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.
I am not a good cook and my husband is picky. We’ve been married 44 years and he said this is the best meal he’s ever had!! Thank you for the fabulous recipe! ❤️
amazing–This made me feel like a master chef. So delicious. Thank you!
One of the best beef stew recipes!! I added celery and a bit of worcestershire to mine.
This recipe is the f#$king bomb! Have made it 3 times now and it never disappoints. The only problem is the pot isnt large enough to make more and it disappears too quicky!
I like to add mushrooms & peppers, plus some red chillies for a little heat. And for those complaining the sauce is too runny (which it hasnt been in my experience), get some bread and mop those juices up!
Certainly the juices did not thickened much but we didn’t notice. It was delicious, will be repeating often!
Replaced maple syrup for the sugar! Next time I want to add cabbage, maybe celery, mushroom! yummmmm
How would you thicken it up a bit?
Hi Kelly, I’d just let it simmer on the stove, uncovered, until it reaches the desired thickness. Hope you enjoy!
Lovely recipe apart from the need to add cornstarch to thicken the sauce at the end and I don’t add the sugar as I find it makes it too sweet for some reason Americans like to add sugar to all their recipes
Just made this tonight, and I too found that it needed some thickening at the end. Next time, I’ll reduce liquids by abt 1-1.5 cups, and it will be perfection!
Hi, how long to reheat the stew at 350? And being to room temp first?
Thanks!
Hi Paula, to speed up the reheating, you could bring it to room temperature first. I’d guesstimate that it would take about 30 minutes in the oven. Although I give reheating instructions for both the oven and the stovetop, I prefer reheating it on the stove as that way you can check it periodically without opening and closing the oven.
I’ve been making traditional beef stew for 25 years. THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE I HAVE EVER TRIED!!! Follow directions to a tee though (I’m the type that usually adds stuff). Spectacular flavour from the balsamic. Simple ingredients so perfectly cooked. The meat melted in my mouth. I did mine on stove top and timing in recipe was spot on. Will never make stew any other way again.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
I made the stew bit didn’t have the temp for the oven so cooked in oven at 250.
Hi Margaret, Sorry you had a hard time finding the oven temperature. For future reference, it’s 325°F/165°C.
Fantastic recipe; there’s a reason it has so many reviews! I prefer to always make a recipe as directed the first time, especially on this site. Jen earned my trust long ago – her recipes are well-written, and the results prove that she knows what she’s doing. However, because one person in our household is sensitive to wine and another is allergic to gluten, this time I made two swaps right off the bat. I replaced the red wine with additional beef broth and substituted King Arthur gluten-free flour for the wheat flour. (Sometimes you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do, right?) I’m sure the flavor profile is a bit different without the wine, but guess what? It’s *still* divine. Five stars all the way. Thank you for another wonderful dish!
Just made this last night! Amazing !!
Excellent recipe! My whole family loved it. It will definitely be a regular meal for us from now on.
Question- As an alternative could I use pork stewing meat? Would you make any other alternatives to compliment the pork?
Glad you like it! Yes, I think you could use pork stew meat without any other modifications. Please report back and let me know how it is!
Thanks Jenn. The recipe was just as yummy with pork.
So glad to hear it — thanks for reporting back!
I made this and my husband and I absolutely loved it! It was full of flavor, bold and hearty! This will be my go to stew from now on! Thank you for such a great recipe!
This is OUTSTANDING! Truly delicious. I’ve made beef stew, used a little wine in it, even a little beer, all my life. But, I’ve never quite been able to capture that richness or savory flavor. I followed your recipe exactly, except I used stew meat. Next time I’ll get a chuck roast. And I’ll put my carrots in first, let them get a head start on the potatoes. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is beyond 5 stars. It’s rich and thick and is honestly the best stew I have ever tasted. I liked it did not call for celery. Just carrots and tators. Perfect. I served with a side of green peas and homemade biscuits. My husband is hard to please with dinner sometimes and he said “Tootsie this is delicious!” before I even sat down at the table. Thank you so much!
I followed your recipe exactly, but I didn’t get the gorgeous thick rich sauce you show. Mine came out with a watery broth. Flavors weren’t rich and “brown” like yours looks, either. I’m going to tweak it, adding a bit of instant coffee and cocoa powder to darken the flavor (favorite trick of mine with gravies). How to thicken? Cornstarch??
Hi Gary, Hi Sorry that this hasn’t gotten to the consistency that you’ve been looking for. To thicken it, near the very end of cooking time, you can make a paste with 1 tablespoon soft butter and 1 tablespoon 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!
Was so yummy and tasty. Definitely met OUAC expectations! My husband, MIL, and two girls gobbled up this hearty dish. I made with artisan bread and it was a hit. I agree — perfect for a cold night! I only wish we had enough leftovers for everyone tomorrow! I also added sautéed mushrooms at the end; really glad we did that.
Outstanding! I got rave reviews from everyone I served it to
I was sooo enthused about the recipe and the comments. One of which mentioned her carrots and potatoes were not done.
Well this smelled heavenly while cooking. I stuck with you recipe using only beef broth , wine and no water. I also added gelatin. I did the batches as you instructed, seasoned as instructed, followed the steps. I baked it for 3 or more hours.. but added the carrots after 1.5 hours due to the comment of reviewer.
I am testing for a trip I am sending it on next week. I wanted to wait to heat it up after 2 days just like the trip. My question Jenn…. I have smelled the dish in the frig, will taste tomorrow, but it smells just like a regular beef stew… cannot smell the wine and garlic like yesterday. Carrots are very soft. Did I cook it too long? Is there a point where the wine and ingredients no longer taste like a bourguignon? I am making the dish next wed for 10.
Hi Sherie, You may have overcooked the carrots a bit if they’re very soft, but you really can’t cook away the flavor. I hope that once you dig into it, you’ll find that it has plenty of flavor. 🙂
As I told Jenn, MY apologies …it was NOT the Stew (which is better than a bourguignon per my testers– who raved about the taste being SO RICH!!! RAVED about it …. even with my overcooked carrots….. FLAVOR OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
As with her AMAZING Chicken Marsala (you gotta try). It was not the stew….. IT WAS MY SENSE OF TASTE AND SMELL by Covid Last Month!!!! Made it again today for outing of 10 guys this weekend. 9 qt stock pot and cooked it just as the recipe adding carrots and potatoes last hour. Perfect!
I’ve made this several times now and am making it again today it is my favorite beef stew recipe and I have tried many. I make it completely on stovetop, keep the beef chunks large (my wife’s admonitions to make the chunks smaller go unheeded as the meat is always flavorful tender and delicious) and otherwise follow the recipe to the letter.
I need this gluten free – should I use cornstarch or gluten free flour?
Hi Cathy, You can use gluten-free flour here in place of the all-purpose flour. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe and it was not what I expected. After 3 plus hours it was not worth eating. I would not recommend this…. the stew was not tasty infact it was aweful. Sorry, but it was a complete fail…not for what I did as I followed the recipe…. it had no taste other than blah!
This is delicious. Loved the flavors. The balsamic gives it so much goodness. It had a lot of liquid and even added more carrots. Would cut back on water next time. But there will definitely be a next time. Cant wait for left overs today.
I am old, have made a lot of stews. None came close to this one, so delicious!
This is an amazing recipe. The flavours are so impressive. (I do add the sautéed mushrooms at the end as suggested.)
My oldest daughter requested this for her birthday dinner, so I made the suggested southern biscuits to go with it. We all devoured the beautiful meal. So delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for this amazing beautifully aromatic rich stew recipe. Our house smelled amazing. I doubled the veggies. It made for great leftovers. Totally fab meal – we will definitely make again (and again, and again …..) 😋
Outstanding! Thanks so much Jenn 😁
This was amazing!! I didn’t think my kids would eat stew but they loved it!
I only used one onion and had to substitute Worsty sauce as I didn’t have balsamic vinegar.
I served it with fresh homemade bread.
Delicious. Stew really does taste better when you spend the time to do the steps.
Absolutely amazing and worth the few extra steps to make it right. It also smells wonderful while it’s cooking too. My grandsons request I make this for them all of the time!!
This was phenomenal and my husband declared it as one of the best things I’ve ever made! The only differences I made were more meat (4 lbs as opposed to 3 only because that was what was available at the meat market) and I added a can of drained corn and a can of drained peas. So delicious and flavorful!
Chose this recipe at random and it did not disappoint! So yummy. Instructions were good. Will be my go-to for next time. Def make again.
I’ve never really cared for beef stew, but I made this for my dad and it is delicious. I’m not a cook, in fact, I rarely cook, but it was easy to make. The vegetable prep and pre cutting the meat took the most time and effort, otherwise it was just giving it a stir.
The secret is using the chuck roast. It is expensive, but it tastes so much better than traditional stew beef. And I’m not really a beef person, but I’d use this for everything. I made sure I got the well marbled kind, and it is incredibly tender. My dad is older and has very worn down teeth and has problems chewing regular steak, but he had no problems with this meat.
It tastes just as good when reheated.
Hi Jenn, how long would you reheat the stew in the 350 oven?
Thanks, Ally in NJ
Hi Ally, I’d guess that you’d need about 30 minutes, but I usually reheat it on the stove; that way it’s easy to check to see if it’s heated through.
One of the good ones! This stew is spot on! I add the carrots and potatoes a little earlier by 1/2 an hour and a little less liquid,so skip 1/2 the water , but really great recipe, so thanks ☺️
Really looked forward to making this dish especially after reading some rave reviews!
Unfortunately, I’ve had a long day so I was tired when I started this evening (making for the wife and I) so I forgot to salt and pepper the meat during the browning so I just added after the liquids. I hope that doesn’t alter the taste too much. Hoping for the best!
Wow, this rocked! I tossed the beef in the flour before I browned, used brown sugar instead of white, added Worcestershire, added more tomato paste, mushrooms with the carrots and potatoes and then stirred in some frozen peas at the end. The balsamic adds a perfect depth and sweetness.
Made this today, as written except I put the 3 tablespoons of oil in the dutch oven right from the start, without rereading the recipe, fortunately it all worked out. Before I even put the stew in the oven the flavor was so good. Once I removed the pot from the oven to put the potatoes & carrots in, the broth at that time was amazingly delicious. This was well worth the time and such a great recipe on a cold day. This certainly is a keeper. We added some frozen peas at the last minute and served with biscuits .The whole family loved it. Thank you!
Love your recipe. I have made it several times and I always get rave reviews.
My family loves this recipe and I have to say it is way better than the recipe that I have used for many years. This stew rocks!!
Hi, can you provide me with a non-alcoholic substitute to the wine?
Hi Helen, You can use more beef broth in place of the wine. Enjoy!
Wow, this recipe was absolutely amazing. The beef melted in our mouths. Thank you so much Jennifer!
This is a fabulous recipe. I modified it a bit based on what I had (homemade red wine vinegar instead of balsamic and one of the cups of wine, water from a can of diced tomatoes instead of the tomato paste and some of the water, homemade bone broth, forgot to add sugar). Other than seasoning the meat I didn’t see any addition of salt or pepper so I added these to taste at the end.
We were quite hungry and added the vegetables after an hour braise, and then ate the stew after another hour. It was delicious at that point, and the beef was already silky soft and tender compared to when it came out of the pan, but we left the stew on for another hour on low on the stovetop and after that, it reaaallly came together. The broth went from a tasty liquid broth to the thick, rich sauce that you associate with stew. The next day it was even better. Don’t skimp on the time, it is well worth it!
Incredible. Simply incredible. If you’re on the fence, make it. I promise that it is worth your while.
Where has this been all my life?! It really is that incredible!
Best beef stew I’ve ever made. Had 1.5 lbs. nice stew meat in the fridge & didn’t feel like doing my usual recipe so looked & found this one. I only did a half recipe given my amount of meat. Meat to vegetable ratio is very good altho’ I likely will add more potato & carrots in future. Wonderful rich flavour. Thanks.
Sounds wonderful and perfect for today, with the pending ice/snow storm, here in Cincinnati Ohio! Can I make this recipe in an electric skillet? I do not own a dutch oven.
Hi Rina, I’m not very familiar with electric skillets but from what I read online, it looks like it should work. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself.) If you have a large soup pot, that will also work. Stay warm!
Any sub for the wine?
Sure — you can use additional beef broth in place of the wine. Enjoy!
I always use beef stew meat and it comes out extremely tender. Even my Mom, who wore partials, was able to enjoy with ease. I cook it to a medium temp, then cut the pieces before simmering the meat
Super easy to make. Absolutely delicious!
Amazing recipe. I have made Julia Child’s version and this is far superior. Think the secret is the balsamic vinegar- don’t skip that addition. The balsamic I had was quite concentrated and sweet so I left out the sugar. Was perfect. Definitely take her advice on the chuck roast and not stew meat. I hardly ever tweak Jenn’s recipes but my family doesn’t care for potatoes cooked in a stew. I roasted them separately in a little olive oil sprinkled with rosemary. Small extra step. Dinner was a big hit! Thanks Jenn, as always. Served with Jenn’s popover recipe- check that out- great pairing! Or include some side biscuits to sop up the gravy. YUM!
I have made this dish several times and the flour never thickens the stew. It has a soup like consistency. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Matt, Sorry that this hasn’t gotten to the consistency that you’ve been looking for. To thicken it, near the very end of cooking time, you can make a paste with 1 tablespoon soft butter and 1 tablespoon 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!
Same issue – more like soup than stew.
Wow, this was delicious! Our 1st real snowfall of the season here in Connecticut today and this is the absolutely perfect meal for this weather.
Thank you for this wonderfully easy and delicious recipe,
I’ve made this stew many times and we love it. I’ve always served it the day it’s made, but I want to make it a day ahead because the flavors are much better. The downside is, the vegetables tend to be too soft. I was thinking of cooking only until the veg are added, let them partially cook with the residual heat, then refrigerate overnight and back in the oven until they’re finished. Any thoughts on how that would come out?
Hi Jen, I haven’t tried that, but I think it would be fine. Keep in mind that because the stew is cold, you may need to add a few minutes to the second round of cooking time. Hope that helps!