Look no further for the BEST beef stew recipe! Positively PACKED with FLAVOR, this is the richest, tastiest old fashioned beef stew and we’re confident you’re going to love it as much as we do!
It’s not hard to make an excellent beef stew, but it’s easy to make a mediocre one. There are a few basics tricks to achieving the ultimate depth of flavor and I’m going to share those with you in today’s tutorial for making the BEST beef stew recipe!
Nothing speaks comfort like an old-fashioned beef stew on a chilly evening. And throw in a cozy fireplace and a bear rug and the picture is complete. Well, maybe not the bear rug. I don’t want a hairy, pointy-toothed animal gaping at me while I eat. But definitely the fireplace.
Beef stew is almost iconic. It has defined the term “comfort food” for generations. The best beef stew recipes almost always shares these common features: Beef that is seared brown for ultimate flavor and slow-simmered with carrots, celery and potatoes in a rich sauce seasoned with herbs and red wine. Those are the basic elements that combine to make a simple yet phenomenally delicious stew. And very importantly, it’s the method of preparing it that will transform an otherwise simple dish into a culinary masterpiece. We’ll take a look at those steps in our tutorial below.
Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe
Let’s get started! We’ll cover the important keys to achieving the BEST beef stew.
To Coat Or Not To Coat, That Is The Question
Sprinkle beef with the salt and pepper and then thoroughly coat on all sides with the flour. The question always arises, should I dredge the beef with flour or add the flour with some water later on to thicken the stew? The answer is you can do either. But traditionally coating the beef with the flour is the way to go and there are several reasons for this: The flour helps brown the meat better, the browned flour enhances the flavor of the sauce, and it also enhances the surface texture of the meat. So we’re going to coat it!
Give It Space and Generously Brown It
Heat the oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot heavy stock pot until good and hot (when you sprinkle a few drops of water in it they should jump and sizzle). Place the beef cubes in the pot spaced about 1/2 inch apart. That’s a crucial step because that’s what will enable you to sear and brown the beef. If the pieces of beef are too close together they won’t brown. Instead they’ll just steam and you’ll end up with really unattractive, bland and gray-colored lumps of beef. Work in batches so all the beef can be properly browned. This is probably the most important step to achieving a great tasting stew. So be patient, it will pay off! Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
Keep The Browned Bits!
See all that browned and burnt stuff on the bottom of the pot? Your instinct may be to scrape it out before proceeding. Don’t do it! That’s where all the flavor lies. This, along with properly browning the beef, is the key to a fabulous tasting beef stew.
Add the butter, next we’re going to add the onions. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Do I Have To Add The Wine?
Add the wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pot (ie, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon). Boil for two minutes or until the wine is mostly evaporated. You don’t have to add the wine if you prefer not to, but the wine will add tremendous depth of flavor to your stew and help tenderize the beef. This is an age-old method peasants used to tenderize poor cuts of meat.
For anyone concerned about the alcohol, between the boiling and the long cooking process most of the alcohol will be evaporated. And wine has a relatively low alcohol content to begin with. In fact, when the beef stew is served you probably end up with less alcohol content per serving than the teaspoon of vodka-based vanilla extract you add to your chocolate chip cookies.
Take The Long Way Home
Return that browned beef to the pot. Add the broth, tomato paste and the seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes. The long, slow cooking process is going to make your beef stew taste exquisite.
While this is cooking, chop up the vegetables. In case some of you ask, yes you can omit the mushrooms. Don’t like peas? You can omit those as well. If you like you can also add a red bell pepper.
After 90 minutes you’ll have a lusciously aromatic and flavorful base.
Add the vegetables, cover, and continue to simmer for another hour. No need to add more flour, your stew will be nicely thickened after an hour.
Your masterpiece is READY!
And it’s fantastic the next day as leftovers after the flavors have had even more time to meld.
Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!
For more delicious stews from around the world be sure to try our:
- Guinness Stew
- Irish Stew
- Pichelsteiner
- Beef and Pepper Stew
- French Beef Stew
- Feijoada
- Hachee
- Doro Wat
- Sega Wat
Old Fashioned Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large yellow onion , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large celery ribs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2-3 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 ounces button mushrooms halved or quartered (depending on size)
- 1 cup frozen peas (can substitute canned but not as vibrant in color)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- *See the pictured tutorial for more info on the tips to creating the best beef stew.
- Sprinkle the beef chunks with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the beef to coat all sides.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot until hot (when you sprinkle in a few drops of water they should jump and sizzle). Add the coated beef chunks, spacing them out about 1/2 inch from each other and, working in batches so as not to overcrowd, generously brown the beef on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions with another tablespoon of butter to the Dutch oven (do not remove the browned/blackened bits in the bottom of the pan) and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes (add a little more oil or butter if necessary). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine, bring it to a rapid boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and boil for 2 minutes or until the wine is mostly evaporated. Return the beef to the Dutch oven.
- Add the broth, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Add the vegetables, cover and cook for another hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot sprinkled with a little chopped fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 26, 2015
Tony C says
Hi Kimberly,
The record cold weather that is gripping much of the eastern seaboard made this the perfect time for a hearty beef stew. Your delicious beef stew recipe was exactly what we needed to warm the body and soul on a day when the wind chill here in Boston was 14 below zero. It will now be my go-to stew recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Tony, I’m so glad it hit the spot, thanks so much!
Patrick Garvey says
I’ve made beef stew for many years, but wanted a new twist. I changed nothing of this recipe in respect to the author. This is the absolute best beef stew I’ve ever tasted or prepared. It is a “keeper”. I was certain that my dutch oven would never clean up after your method for the beef, but the onions and garlic and wine simply dissolved all the brown bits and gave the gravy a unique light tartness. I give this the highest rating possible and I’ve been making beef stew for 35 years.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I am positively thrilled to hear that, Patrick, thank you so much!
Wayne says
I’m adding a can of chopped whole tomatoes & being in the Midwest,I save the large, tough okra pods & add them cut up & add to my stews.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I like the regional touch of okra, Wayne, great idea!
Sally says
This beef stew is simply fantastic or better yet, “out of this world” as my mother used to say!
Can’t say enough about this recipe. It is an enjoyable recipe to follow, user-friendly, and fun to make. The aroma of this stew cooking on a cold winter afternoon makes for a very grateful heart. Outstanding in every way. Thank you!
P.S. I used Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon for the red wine, that works beautifully.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Sally, thank you so much!
Rita says
Made this tonight and while it seemed like it was cooking forever it was definitely well worth it- absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for the tip about browning the flour coated meat- made all the difference. Really appreciate your to the point and useful explanations. Thank you for sharing the recipe and I’m going to get myself another serving:)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Rita, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Sherrie says
I am in the process of making this right now (my veggies aren’t cooked all the way yet) but the meat and the gravy/sauce is so unbelievably good! I usually make stew with seasoning packets but this is so easy and tastes so much better! It’s really not that hard at all.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Sherrie! I wholeheartedly agree, no seasoning packets needed. Another dish I think you’ll also really enjoy and I highly recommend is our slow cooker pot roast (talk about PACKED with flavor!): https://www.daringgourmet.com/classic-slow-cooker-pot-roast/
Bob says
I followed the recipe to the letter and the end result was fantastic! My house guest requested to have it over a plate of wild rice, and loved it! Success!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Bob, I’m so thrilled to hear that – thank you!
Debbie says
This is the absolute best beef stew recipe I have ever used. There are no short cuts..the results are incredible. The flavor is outstanding!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Debbie, I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this as much as we do, thank you!
Stevie says
What red wine would you recommend?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Stevie, a pinot noir or burgundy will work beautifully.
Don D says
I just made this followed step by step. I will for sure make it again with one change. Next time I will double the ingredients. Soooo gooood! Thank You
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Don, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Shonah says
OMG This was absolutly fantastic and felt fairly pleased with myself as everyone loved it, thank you x
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Shonah, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
Kiki says
My son looooves soup and stew but not much of a meat eater but this. It is an exception. The meat just melts in your mouth. I added beef heart (cleaned & small pieces) couldn’t tell. Thank you , out of all the beef stew recipes this is far the best… approved by the baby!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Kiki, I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed this stew, thanks so much for the feedback!
Rouba says
I made this for dinner tonight with some crusty bread. It was amazing. Thanks for sharing
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, thank you, Rouba!
Patti says
I have this in the oven now and the house smells amazing! Oh my goodness!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Patti, and I hope it tasted as good as it smelled!
Susan says
I ended up putting all of it in my crock pot on high for 30 minutes, then turned it down to low just so I could go to bed. Six hours later, it was fantastic!! My husband loves it and we will be eating it for the next few days.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Susan! I’m happy it all turned out in the end and appreciate the feedback – thank you!