Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

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Let me introduce you to the epitome of comfort food- the slow-cooked beef stew. Much like the classic French “Boeuf Bourguignon”, this stew is made with tender chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms that are slow-cooked in an amazingly delicious red wine sauce. You will want crusty bread to soak up all the sauce!

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (1)

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make the Best Beef Stew?

To make the best-ever beef stew, you need the best quality ingredients:

  • Beef stew meat (chuck)
  • All-purpose flour
  • Red wine: choose one you would drink
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion and garlic
  • Tomato paste
  • Beef broth
  • Herbs: dried thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (2)

What is the Best Meat for Beef Stew?

Any of the following cuts of beef are a good choice:

  • Bone-in short rib
  • Chuck
  • Beef shank
  • Bottom sirloin

How Do I Make The Best Beef Stew?

  1. Dredge the beef chunks in flour, salt, and pepper. Shake off any excess.
  2. In a large Dutch oven, heat two tbsp olive oil and brown the beef chunks. Do it in batches so as not to over-crowd the meat, or it will stew. We want it brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. To the same Dutch oven, add two cups of red wine, scraping the bottom to pick up all the stuck bits and pieces of beef. Bring to a boil, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 10 mins. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  4. While the mushrooms are simmering, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the sliced carrots, onions, and minced garlic in ½ tbs of olive oil until the onion is translucent.
  5. Add the tomato paste, cook for one more minute, and add this mixture to the mushrooms and wine.
  6. Return the brown beef chunks to the Dutch oven, and add the herbs, beef broth, diced potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bake the stew (with the lid on) for 1 hour and 45 mins.

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (3)

What Is The Best Way To Serve Beef Stew?

I love to serve it over freshly cooked rice. Although it has potatoes in it, my family loves to add Garlic Butter Rice and homemade fresh Italian Bread.

Other Beef Recipes For You:

  • The Best Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe
  • Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
  • Beef and Broccoli with the Best Sauce

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (4)

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe

This stew is made with tender chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms that are slow-cooked in an amazingly delicious red wine sauce.

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Katherine - Yummfully

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ tbsp olive oil divided
  • 2 lb beef chuck diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups red wine (a good quality one you would drink)
  • 1 lb mushrooms sliced
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 lb russet potatoes diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary

Instructions

  • Dredge the beef chunks in flour, salt, and pepper. Shake off any excess.

  • In a large Dutch oven, heat two tbsp olive oil and brown the beef chunks. Do it in batches as not to over-crowd the meat, or it will stew. We want it brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

  • To the same Duthc oven, add two cups of red wine, scraping the bottom to pick up all the stuck bits and pieces of beef. Bring to a boil, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 10 mins. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

  • While the mushrooms are simmering, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the sliced carrots, onions, and minced garlic in ½ tbs of olive oil until the onion is translucent.

  • Add the tomato paste, cook for one more minute and add this mixture to the mushrooms and wine.

  • Return the brown beef chunks to the Dutch oven, and add the herbs, beef broth, diced potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bake the stew (with the lid on) for 1 hour and 45 mins.

Notes

  • Make sure not to over-crowd the pot when browning the beef. Do it in batches to make sure all the pieces are browned properly.
  • Before browning the beef, shake off the excess flour.
  • Always check the seasoning before serving, and add salt and pepper if needed.
  • Try cutting the veggies roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

If this is your idea of comfort food, pin this recipe!

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g

Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (5)

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Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good beef stew? ›

Start with leaner meat.

For a rich, succulent stew, resist the instinct to buy the gorgeously marbled piece of meat you would want for a steak or roast. Look instead for cuts with cartilage, tendons and (at least a few) bones: Chuck, brisket, oxtails, cheeks and shin are ideal.

What can I put in my beef stew to make it taste better? ›

Vegetables: small chopped carrots, celery, and onion or shallot practically melt into the sauce. Mushrooms: button mushrooms are a nod to the quartered mushrooms many classic beef stew recipes call for, but are thinly sliced instead of being left in bigger pieces. Garlic: minced garlic brings lots of cozy flavor.

How to make the perfect beef stew and the common mistakes to avoid? ›

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Making Beef Stew
  1. Using the wrong cut of meat. ...
  2. Not searing the meat. ...
  3. Cooking your veggies for too long. ...
  4. Dusting the meat with flour or cornstarch before browning. ...
  5. Over-thickening the stew. ...
  6. Using water as a base. ...
  7. Not enough or wrong seasonings. ...
  8. Adding salt at the end of cooking.
Apr 13, 2024

How to make beef stew meat tender and juicy? ›

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

What is the basic stew formula? ›

The Ideal Stew Ratio: Two Parts Meat, One Part Vegetable

Most meat-based stews call for tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, while vegetarian recipes include the same onions, carrots, and celery typical of a beef stew. Two parts meat to one part vegetables is the perfect ratio for a meaty stew.

What are the thickening agents for beef stew? ›

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Why put tomato paste in beef stew? ›

I contacted Laurence to get the lowdown on why she adds tomato paste to her beef stew. "I include tomato paste in many braised recipes because it adds a depth of flavor without increasing the liquid quantity in the dish," Laurence explains.

How do you fix tasteless beef stew? ›

My way is to brown the beef which adds flavor, use a flavorful beef broth, and season the stew well. I also like to add a bit of dark roux or dry roux (browned flour) for flavor. My wife's way is to boil water, dry onion soup mix, and the beef for a while and then add the vegetables. Both stews are flavorful.

What are the best vegetables to put in beef stew? ›

Root Vegetables

Carrots are a go-to for stews and braises, but look beyond them to parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, and sweet potatoes. Be sure cut them on the larger size so they don't dissolve into mush.

Do you put tomato paste in stew? ›

Stew is basically meat braised in liquid, along with other ingredients—typically potatoes, carrots, onions, and possibly some sort of tomato. The tomato can be tomato paste, diced tomatoes, or even whole canned tomatoes that you break up with a spoon while it cooks. But no one said that the main liquid should be water.

When should I add vegetables to beef stew? ›

Add vegetables: After 1 hour 30 minutes, carefully remove pot from oven and use oven mitt to remove lid. Add vegetables and stir gently to combine. Carefully replace lid on pot and return stew to oven to cook for an additional hour.

What happens if you don't brown meat for stew? ›

The flavor of the stew might be slightly less complex, and the sauce a little paler. You could add a bit of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce and it would taste just fine. Browning or searing meat on high heat is essential for a stew with a deep rich flavor.

What can I add to beef stew to tenderize the meat? ›

Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers.

How long to cook beef stew until tender? ›

Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1½ hours.

How do you cook beef so it's tender? ›

To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.

How to make stew nice and thick? ›

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

How do you thicken and flavor beef stew? ›

Five Thickening Agents for Stew
  1. Make a Roux. Roux is a classic French technique that consists of cooking equal parts flour and fat (usually butter) over a low flame until smooth. ...
  2. Incorporate a Purée. Another option for thickening your stew is to incorporate a purée. ...
  3. Add a Starch. ...
  4. Create a Slurry. ...
  5. Whip Up a Beurre Manié
Aug 15, 2022

Why does my beef stew taste bland? ›

You need to cook with plenty of aromatics, like onion, garlic, fresh herbs, and spices. Sear your beef first. Then, saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in the beef fat, scraping the browned bits up from the bottom as you go. This will layer in the flavor before your stew even starts simmering.

When should I add potatoes to stew? ›

The secret to tender and flavorful potatoes in your stew lies in low and slow cooking. Here's how you can achieve the best results: Add the potatoes to the stew during the last hour of cooking. This timing will prevent them from becoming mushy.

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