Hearty, Rich, and Fall-Apart Tender — Comfort in a Bowl
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 2 Hours (or 45 min in pressure cooker) | Total Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes | Servings: 3–4
Why This Beef Stew Is Pure Comfort Food
There is something about a pot of beef stew that just makes everything feel right. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef cubes simmered low and slow in a rich, savory broth with red wine, garlic, tomato paste, potatoes, and carrots until everything is thick, deep in flavor, and impossibly comforting. This is not a complicated recipe with a dozen fancy ingredients — it is a simple, honest, classic beef stew that lets the quality of the cooking method and a few key ingredients do all the heavy lifting.
The flour-dusted beef sears into a golden crust that builds the flavor base. The red wine deglazes the pot and adds a deep, rounded richness. The tomato paste brings concentrated umami. The thyme and bay leaves add an earthy, aromatic backbone. And after two hours of gentle simmering (or 45 minutes in a pressure cooker), the beef practically falls apart with a fork and the broth thickens into a gravy that coats every potato and carrot perfectly. This is the stew you want on a cold evening, after a long day, or anytime you need a bowl of something warm and soul-satisfying.
Table of Contents
Kitchen Tools We Recommend
Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven (6-Quart) — This is the ultimate tool for beef stew. You sear the beef cubes right in the pot, sauté the onion and garlic, deglaze with red wine, add the broth, and then simmer everything low and slow for 2 hours — all without switching pans. The enameled cast iron holds heat evenly so the stew simmers gently without hot spots, and the heavy lid traps steam so the beef gets fall-apart tender. It goes from stovetop to oven if you prefer, and it looks beautiful enough to serve from directly at the table. If you only buy one pot for your kitchen, make it a Dutch oven.
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- Airtight Lid Lock-Preserves Freshness and Flavor: Our Umite Chef enamel pot features a precision-engineered lid that cre…
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Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker — Do not have 2 hours to wait? The pressure cooker cuts the cook time to just 45 minutes and delivers the same fall-apart tender beef and rich, thick broth. Sear the meat using the sauté function, add everything else, lock the lid, set the pressure, and walk away. Dinner practically makes itself. The Instant Pot is also perfect for soups, rice, beans, and dozens of other recipes, so it earns its counter space fast.
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- Compact Yet Capable: A 3-quart capacity makes it perfect for small households or side dishes, and with 11 one-touch smar…
- Good Food Done Faster: Cook up to 70% faster compared to slow cooking methods.
HOSHANHO Professional Chef’s Knife (8-Inch) — You need a sharp, reliable knife for cubing the beef, slicing potatoes and carrots, dicing the onion, and mincing garlic. A dull knife makes these tasks frustrating and actually more dangerous. This 8-inch chef’s knife has an ergonomic handle and high-carbon steel blade that stays sharp and makes prep work fast and effortless. It is the one tool you will reach for in every single recipe on this blog.
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Beef Stew Ingredients
For the Beef Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g (about 1 lb) beef cubes (chuck roast is best)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 3 to 4 cups water + 1 beef broth cube (or 3–4 cups beef broth)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large potato, sliced or cubed
- 1 carrot, sliced
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 cup mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup frozen peas (add in last 5 minutes)
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 parsnip, sliced
- 1 turnip, cubed
- Fresh rosemary instead of or alongside thyme
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water (for thickening at the end)
- Crusty bread for serving
Beef Stew Step-by-Step Instructions
Regular Pot / Dutch Oven Method (2 Hours)
Step 1: Season and Flour the Beef
Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel — this is important for getting a good sear. Season the beef with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the beef and toss until every cube is evenly coated. The flour helps create a golden crust when searing and later thickens the stew naturally as it simmers.
Step 2: Sear the Beef
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the beef cubes in a single layer without overcrowding — work in batches if needed. Sear for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown on all sides. Do not move the beef around while it sears — let it sit and develop that crust. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics
Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot with the browned bits still on the bottom, add the diced onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly — this concentrates the flavor and removes the raw taste from the paste.
Step 4: Deglaze with Red Wine
Pour in the ½ cup of red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. These bits are called fond and they are packed with flavor. Let the wine simmer for about 2 minutes until it reduces by about half.
Step 5: Add the Broth and Seasonings
Dissolve the beef broth cube in 3 to 4 cups of hot water and pour it into the pot (or use pre-made beef broth). Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the seared beef to the pot. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
Step 6: Simmer Low and Slow
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and let the stew simmer gently for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The beef should start becoming tender.
Step 7: Add the Vegetables
Add the sliced potato and carrot to the pot. Stir gently, cover, and continue simmering for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender and the beef is falling apart. If the stew is thinner than you like, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes to let it reduce and thicken. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Step 8: Serve
Ladle the stew into deep bowls. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of that rich, savory broth. A sprinkle of fresh parsley on top adds a nice pop of color.
Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Method (45 Minutes to 1 Hour)
Step 1: Sear the Beef
Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté function on high. Add olive oil. Season and flour the beef the same way as above. Sear in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Sauté and Deglaze
Still on Sauté mode, cook the diced onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom — this is critical in a pressure cooker to avoid the burn warning.
Step 3: Add Everything Else
Return the beef to the pot. Add the water + broth cube (or beef broth), Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the potato and carrot right away since the cook time is shorter.
Step 4: Pressure Cook
Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
Step 5: Finish and Serve
Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, stir gently, and taste for seasoning. If the broth is too thin, switch to Sauté mode and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread.
Estimated Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Based on 4 servings:
- Serving Size: 400 g
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Total Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Potassium: 920 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Vitamin A: 5200 IU
- Vitamin C: 18 mg
- Calcium: 50 mg
- Iron: 4 mg
Pro Tips for the Best Results
Pat the beef dry before searing: Wet meat steams instead of searing. Patting it dry with a paper towel ensures you get a deep golden crust that locks in flavor and adds richness to the stew.
Do not overcrowd the pot: If you dump all the beef in at once, the temperature drops and the meat steams instead of browning. Work in batches with space between each cube for the best sear.
Use chuck roast: Pre-cut stew meat works, but cutting your own cubes from a chuck roast gives you larger, more uniform pieces with better marbling. Chuck is the ideal cut for stew because the connective tissue breaks down during slow cooking and makes the meat incredibly tender.
Deglaze thoroughly: Those browned bits on the bottom of the pot are concentrated flavor. The red wine lifts them off and incorporates them into the broth. Do not skip this step and make sure to scrape every bit.
Low and slow wins: Beef stew is not a rush recipe in a regular pot. Two hours of gentle simmering is what transforms tough beef cubes into fork-tender pieces. Resist the urge to crank the heat — a gentle simmer is all you need.
Add vegetables later: Adding potatoes and carrots for only the last 30 minutes prevents them from turning to mush. They should be fork-tender but still hold their shape.
Flour the beef: The flour coating serves double duty — it creates a crust when searing and naturally thickens the broth as the stew simmers. If you want an even thicker stew, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in at the end.
Use a decent red wine: If you would not drink it, do not cook with it. A dry, medium-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir works best. You only need half a cup — drink the rest while the stew simmers.
Delicious Variations to Try
Guinness Beef Stew
Replace the red wine with 1 cup of Guinness stout. The dark beer adds a deep, malty richness that pairs incredibly well with the beef and root vegetables. Classic Irish pub comfort food.
Beef and Mushroom Stew
Add 2 cups of quartered cremini or baby bella mushrooms with the vegetables. Mushrooms add meaty umami depth that takes the stew to another level.
Spicy Beef Stew
Add 1 diced jalapeño with the onion, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice for a stew with a kick.
Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
Add parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes along with the regular potato and carrot. The variety of root vegetables adds different textures and subtle sweetness.
Italian Beef Stew
Replace the thyme with Italian seasoning and add a can of diced tomatoes with the broth. Stir in fresh basil at the end and serve over polenta or with garlic bread.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Sear the beef and sauté the aromatics on the stovetop, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots in the last 2 hours on low.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Refrigerator Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Beef stew is one of those dishes that genuinely tastes better the next day as the flavors develop and the broth thickens even more.
How to Reheat
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until heated through. Add a splash of water or broth if the stew has thickened too much. Microwaving works too — heat for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Freezer Storage
Beef stew freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty zip-lock bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop. Note that potatoes can get slightly grainy after freezing — if that bothers you, leave the potatoes out and add freshly cooked ones when reheating.
Meal Prep Tips
Make a double batch on Sunday and you have lunches or dinners covered for most of the week. Portion into individual containers for easy grab-and-go meals. Pair with crusty bread or serve over rice or mashed potatoes for variety throughout the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cut of beef for stew? Chuck roast is the gold standard. It has great marbling and connective tissue that breaks down during slow cooking, resulting in incredibly tender meat. Beef round and stew meat work too but chuck gives the best results.
Can I skip the red wine? Yes. Replace it with an equal amount of beef broth and a splash of balsamic vinegar for acidity. The stew will still be delicious, just missing that deep, rounded richness the wine adds.
Why do I need to flour the beef? The flour creates a golden crust during searing and naturally thickens the stew as it simmers. It serves double duty and eliminates the need for a separate thickening step at the end.
Can I use a slow cooker? Absolutely. Sear the beef and sauté the aromatics on the stovetop first for maximum flavor, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.
Why is my stew too thin? The most common reason is too much liquid or not searing the floured beef properly. To thicken it, remove the lid for the last 15 to 20 minutes and let it reduce. Or mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the hot stew.
Can I add other vegetables? Yes. Mushrooms, peas, celery, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes all work great. Add heartier root vegetables with the potatoes and delicate ones like peas in the last 5 minutes.
Do I need Worcestershire sauce? It is highly recommended. Worcestershire adds a deep, savory umami flavor that makes the stew taste like it simmered for hours longer than it actually did. Just 1 teaspoon makes a noticeable difference.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and you should. Beef stew tastes significantly better the next day after the flavors have had time to develop and meld together overnight in the fridge.
What should I serve with beef stew? Crusty bread, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or polenta are all excellent sides. The bread is especially important for soaking up that incredible broth.
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