Beef Stew calls for simple ingredients, but it’s a stunner! With meltingly tender beef, you’ll love the deep flavour of the sauce in this beef stew recipe
Economical and hearty, there’s no better way to see out the colder months. Let it simmer away slowly on the stove or oven, speed things up using your pressure cooker, or set and forget with your slow cooker. Mop your bowl clean with Irish Soda Bread, a quick rustic no-yeast bread, or this incredible easy crusty Artisan bread!
Beef Stew
The Queen of Brown Food strikes again. Back to back brown foods, possibly the two MOST brown foods in the world – a curry on Friday, and now a Beef Stew recipe today.
*Head smack* I will never be a magazine editor. Can you imagine? Page after page after page of brown, saucy goodness….. (*she cheers at the vision, you groan at the thought! 😂)
A well made beef stew is a thing of beauty. While it’s easy to make, it takes a little more than just “chucking it all in a pot” (or instant pot) then leaving it to simmer until the beef is tender.
How to make Beef Stew
Best beef for beef stew is chuck beef. Because it’s nicely marbled with fat, it’s the best beef for braising for hours – it’s got terrific flavour, is juicy and beautifully tender. Boneless beef rib also works very well. Whatever beef you use, use big pieces so they don’t cook too quickly – Beef Stew needs time for the flavour to develop.
Sear the beef well on all sides – in batches, because if you cram them all in at the same time, they will steam and won’t brown well.
Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the beef drippings so they soak up extra flavour.
Add beef stew sauce ingredients – beef broth, red wine (great for extra flavour, but can be skipped), Worcestershire sauce (savouriness and depth), flour (to thicken) and tomato paste (to thicken + a touch of sour to balance richness).
Add potatoes, bay leaves and thyme. The liquid will be covering the ingredients at this stage.
Simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours covered, until the beef is almost fall apart tender.
Simmer for a further 30 minutes without the lid to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Make this Beef Stew on the stove – oven, pressure cooker OR slow cooker!
I usually make Beef Stew on the stove, but I’ve been known to rush it using a pressure cooker. Using the slow cooker is also really convenient, and sometimes I will use the oven, especially if I’m doing a bunch of other stuff on the stove. Directions provided for all!
Key tip: Brown the beef well
The better the browning, the more brown stuff you have stuck on the bottom of the pot* = better sauce flavour with a deeper, richer colour. You’ll see in the recipe video how the base of my pot is basically entirely dark brown when I finish browning the beef.
* The brown stuff is called fond and whenever you sear meat, fish or prawns/shrimp in the pan, you should do everything in your power to use it in a sauce or similar because it’s flavour, flavour, flavour!
What to serve with Beef Stew
I personally don’t serve stew with anything other than mashed potato. I know, I know, I’m sooo boring! 😂 Here are some other options for those of you who aren’t as straight as me:
Cauliflower Mash – for a low carb alternative
Mashed Sweet Potato or other mashed veggies (sweet potato, parsnip, pumpkin or other root vegetables)
Polenta, rice or bread – mop your plate clean with this quick No Yeast Irish Soda Bread!
Enjoy! – Nagi x
More cosy Stews
Slow Cooked Chicken Stew and Faster Chicken Stew – when you need a rich stew on the table in under an hour!
Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff Stew – fall apart beef in a creamy Stroganoff sauce!
Browse Winter Warmers recipe collection
More slow cooked fall-apart meat
I’m a big fan of slow cooked meats!!
Browse the Winter Comfort Food collection!
Beef Stew recipe
Watch how to make it
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Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg / 2.4lb chuck beef , cut into 3.5 cm / 1.5″ cubes (Note 1)
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil , divided
- 1 large onion , halved then cut into 1 cm / 2/5″ slices
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 carrots , cut into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces on the diagonal
- 2 celery stalks , cut into 2.5 cm / 1″ pieces
- 1/3 cup / 50g flour
- 3 cups / 750ml beef broth / stock , salt reduced
- 2 cups / 500 ml red wine , bold and dry (Cab Sauv, Burgundy, Merlot) (Note 2)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves , fresh or dried
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 400 g / 14 oz baby potatoes , halved
- More salt and pepper , to taste.
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy based casserole pot over high heat until just starting to smoke.
- Add 1/3 of the beef and brown aggressively all over – about 4 minutes. Remove to bowl, repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if required.
- Turn down heat to medium high. Add 1 tbsp oil if required. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until onion is softened slightly and golden on the edge.
- Add carrot and celery, stir for 1 minute to coat in flavours.
- Sprinkle flour evenly across surface, then stir to coat.
- Add broth, red wine, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to dissolve tomato paste and flour into liquid.
- Add cooked beef (including any juices), thyme, bay leaf and potato. Stir. Water level should almost fully cover everything (see video), if not, add a touch of water.
- Bring to simmer, then adjust heat to low / medium low so it’s simmering gently. (Note 3 for other cooking methods)
- Cover and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes or until beef is pretty tender (check with 2 forks at 1.5 hrs).
- Remove lid and simmer for further 30 minutes or until sauce reduces slightly. It should be like a thin gravy (see video) and beef should now be very tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over creamy mashed potato with a sprig of fresh thyme for decoration or a sprinkle of parsley (Note 4).
Recipe Notes:
– SLOW COOKER: Reduce beef broth by 1 cup. After you finish step 7, transfer everything into the slow cooker. Add splash of water into pot, bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot, then tip it all into the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, per recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove lid and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving, stirring every now and then (the sauce will thicken slightly).
– PRESSURE COOKER: Follow slow cooker instructions, except cook on HIGH for 40 minutes.
– INSTANT POT*: Follow steps 1 to 7 of the recipe using the sauté function, then proceed with either the Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker function. Simmer with the lid off at the end if you want to thicken the sauce slightly. 4. Other serving suggestions: with warm crusty bread for dunking (try this easy rustic no-yeast Irish Bread), polenta, rice, cauliflower mash (low carb option), or other mashed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, pumpkin, sweet potato). 5. STORAGE / LEFTOVERS – Refrigerate or freeze, then thaw before reheating on the stove or microwave. Tastes even better the next day because the flavours develop even more. 6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. I like to trim excess fat from the beef but this is not factored into the nutrition. Stew only – not mashed potato.
Nutrition Information:
This Beef Stew recipe has originally published April 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters in January 2019 – no change to recipe!
LIFE OF DOZER
Life Of Dozer ↓↓↓
Substitutio n for flour for gluten free?
Hi Alex, use 2 tablespoons of cornflour for gluten free – N x
I made this tonight for dinner tomorrow night….but I’m worried there won’t be any left by then!! It’s everything a great stew should be. I didn’t deviate from the recipe but I did add some extra beef as I have 3 big hungry boys to feed. I also used dried thyme ( it was far too dark and cold to venture out to my herb garden ). Thanks Nagi for another awesome recipe 😀
Sounds like you nailed it Kylie!
This has become a new favourite of mine to cook and EAT! SO GOOD!!
I’m so glad you love it Morgan!
Loved this stew – great depth of flavour and easy to make. Will definitely make again. Thank you for the in depth instructions in all your recipes. And I love seeing the pics of Dozer!
I’m so glad you loved it Carol ❤️
I made this recipe today and served it with cauliflower mash. I love this kind of food, so it was always going to be a winner for me, but my notoriously picky eater (6 year old) loved it and ate all her dinner. My husband also loved it, going back for more.
The recipe is a hit. A new beginning for cooking as I have a 14 month year old. As a mother I have made her food and now I have been looking for great recipes like this one that feeds us all. Obviously I didnt add the wine and I just added few more different vegetables. Thanks
Hey Nagi, this is epic! Cooked as per the recipe and loved it! Thank you, yet again for another great dish 🙌
You’re so welcome Lynda!!
This is an amazing recipe. I used it to teach my father in law to use a slow cooker. A few substitutes (using what was to hand) – I used swede, carrot, parsnip, celery as the root veg (i.e. stirred in with the flour), and added mushrooms and presoaked/boiled butterbeans.
I started with only 150 ml each of broth and wine, then topped up to about 2/3 full liquid in the crockpot pan once I’d layered the meat & veg (which was almost to the top of the pot 🙂 ) It ended up with about an inch below the top with liquid, so I wouldn’t use any more.
Had to cook on high for 4 hours (didn’t leave enough time to cook for 8 on low!), then turned to low till we were ready to eat.
The smell was mouth-watering and there wasn’t a drop left by the time we finished.
Thank you!
Fantastic Jo, I’m so glad it was a hit!
I love this recipe. I couldn’t use wine so I used equal amounts broth in its place and only 1 cup of water. It was exactly as the picture. My family likes it thicker so I simmered it on the stove for 20 minutes without the lid and it was amazing!!
forgot to rate!
Thanks Nick!
Best beef stew I have ever made. This recipe will be the standard at our house from now on.
Thanks so much for the great feedback Nick!
Wow what a fantastic recipe. The flavour was so intense. Absolutely will be cooking this again on a cold wintery night. Such great comfort food
I’m so glad you loved it Lisa-Marie, perfect for a cold night!
Another amazing recipe
I go through your recipes every week when doing my shopping list
Just love you 😆✌🏻
Thanks Nagi
Hugs to handsome face Dozer
That’s so nice to hear Kylie!
Hi Nagi. Would this be okay to make the day before and reheat the next day? If so, are there any rules I should remember or suggestions you can make regarding reheating?
Hi Vicki – Not only is it okay, stews are even BETTER the next day! Reheat gently on the stove so the bottom won’t scorch, and stir but be careful not to break up the tender meat. Stews also tend to be thicker the next day so you may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up. –Nx
this is the best stew I have ever tasted. I made it just like the recipe said. I think it would be good with mushrooms and peas. I used mini potatoes and left them whole. They were perfect and kept their shape the whole time. I will be making this over and over!
Hi
I made the stew tonight exactly as written and it is delicious!! Thank you thank you
I’m so glad you loved it Nancy!
Hi Nagi. May I ask why you don’t deglaze the pan before adding the vegetables?
PS: I love your recipes
Hi Karen, I don’t want the vegetables to stew, I want to fry them off a bit before adding the stock. Once you add it in with the wine, you’ll find all the dark bits from the pan will go into the sauce – N x
Wow! This is my first recipe of yours and it was delicious! Easy to make and 2nd day was even better. I just finished my frozen leftovers today from 2 weeks ago and I’m amazed all over again. It’s like eating yummy stew from a gourmet farm to table restaurant. Thank you for this recipe, I sincerely appreciate great tasting clean food!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know what you think Deena ❤️
Superbe !!
Great dish to freeze. Just boil some more potatoes and crush/mash to add to the defrosted and reheated dish.
love your recipes, this is one for next week but maybe with English dumplings.