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.
Making this for dinner tonight….broth seems pretty thin…vegetables are done…what should I do to thicken up a bit?
Hi Roxanne, You can mash 2 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of flour; whisk it into the simmering stew little by little until the stew is thickened to your liking. Hope that helps!
Best stew ever! I made it with just a few adjustments but nothing too major;
* I added the salt and pepper with meat tenderizer to the flour and coated the meat for searing to give it a nice flavorful crust
* I left out the sugar because my Balsamic Vinegar was Dark Cherry flavor and already had enough sweetness to it
* I also added some celery with the carrots and potatoes
* I used Beef Better Than Boullion instead of Dry Red Wine
Family loved it and I will stick to this receipe for sure. Cooking the meat with the onions and putting in the oven for the extra time before adding the vegetables made all the difference in the world to the meat’s tenderness. Worth the cooking time and yet so easy!
This is so good! I can’t fit the water in my pot but I do chuncky carrots and add them at the start. No one can over cook carrots can they?…. Thank you for the recipe. Chur #NZ
Our family is alcohol free. What would you suggest as a substitute to the wine?
Hi Lisa, You can just use more beef broth in place of the wine. Enjoy!
Followed the recipe but didn’t have wine so I used beer and it was amazing!
This is so delicious! I have made this several times over the past few years and it’s just fantastic!
Made this stew — delicious!
Didn’t enjoy this very much. I’ve never done a stew with wine and the wine was very powerful. I see from the comments that someone else only did 3/4 of a cup and I think that would have tasted much better.
Try Beef Better With Boullion or just a boullion base if you’re not a fan of the wine- I was out of Dry Red Wine when I made mine last night with Better Than Boullion and it was outstanding.
With a stew pot in the oven set to 325°, the author says to add the carrots and potatoes to the mix and it will be ready to serve in an hour. That is what it says. Two hours on the front end and one hour on the back end.
Well, this is wrong. I think the author may have intended one hour on the front end and two hours on the back end.
Or else she wants you to eat raw carrots and potatoes. As it is the recipe does not function in the method of execution. Also, the author deploys balsamic vinegar in this recipe. I like this very much and it is a good touch but to finish this particular recipe off to true delight, many people might find it wonderful to add a teaspoon(or so) of Worcestershire sauce in the final oven bake time to give this pot a true old fashion beef stew flavor.
This recipe has the bones to it but it is not fully fleshed out to post and share with noobies to such a stew. Corrections should be made.
People that write negative reviews like yours, full of sarcasm and condescending comments should be ashamed. What is wrong within you that makes you so unkind. If you have nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself. You did not make this recipe, others made this recipe, including myself, and enjoyed it very much. Start your own food blog, post your own recipes…then when someone writes a condescending and sarcastic review on your recipe you’ll see how unnecessary it is…please keep your comments to yourself next time…
Christie …
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU for your comments to seamus.
I could not have conveyed my sentiments any better.
BTW…I’ve cooked this recipe many times,and it’s outstanding,and one that’s often requested😊.
Thank you again Christie!
Lisa
Could you make this in a slow cooker as an alternative to putting the pot in the oven?
Hi Chelsea, If you want to use a slow cooker, I’d sear the beef on the stove first as the recipe indicates and then put 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!
Can I use a rump roast instead of a chuck roast – maybe add an extra hour to the cooking time to give the meat plenty of time to give the meat more time to get nice and tender?
Hi Michelle, I think you could get away with using rump roast. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I’d like to prepare this a few days ahead as you recommend. What is the best way to store/reheat when ready to serve?
Hi Denise, just store it in the fridge and reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. Enjoy!
This recipe is so delicious. The only thing I did different is only adding 3/4 cup of wine. You can serve this dinner to guests anytime. Yum!
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as printed. Next time I am going to add sautéed mushrooms. I think the flavor would be an excellent addition to this recipe but not needed.
This is absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper for sure! We followed the instructions completely, and used a Côtes du Rhône red wine. We’ll certainly make it again, but wonder how we can adjust the recipe to yield more liquid without altering the amazing taste. Thanks Jenn!!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Great depth of flavor. I Will definitely make it again. Next time I will add more salt and pepper to the meat before searing it, I don’t think I seasoned it enough.
All of the recipes I have made have been very tasty, the instructions are very thorough and easy to follow. This is my go to website for good food ideas!
This is my favorite beef stew recipe of all time! I’ve made it 4 times now, always with excellent results. My only tweak is to use less wine and more broth…just a personal preference. Love it!
Fantastic! My family really enjoyed this too! Made according to instructions and added a bit more beef broth at the end as it was quite thick. After adding veggies, I did put back in oven for about 1 1/2 hours — everything was super tender and so delicious. Thank you!
My stew never thickened. And the sauce tasted like nothing.
You must’ve messed up.
Definitely. There’s no scientific way this beef sauce could be flavorless unless you left out all of the aromatics. I’ve made this stew many times and it’s always rich and delicious.
It’s in the last hour of baking, the house smells delightful. I’ll make cheddar biscuits, too!
I made this for a book club meeting and it went over really well. I took your advice and browned the meat in very small batches. Worked great. I also bought a chuck roast instead of the “stew meat,” another good tip. Thanks!
Simply the “Best” Beef Stew recipe by far. Rich, hearty, and so flavorful. I’ve impressed many a guest with the tenderness of the beef. Have had Shruggers of beef stew grab a second bowl. Thank you so much.
After searching and cooking many stew recipes I landed on this one and there’s no comparison – this is the best. Browning the meat in batches always felt like a drag. Time consuming, uneven braise etc. while I was making the Barefoot Contessas Short Ribs recipe I discovered braising the meat in the oven. I heated my oven to 425, with a pastry brush a painted canola oil over a silicone lined baking sheet the painted the pieces of paper towel tried chuck roast and generously salt and peppered. Baked for 20 minutes and they were perfectly seared. I tried this today for this recipe and it worked very well, and removed the part of the recipe that stressed me out! Hope this is helpful!
What a great idea! I’ve made this before and my stove gets so greasy from the splattering oil/beef in my dutch oven. I’m making this stew again in a couple of days and am going to try your idea.
As good as it gets for a rich beef stew. I hope I never lose this recipe. Going on my 8th or 9th time following the directions exactly and it’s always perfect. After grilling and smoking season comes an end, this is always at the top of my list for cold weather. Thanks for sharing the in depth process that makes this such a treat.
I made this beef and veggie stew for Thanksgiving and it was divine. The left overs were even better. I will be making this again, many times in the future.
This looks delicious. Could this be done in a crockpot?
Also, we are not fans of wine so would all broth work?
Thanks, looking forward to trying it.
Hi Kathy, If you want to use a slow cooker, I’d sear the beef first as the recipe indicates and then put 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). And if you’d prefer not to use wine, you can replace it with more beef broth. Hope you enjoy!
I used pomegranate juice in place of the wine and it was excellent
Incredibly easy! Incredibly delicious!
I absolutely loved this recipe! Will definitely make it again.
Jenn,
Thank you for sharing your expertise with us…I love your site!
I have a question: I want to make several batches of your beef stew to freeze and enjoy with a large family group over the Christmas holidays.
I’ve always been told that potatoes cannot be successfully frozen as they become mealy.
Will you please comment on this?
Thank you, Katherine
Hi Katherine, that can definitely be the case with potatoes, but they freeze very nicely in this recipe.
I often replace potatoes with turnips in soups and stews. Most people can’t tell the difference and turnips hold up well when frozen. I plan on using then tomorrow when I make this. It sounds delicious.
I’m making this for the second time. First go the result was fantastic, so now I’m making it for a conversation group of about 6 fellows over egg noodles, red wine and crusty bread and I know they will enjoy this as much as my family enjoyed my first attempt. This stew has seemed easier to make the second time. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this abt a month ago when my son popped home from school for the weekend…it was fantastic! He had a second helping that night and when he was abt to leave to return to school, asked if I could pack some up so he could take it with him.
This was incredible and even better the next day. I added a cup of peas at the end and reduced the wine to 1 1/2 cup. My husband thought the wine flavor was a little strong (I did not) so I may try a merlot or Pinot next time. Used a cab. My vegetables took quite a bit longer than stated below so I had to kick up the temp to 350 at the end. Then I reduced the liquid on the stovetop for 20 min since it was still a little watery and also added 2 tsp of cornstarch slurry. Served with cornbread and honey butter. Amazing!
OMG! Best stew ever! Only changes made were less garlic, 1 onion, no water and instead of wine I used a Guinness beer. Next time I will increase the flour as it did not thicken much until the second day, but it was still delicious!
Hey Jen,
I forgot to get the tomato paste is it necessary for this recipe or can I substitute or leave out and still taste good? Thanks
Hi Ryan, If you have an open can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, you could use that, but it’s not worth opening a new can for just 1-1/2 T. It’s fine to leave it out. Enjoy!
I have made this recipe several times and each time the result was great. The last time I made the stew a day in advance and the result was a more concentrated flavor. I also added some rutabaga which added a distinctive flavor. Thanks Jenn……. I can see (taste) why this is so highly rated!
Terrible! Vinegar ruined it! Tried adding baking soda to counteract it, and made it even worse! As if it could be even worse!
The balsamic vinegar should basically evaporate when you deglaze the pan after braising–recipe only calls for 2 TBS. Did you use regular ol’ vinegar instead of balsamic?? Very different products.
I’ve made this maybe ten times in the past five years and my family absolutely loves it!
This is a great beef stew recipe. I appreciate the detailed instructions.
Wow! I made for a chill, comfort-food-Friday dinner party with friends. Thanks for making me look like master chef. This is my first (but not last) visit to your site. I made recipe exactly as written and everyone loved it. I don’t cook much at all, but this was easy and sooooo delicious. I wouldn’t hesitate to make it for fancier dinner party. Thank you for the recipe.
This is the best beef stew I’ve ever made. Thank you for this yummy recipe. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
First off – I am a huge fan. Your site is my go to for recipes. Thank you!
I am making the beef stew and then planning to serve then next evening to guests.
I am not going to add the potatoes and instead serve over garlic mashed potatoes.
Can I shorten the cooking time? Or would it be best to leave it.
Hi Jennifer, I wouldn’t shorten the cooking time; the beef needs the whole time to get tender. Enjoy!
This is an outstanding recipe.it is the only stew I will make . I sometimes omit the water and use 4 cups of wine.
Works great with Elk top round as well. Made to the recipe spec (with the exception of additional oil as Elk is very lean) and it turned out delicious. Would likely be an excellent venison stew as well for those with game in the freezer.
I made this recipe late last night and had it for lunch today. Scrumptious. As I put the stew away for the night I was concerned that the sauce would not thicken into a gravy. The next morning I lifted the lid to a stew with perfect consistency. My husband and I had this for lunch today along with a chunk of good bread and all we could say was “Oh, wow”. The beef fell apart on my fork. The veggies were cooked and not mushy and the gravy, well, let’s just say I needed more bread to sop up that goodness.
Changes:
1. My veggies needed ten more minutes to cook and then they were done to a turn.
2. I added a teaspoon more of salt this morning.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe. My husband brought a lovely 3 pound Angus chuck roast, well marbled just like the one in your picture. We love carrots and I always add at least twice as many as any recipe calls for. To be sure the leftovers could be frozen we cooked the potatoes separately. Not to worry — the stew has already made 3 meals for us with someone to fight over the last cup for lunch tomorrow. I have made beef bourguignon in the past and remembered it as being more difficult than this recipe and no better. Definitely added the sauteed mushrooms at the end because they add so much to the flavor. All in all a wonderful success. I recall flambee’ing the beef with cognac or brandy in the past but didn’t do it this time. I’ll try the next. What a satisfying meal(s) it has made for us. I learned “the art of French cooking” with Julia Child (not in person but in her books and tv shows) and what I always appreciated was the way she helped you understand why you were doing each step. You do that as well and I appreciate it very much. I loved the fact that she told you what to do when things went wrong as well (and sometimes showed it go wrong on her shows as well). Cooking an outstanding meal is great fun and so satisfying. Thank you for being another great go to resource. When will you get your show on PBS? You definitely deserve it!!
This recipe is a keeper! I used a seven bone chuck. I did chop and brown the meat, and the boney sections, the bones went back into the pot too. I also threw some mushrooms in with the onions (because they were there). It was perfect for a chilly Autumn evening, it really hit the spot!
I made this Saturday for a book club dinner on Monday. I was concerned that it was too watery when I put it in the refrigerator but was thrilled that it thickened up perfectly when I reheated it. I followed the directions exactly (that’s the only way I can cook) and it was so good! I’m looking forward to making this again!
3rd time ive come back to this recipe. Its always a winner. Its something you crave if you havent had it for a while!
I made the recipe tonight and it was excellent! The only substitution I made was pearl onions for the chunks of yellow onion. Cutting up a chuck roast is a far superior way to do it versus buying precut stew meat. The meat was fall apart tender. I used a lovely Pinot Noir and my husband rhapsodized about the broth. This recipe is a keeper!
This Stew recipe had overpowering taste of red wine – would do 1 cup. Sugar likely isn’t necessary. I’d increase the potatoes and flour a bit. Will not make again.
Absolutely delicious. The whole family loved it! Only addition I made was I added turnip because we love it in our soups & stews. Will be adding this recipe to the comfort food rotation!