooked in a wine-based broth, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a richly flavored sauce—perfect for chilly nights.
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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Simply prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. If you want to freeze the stew, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
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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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Love love love this recipe.
You are exactly right the next day and even after just grow with more flavor!!!!
6 servings ….. huh ….. well, it didn’t last past a single dinner with 2 adults and 2 teenage girls!!!!
Cooked on an outdoor grill …. STOK Quattro 4 burner with the cast iron kettle insert. It came out perfect!
Amazing stew! I used to make stew with tomato soup, a recipe from many years ago., and it is good, but this stew has got it beat! No more tomato soup! Made it a few times exactly as recipe calls and everyone loved it. I can’t get over how great the taste is. Thanks for the tip about the meat as I USED to use packaged stew meat.
Love the recipe – have made it twice and would like to print a permanent copy for my recipe book but cannot seem to get it to work – tried Emailing it to myself but just get the site not the recipe – suggestions.
Hi Andrea- glad you like the stew and sorry you were having trouble printing it! I just emailed you a PDF version that you can save or print.
Can I Cook this in a pot on the stove, rather than in the oven?
Sure Summer- Instead of putting the pot in the oven, you can simmer it on the stove for the same time. Hope you enjoy!
I want to make this however…. I don’t have a dutch oven or a large pot that I can put in the oven. Is this something I can make in the slow cooker? If so, can you advise me on how to change the recipe to be slow cooker friendly?! Please!!!!!!! I’ll come back and rate it as soon as I make it!
Yes Kellie, you can prepare this in the slow cooker. I would recommend searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then I would cook the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Hope you enjoy!
I thought of using my wok to sear the beef because I thought I’d have to scrub out my Dutch oven for a half hour afterwards. I went with the Dutch oven and the brown bits completely dissolved with the balsamic vinegar… just as you said. I think those brown bits add a TON of flavor to this dish. Thanks for the delish recipe Jenn!
HI Jen.
My Husbands Birthday is this Sunday and I have decided (for the first time, my inlaws are Hindu and usually don’t eat Beef, though my husband and father in law do) to cook a Beef Stew. Due to the abundance of awesome reviews I have decided to go with your recipe. I do not have a Dutch Oven (keen to buy one though) and was wondering whether a 5l (the one you can get from IKEA) would be sufficient enough for your recipe. I appreciate your quick reply and I hope to be able to give my review on your recipe by Sunday. Love and Regards, Rabea
Sorry to trouble you but is it possible to change the meat to Lamb and Chicken Stock instead of Beef Stock? Thank you
Yes and yes! You may also want to take a look at this lamb stew recipe.
Hi Rabea, It may be snug, but I think the stew will fit into a 5l pot (just make sure it’s oven-safe). Hope everyone enjoys!
Loooved it!?This meal came out so good. Your recipe was easy to follow and everything came out perfectly. I made egg noodles to go with mine, my family loved it, even my picky kids! My husband usually make a soup out if the stew beef, but I wanted something different, plus I’ve been exploring different tastes and flavors in the dishes I’ve been making and this was a winner! Thanks so much for sharing! I’m looking forward to more dinner ideas.
Awesome recipe!!! I know when cooking with wine, the alcohol evaporates, but the wine flavor remains. Does the alcohol evaporates 100%, when cooking with wine??? Is it safe to give to a child under 5 yrs old???
Yes Judy, it’s perfectly safe to give the stew to young children — enjoy!
Thanks for that question, I needed to know that.
I need help in attempting to thicken it please. Assuming I followed the recipe correctly, what would you suggest? I added the veggies and because it was so thin I moved it to the stove top for the last hour. I know you said it thickens toward the end but I’m concerned. Thanks!!
It really does thicken at the end, Emily, but if you’d prefer it even thicker, you could always make a paste with 1 tablespoon softened butter and 1 tablespoon flour — whisk it in at the very end, and then simmer until thickened. Hope that helps!