This Beef Stew Recipe is perfect for the colder weather! Tender beef is simmered in beef broth with potatoes, onions, celery, peas, and carrots until melt in your mouth tender. It’s comfort food heaven!

I serve beef stew with 30 minute dinner rolls or Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits to sop up any gravy in the bottom of the bowl!

Overhead shot of Beef Stew in a big white pot

Beef stew is a classic dinner staple in so many households around the world. There are soup and stew adaptations of beef stew like my favorite Easy Hamburger Soup and cultural variations like Hungarian Goulash, but this classic beef stew recipe is a favorite for me!

How To Make Beef Stew

Searing the beef pieces before you add the stock makes such a difference in the flavor you get from the soup. It’s really the only chance you have to get that delicious caramelization on the meat!

As the veggies and broth simmer, you will really start to notice the flavors in the stew intensify. Peas cook quickly so I add them in the last few minutes!

This stew recipe is also the perfect way to use up any vegetables you might need to use up. If you’ve got leftover roasted potatoes, glazed carrots or fried mushrooms, just chop ‘em up up and throw them in!

White bowl of Beef Stew

How To Thicken Beef Stew

Beef stew will thicken a bit naturally thanks to the starches in the potatoes and the dredging of the beef, but I always like to thicken it a little bit more.

Stew can be thickened by giving the vegetables a quick mash or you can use either flour or cornstarch. My preferred method for thickening beef stew (and the method used in this beef stew recipe) is to use a cornstarch slurry.

How to Make a Slurry

A slurry is super easy to make! Combine equal parts cornstarch and water and stir. I told you it was easy!!

Pour this mixture a little bit at a time into bubbling soup or stew to thicken until you reach desired consistency. Once your stew is thickened, allow it to boil at least 1-2 minutes to ensure you cook out any starchy flavor.

If left to sit before adding to the soup or stew, a slurry will settle within a couple of minutes so be sure to give it a stir before adding it. I sometimes mix the cornstarch with low sodium (or no sodium) broth instead of water.

White bowl of Homemade Beef Stew with a spoon

Can You Freeze Beef Stew?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze beef stew! I like to freeze it in freezer bags in single servings portions so I can take one portion out for lunches (or four out for dinner)! Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or you can defrost in the microwave (time will vary based on portion size) stirring occasionally.

What To Serve With Beef Stew

Beef stew is super perfect on it’s own; it is a complete meal!

We usually serve it with a bread, biscuit or even Garlic Crescent Rolls to sop up any broth! I also love serving it with mashed potatoes in the bottom of the bowl! Even just some crushed crackers or saltines are all you really need.

Overhead picture of Beef Stew in a white pot

More Belly Warming Soups You’ll Love

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Overhead shot of Homemade Beef Stew in big pot
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Beef Stew Recipe

This easy beef stew recipe is a family favorite. Tender veggies and beef in a rich brown broth!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds stewing beef trimmed and cubed
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • ½ cup red wine optional
  • 1 pound potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 4 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 ribs celery cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or as needed
  • 2 tablespoons water or as needed
  • ¾ cup peas

Instructions 

  • Combine flour, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Toss beef in flour mixture. 
  • Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Cook the beef and onions until browned.
  • Add beef broth and red wine while scraping up any brown bits in the pan.
  • Stir in all remaining ingredients except for peas, cornstarch and water. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 1 hour or until beef is tender (up to 90 minutes).
  • Mix equal parts cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the boiling stew to reach desired consistency (you may not need all of the slurry, if you'd like a thicker stew, you can add extra).  
  • Stir in peas and simmer 5-10 minutes before serving . Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

Beef stew meat is often made from the ends of different cuts of beef. If your beef is not tender after 60 minutes, cover and allow to simmer an additional 15-20 minutes or until tender.
4.97 from 2428 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 444 | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 1105mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5755IU | Vitamin C: 27.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 5.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American

Categories:

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This is so close to what I remember my French grandmother making (minus the tomato paste). I only had 1 lb of beef (it’s just for 2 people), so I used 3 carrots and 3 ribs of celery, plus baby potatoes from the farmer’s market, also used thyme instead of rosemary, and of course, a little more red wine (those mini bottles you can get nowadays with the screw tops are perfect for this sort of thing) and a tetra pack of beef bone broth. Also added a dash of Worcestershire sauce. It needed to cook down a little more because of the extra liquid, but turned out perfectly. A real keeper for chilly fall evenings! If you want something else to go with it, I suggest fresh biscuits. :)5 stars

  2. Easy and fast is an understatement.
    This is by far the tastiest stew I have ever eaten! My family loved it!
    The stew meat was soooo tender as well as the vegetables.
    The meat and onion carmelization was the key to the wonderful flavor.
    I used some of the “baby” potateos and they cooked perfectly. Not much cutting needed and perfectly cooked, not mushy. I only used beef broth and added diced tomatoes (didn’t have tomato paste). I didn’t need to thicken it and was still tasty. Only 2 servings leftover and fed 4.
    This will be in our meal rotations.
    Thank you!5 stars

  3. Just making this for the first time only thing I did different is I added fresh garlic in with meat and onions… I love garlic. I just set time for 1 hour but potatoes aren’t done yet…guess I’ll wait 30 more minutes

    1. Depending on how large you cut your potatoes they may need a little extra time. I hope you enjoy it!

  4. This recipe gets an A+! My family loved it! I also added mushrooms and a tablespoon tomato paste. It’s very hearty and has a robust flavor. Yum!5 stars

  5. I cut the recipe in half and didn’t use any wine because I didn’t have any. All I can taste is the rosemary. I took it out about 15 minutes into it cooking because that’s all I could smell. Other that that, I guess it’s good. I honestly can’t tell. Bummer.

    1. Hi Leah, if halfing the recipe you will want to make sure to half the rosemary so half a fresh sprig or ½ teaspoon dried. And if not using the wine you will want to replace it with additional broth. I hope that helps!

  6. Such a good recipe with a rich flavor. This is my favorite recipe for beef stew that I have found so far. The flavor is so good and the directions are easy to follow and the preparation is no fuss. Will definitely be making this again as we enter the fall. As suggested, paired with homemade dinner rolls and it made an excellent, hearty meal!5 stars

  7. How big a pot is needed for this quantity? Trying to decide if my 5qt pot is large enough before I commit to it

  8. This recipe was delicious and super easy. Of course fresh rosemary makes it extra yum. And I used baby potatoes and quartered them with the skin on because I think they are so much tastier. The only thing I wouldn’t do next time is add the peas just as a personal preference. I don’t think they belong in beef stew. My teenage son loves beef stew and had two massive bowls. Definitely a keeper!5 stars

  9. Delicious! Just made it for the first time and I have already shared the recipe with my mom and sister-in-law!5 stars

    1. Hi Desiree, turnips are a great alternative to the potatoes in this recipe and should have a similar cook time if cut the same size.

  10. Hello again,
    I just posted a comment and then i wanted to learn more about you and discovered that you live in Vancouver and i live in Coquitlam.

    Happy Thanksgiving!5 stars

    1. I’m so glad you loved it Angela, it’s a perfect cozy meal to enjoy for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanks giving to you as well!

  11. Hello,
    It is Thanksgiving here in Canada. I was going to make a turkey but they were $50.0 Way over my budget for two people. Then I was going to make a roast but when i got home i realized i had bought lamb. Duh! Pays to bring your glasses. So, i went up to my corner grocery mart and bought some beef stew meat. I haven’t had beef stew in quite a long time so i thought this would be an excellent substitute! I found your recipe and it was incredibly delicious! Thank you for saving my Thanksgiving with a delicious meal that put a smile on both of our faces. Have a happy day.5 stars

  12. Made this before using baby yellow potatoes, no need to peel just rinse and quarter and follow directions. Turns out great!