Beef and Noodles recipe is one of those old-fashioned dinners that I love making when the weather turns chilly. Tender beef is slow-cooked in a rich, savory gravy, then spooned over egg noodles for a simple, hearty family favorite.
Serve with easy steamed broccoli and fluffy homemade dinner rolls to soak up the extra gravy.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Beef and Noodles
- Flavor: Rich and savory with tender beef, sweet onion, a hint of thyme, and plenty of hearty, flavorful gravy.
- Texture: The slow-cooked chuck roast is fork-tender and juicy, while the separately cooked egg noodles stay tender without becoming mushy.
- Tools: A Dutch oven lets you brown and braise the beef in the same pot. If you don’t have one, simply brown everything in a skillet and transfer it to a covered baking dish for slow cooking.
Total Time: 2 Hrs 20 Mins (20 Min Prep) Servings: 4 Cooking Method: Stovetop
Ingredient Notes
- Chuck Roast: Choose beef with some visible marbling for the best flavor and tenderness, and cut into evenly-sized pieces. Chuck roast becomes wonderfully tender as it slowly braises, but stewing beef can also be used.
- Celery: For extra vegetables, you can also add sliced carrots or mushrooms.
- Beef Bouillon: Adds an extra boost of rich, beefy flavor to the gravy. Since the broth and bouillon can vary in saltiness, taste before adding more salt.
- Thyme and Bay Leaves: Add a subtle, savory herbal flavor as the beef slowly braises. Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the flavorful beef cooking liquid into a rich gravy. Mix it with cold water first to create a smooth slurry and prevent lumps.
- Egg Noodles: Wide or medium egg noodles both work well. Cook them separately so they stay tender and don’t absorb too much of the delicious gravy.
How to Make Beef and Noodles
- Season the beef and then brown it in a Dutch oven. Set aside (full recipe below).
- Sauté the onion in butter. Add beef, broth, celery, bouillon cube, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Simmer, then thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Season with parsley and serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Prefer to use your slow cooker? Try my Crock Pot beef and noodles for a delicious set-it-and-forget-it recipe.
Tips for Tender Beef and Perfect Gravy
- Brown in Batches: Brown the beef in batches so it sears instead of steaming.
- Keep Covered: Keep the Dutch oven covered while the beef braises so too much liquid doesn’t evaporate.
- Cook Until Tender: If the beef isn’t fork-tender after 1½ hours, keep cooking, as chuck roast gets more tender with time.
- Thicken Gradually: Add the cornstarch slurry gradually. Depending on how much the liquid reduces, you may not need all of it.
Storing Leftover Beef and Noodles
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the noodles separately.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat the beef and gravy on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of beef broth if the gravy becomes too thick.
More Comforting Beef Dinners
Did you enjoy this Beef and Noodles Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Beef and Noodles Recipe
Tender chunks of beef are slow-cooked in a savory broth and served with egg noodles and rich homemade gravy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds beef chuck roast trimmed and cubed, or stewing beef
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 2½ cups beef broth
- 2 ribs celery thinly sliced
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 8 ounces egg noodles measured dry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Add the beef to a large bowl. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- In a 4-quart Dutch oven*, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef in small batches, and cook until all sides are browned. Set aside in a bowl. (The beef does not need to be cooked through.)
- Add the butter and onion to the Dutch oven and cook just until the onion begins to soften. Add the beef, broth, celery, bouillon cube, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
- Combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Once the beef is cooked, bring the beef to a low boil on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture until the desired thickness is reached.
- Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles according to package directions.
- Discard the bay leaves, stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the beef and gravy over the egg noodles.
Notes
*If you don’t have a Dutch oven, cook the beef and onions in a skillet, then transfer to a 9×13 baking dish and cover with foil. Once the beef is cooked, mix in the cornstarch slurry directly to the baking dish, then re-cover and continue baking until the gravy is thickened.
- This dish can be cooked entirely on the stovetop. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer on low heat for 1½ to 2 hours.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 683 | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1449mg | Potassium: 927mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
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Going to try this recipe. It looks delicious!
Can this be done in a crook pot?
I have not tried this in the slow cooker as of yet however, it should work just fine. There may be a little bit less evaporation (so a little bit more liquid) so you may need to add additional cornstarch. I would suggest cooking it for on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours or until the beef is tender.
Great recipe, but instead of a corn starch slurry to thicken it, I much prefer to use gelatin instead. It provides a much smoother gravy than cornstarch in this kind of dish or in beef stews. And if you have leftovers or make a large batch with the intention of freezing some, you will find that it will be exactly the same when heated from frozen, while stews or similar things thickened with starch or flour will not be close to the original and will lose texture in the sauce.
Hi Holly,
Since stewing meat or chuck roast is very! expensive where I live, is it possible to use cubes of top sirloin? Stew meat is running about $8-10/lb. (same for roast) and top sirloin on sale is only $5/lb.
I would assume it may not take as long for the meat to become tender.
Thanks for your help–appreciate your recipes and the site too.
That will work just fine Anne!
This was absolutely delicious. Thanks so much, Holly!
Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious!
I made this Beef & Noodles recipe for dinner, I used stew beef that was already cubed. It was delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re so welcome Leatha!
Delicious! I added baby portobello mushrooms. Smelled amazing while in the oven! Great served over mashed potatoes too. I tried this recipe because I was looking for an alternative to beef stroganoff and this was perfect!!
This was amazing. Browned cubed chuck roast in canola oil, seasoned with a bit more garlic, a bit less salt and pepper. Used Better than Bouillon instead of the cube. I cooked for a hour at 300 then added thickly sliced mushrooms and continued cooking for 1 1/2 hours longer. I served roasted fresh green beans and French bread to sop up the delicious gravy. This is a wonderful fall/winter dish.
Thanks Penny
Could I substitute beef bouillon base instead of a cube
Yes, that will work just fine.
I plan on making this tonight for dinner and quite excited on how it’s going to taste. Just a quick question, under Ingredient Notes for the gravy you mentioned “don’t skip the Worcestershire sauce”. How much Worcestershire sauce do you use? I didn’t see it in the list of ingredients.
Great question, Heather! You can add a splash for added depth and flavor but we actually don’t use it in this recipe. That was an oversight. 🫣