How to Make Beef Stew

Prep Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

6

Aromatic and satisfying, a comforting bowl of beef stew always hits the mark on extra chilly nights. Use our go-to recipe to learn how to make beef stew so you can cozy up with a bowl of this favorite dish for dinner. Seared pieces of marbled beef simmer away until fall-apart-tender in broth. Take the time to properly sear the beef in small batches to avoid steaming the meat. The flavor is so much better this way.

Punchy aromatics like tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and fire-roasted tomatoes are added to give this hearty stew a subtle smokiness. Carrots, potatoes, and peas make it a one-dish dinner. Serve over rice or with some crusty bread for mopping up the delicious gravy.

Beef chuck is our preferred cut for this recipe because of its marbling; the fat imbues the broth with a buttery taste as it melts. We prefer grass‐fed, which is incredibly savory.

Directions

Dust beef with flour; heat oil in Dutch oven:

Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and shake off excess. Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high, and swirl in 2 tablespoons oil.
Brown beef:

Add half of the beef in a single layer and cook, turning a few times, until browned in places, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving fat in pot. Brown remaining beef; transfer to plate.
Preheat oven; add oil to pot and cook onions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Swirl remaining 1 tablespoon oil into pot, still over medium-high heat. Cook onions until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste; then Worcestershire sauce and wine:

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce and wine; boil until mostly evaporated.
Return beef and juice to pot along with tomatoes and cook:

Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot with broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook 1 1/2 hours.
Add carrots and potatoes and cook:

Remove pot from oven and stir carrots and potatoes into stew. Cover and continue cooking in oven until beef is fork-tender and vegetables are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour more.
Add peas, warm, then serve:

Stir in peas; return to oven for 5 minutes more, just to heat through. Ladle stew into shallow bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Storing Beef Stew

Cooled stew can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated up to two days. For the best texture, store the stew without the parsley and add it fresh when reheating and serving.

Freezing

Let the stew cool completely before freezing in an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to three months.

Reheating

Reheat in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

5 More Beef Stew Recipes to Try

Updated by

Victoria Spencer

How to Make Beef Stew

Directions

Dust beef with flour; heat oil in Dutch oven:

Brown beef:

Preheat oven; add oil to pot and cook onions:

Add tomato paste; then Worcestershire sauce and wine:

Return beef and juice to pot along with tomatoes and cook:

Add carrots and potatoes and cook:

Add peas, warm, then serve:

Storing Beef Stew

Freezing

Reheating

5 More Beef Stew Recipes to Try

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