A winter dinner staple, beef stew is the hearty comfort food to make when you need a bowl of stick-to-your-bones, warming goodness. Complete with baby potatoes, veggies, and tender beef, this is a recipe you want to keep up your sleeve, whether you’re serving guests or looking for a make-ahead meal (that will get even better as the week goes on). There are many beef stew recipes out there, but our classic version makes it as easy as possible to ace a hearty, thick stew with very little effort. Here’s everything you need to know:
How to make the best beef stew:
— The best cut of meat for beef stew. We prefer beef chuck for a few reasons: It’s cheap, and it gets more tender the longer it cooks. Some quick-cooking cuts of meat (like sirloin) would get tough after simmering for 30 to 45 minutes. The opposite is true with beef chuck. If you find your beef isn't tender after 45 minutes, continue simmering, adding more broth or water as needed.
— How to thicken beef stew. Some recipes require flour as a thickening agent, but we respectfully disagree. We found that as the soup simmers, the potatoes give off plenty of starch, creating some of the most velvety broth we've ever had.
—Serve a crowd. This recipe serves 8, but if you’re serving a smaller crowd, feel free to cut this recipe in half.
— Use the slow cooker. If you're looking for an even more hands-off version, check out our slow-cooker red wine beef stew recipe.
Serving ideas:
While beef stew is a perfect meal all on its own, we also love beef stew served over some al dente egg noodles, or even ladled over some garlic mashed potatoes. If you’re looking for side ideas, our goat cheese-stuffed rolls, roasted baby carrots, crusty sourdough bread, or a simple arugula salad would all be perfect pairings here
Storage:
This is a recipe that’s almost better the next day—make it the night before, and let the flavors meld together for an extra-flavorful meal the day after. If you have any leftovers (or want to make this meal ahead of time), let the stew cool to room temperature before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Before serving, reheat in a large pot over medium-low heat. If it's particularly thick, loosen it up with some broth or water.
Freezing:
This stew also freezes well. When transferring to airtight containers, be sure to leave about 1/2" to 1" air above the stew to allow it to expand while freezing. This beef stew can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure it's completely cooled before sealing and freezing.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 40 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 296
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp.
(or more) vegetable oil
- 2 lb.
beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
- 1
medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2
carrots, peeled, cut into rounds
- 2
stalks celery, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 c.
tomato paste
- 6 c.
low-sodium beef broth
- 1 c.
red wine
- 1 tbsp.
Worcestershire sauce
- 2
fresh thyme sprigs
- 2
bay leaves
- 1 lb.
baby potatoes, halved
- 1 c.
frozen peas
- 1/4 c.
chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Step 1In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add beef and cook, turning occasionally, until seared on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
- Step 2Coat bottom of pot with oil, if needed, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrots, and celery, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened, about 2 minutes. Return beef to pot. Add broth, wine, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Step 3Add potatoes and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Step 4Remove bay leaves and thyme. Stir in peas and cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
- Step 5Divide stew among bowls. Top with parsley.
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