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This cozy, meaty classic Beef Stew recipe is easy, simple and packed with nostalgic comfort – I make this dinner a few times a month, and my kids always beg for more. This recipe is incredibly adaptable – use what vegetables you have on hand, swap items as you prefer – make it fit your own tastes! It is truly a great recipe base – one to build upon to layer more and more flavor your family loves.
I can’t believe I am about to type this, but this recipe is truly a hug in a pot (I know, I know, groan) – it is cozy, loaded with chunks of browned beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery – for a down-home dinner that is just like grandma used to make.
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Cozy Beef Stew Recipe
This soup is a pantry-staple classic – after buying the beef, you will likely have all of the other ingredients on hand. We’re using simple ingredients you should already know well from other recipes, and a basic method to brown beef and create stew.
Beef Stew Recipe Ingredients
To make this recipe, you need to gather the following ingredients:
- Beef Chuck (2 lbs / 900 g, cut into 1-inch cubes): The main protein, becomes tender and flavorful when slow-cooked. The marbling ensures richness and depth of flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour (3 tablespoons): Coats the beef before browning, creating a flavorful crust. Also thickens the stew, giving the broth a silky, rich consistency.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances the flavors in the stew, seasons the beef, and brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables and broth.
- Black Pepper (½ teaspoon): Adds mild heat and spice that balances the richness of the stew, contributing warmth and depth.
- Olive Oil (2 tablespoons): Used to sear the beef and sauté the onions and garlic. Helps brown ingredients, adding complexity and depth to the stew’s flavor.
- Onion (1 large, chopped): Forms the flavor base, adding sweetness and richness as it cooks, enhancing the savory profile of the broth.
- Garlic (6 cloves, minced): Adds strong, aromatic flavor, enhancing the overall savory profile and contributing a subtle pungency that complements the beef and vegetables.
- Beef Broth (4 cups / 1 liter): The primary cooking liquid, infuses the stew with beefy flavor, providing moisture and a savory richness.
- Red Wine (1 cup / 240 ml, optional): Adds acidity, complexity, and depth to the stew, enhancing the beef flavor and helping tenderize the meat.
- Tomato Paste (2 tablespoons): Provides concentrated tomato flavor, adds richness and a touch of acidity, balancing the sweetness of the carrots and onions while deepening the stew’s color.
- Worcestershire Sauce (1 tablespoon): Adds umami with its mix of fermented ingredients, enhancing the savory and meaty flavors of the beef.
- Bay Leaves (2): Adds a subtle herbal aroma and flavor, releasing a gentle earthy, slightly floral note that balances the richness of the beef and broth.
- Italian Seasoning (1 tablespoon): A blend of dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary), adds aromatic herbal flavors that complement the savory ingredients.
- Carrots (4 large, peeled and cut into chunks): Adds sweetness and color, contributing texture and pairing well with the savory flavors.
- Baby Potatoes (1 lb / 450 g, halved or left whole if small): Adds heartiness, making the stew more filling, and provides a creamy texture when cooked.
- Celery (2 stalks, chopped): Adds slight bitterness and crunch, bringing a fresh, herbal flavor that lightens the richness of the stew.
- Fresh Parsley (for garnish, optional): Adds color and fresh, bright flavor to the finished stew, balancing the richness of the beef and broth.
Steps to make Beef Stew
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
Prep
In a bowl, toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper to evenly coat them.
Brown Beef
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in batches (to avoid overcrowding) and sear on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
Cook Aromatics
In the same pot, add the chopped onions and minced garlic (all 6 cloves). Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. You can also brown vegetables while beef is still in pot if you’d like to skip the extra step of removing beef.
Add Liquid
Pour in the beef broth and red wine (if using) to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. Stir everything together.
Simmer
Return the browned beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beef is tender. Stir occasionally.
Veggies
After the beef has cooked for about 1.5 hours, add the carrots, baby potatoes (either whole or halved), and celery to the pot. Stir well and let everything simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Taste and season, serve.
Finish
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve the stew hot with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.
Tips for this Easy Beef Stew
Choose the Right Cut of Beef. Use beef chuck or another tough cut like brisket. These cuts have more connective tissue, which breaks down and becomes tender during slow cooking, adding rich flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Brown the Beef: Sear the beef cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Browning adds depth of flavor to the meat and the stew. Make sure to get a good caramelization on the beef before simmering.
Layer the Flavors: Cook the onions and garlic in the same pot after browning the beef. This ensures you build up layers of flavor, incorporating all the browned bits from the beef.
Deglaze the Pot: After sautéing, deglaze the pot with red wine or beef broth to lift all the flavorful bits from the bottom. This enhances the depth of the stew’s flavor.
Simmer Low and Slow: Stews are best cooked slowly over low heat. Whether on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker, a long simmer (1.5 to 2 hours) ensures that the meat becomes tender and the flavors meld together.
Add Vegetables at the Right Time: Add heartier vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and celery) about halfway through cooking, or when the beef is nearly tender, so they don’t overcook and turn mushy.
Use Good-Quality Broth: A rich, flavorful beef broth makes a difference in the final result. Opt for homemade or high-quality store-bought broth to enhance the stew’s flavor.
Season Gradually: Taste and adjust seasoning as you cook. Adding salt early allows it to permeate the beef and broth, but finish with additional seasoning once the stew is nearly done to ensure perfect flavor balance.
Let It Rest (or Make Ahead): Stews taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. If possible, let the stew rest for a few hours or refrigerate overnight for even deeper flavor.
Add Fresh Herbs at the End: Fresh herbs like parsley can be stirred in just before serving to add a burst of brightness that balances the richness of the stew.
Thicken if Needed: If you prefer a thicker stew, you can mash a few of the potatoes or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
Sides with Beef Stew
Crusty Bread to soak up the rich broth.
Mashed potatoes if you prefer not to have potatoes in the stew.
Winter Salad is the perfect compliment to this winter stew.
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Easy Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 900 g beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups 1 liter beef broth
- 1 cup 240 ml red wine (optional, can substitute with more beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 lb 450 g baby potatoes, halved or left whole if small
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper to evenly coat them.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef cubes in batches (to avoid overcrowding) and sear on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the chopped onions and minced garlic (all 6 cloves). Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the beef broth and red wine (if using) to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. Stir everything together.
- Return the browned beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the beef is tender. Stir occasionally.
- After the beef has cooked for about 1.5 hours, add the carrots, baby potatoes (either whole or halved), and celery to the pot. Stir well and let everything simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve the stew hot with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Classic Beef Stew FAQs
The key to tender beef stew is to cook it low and slow. Tough cuts of meat, like chuck, need time to break down and become tender. Simmering the stew for at least 1.5 to 2 hours ensures the meat becomes tender without drying out.
Yes! While red wine adds depth and richness to the stew, you can easily substitute it with more beef broth or a splash of balsamic vinegar or soy sauce for extra umami flavor.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery about 30 to 40 minutes before the stew is finished. This ensures they cook through without becoming mushy. Adding them at the start will cause them to break down too much.
On the stovetop or in the oven, beef stew typically takes 1.5 to 2 hours. In a slow cooker, you can cook it on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. This ensures the beef is tender and the flavors are well-developed.
Yes, in fact, beef stew often tastes better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Yes! Beef stew works wonderfully in a slow cooker. Brown the beef and sauté the onions and garlic first (optional but recommended for flavor), then add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Beef stew is done when the beef is tender and easily falls apart when pierced with a fork. The vegetables should also be tender, but not mushy. Typically, this happens after 1.5 to 2 hours of simmering on the stovetop.
Add more potatoes or vegetables to absorb the salt.
Stir in a little bit of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to balance the saltiness.
Dilute with more beef broth or water.
Coating the beef in flour before browning helps thicken the stew as it simmers. The flour creates a delicious crust on the beef and helps give the broth a nice consistency.
The flour also helps to work with the potato starches to help thicken stew as it cooks.
Beef chuck is the best choice for beef stew because it has a good balance of fat and connective tissue, which breaks down during long, slow cooking.
Other good options include brisket and bottom round. Dicing before cooking is recommended.
– Flour: Coating the beef in flour before browning helps thicken the stew as it cooks.
– Cornstarch slurry: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir into the stew during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
– Mashing potatoes: Mashing some of the potatoes directly in the stew can also thicken the broth.
Absolutely! Beef stew freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and warm on the stovetop.
Delicious!