Soup & Stew

{Most Incredible} Beef Stew Recipe

By Amy Flanigan

Published Oct 6, 2020

Read 42 Reviews

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 3 hours hrs

Servings 8

By Amy Flanigan

Published Oct 6, 2020

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Are you ready for the most amazing beef stew recipe ever? This is it!! Tender vegetables, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and a crazy flavorful, rich gravy. Your family will request this for dinner often and it will become your new beef stew go-to. Pure classic comfort food in a bowl!

We also love this soup’s cousin Slow Cooker Beef Stew!

Hearty comfort food at its finest! Filled with all the goodies – fall apart cubes of beef, tender carrots, potatoes, and sweet peas, all seasoned in an incredibly aromatic, rich broth, this beef stew is incredible!

What Goes in Beef Stew?

Here’s what you’ll need!

• Meat – boneless beef chuck roast
• Veggies – potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, onion, and garlic
• Seasonings – thyme (fresh or dried), bay leaves, salt, and pepper
• Broth – low sodium beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef bouillon cubes
• Other – extra-virgin olive oil to sauté the meat and flour to thicken the gravy

How to Make Beef Stew

It’s really easy to make this stew. Here’s a brief rundown of steps. (Scroll down for the detailed printable.)

1. Season and brown the beef (in batches if necessary), then transfer to a plate.
2. Sauté the veggies in the same pot, adding more oil if it seems dry.
3. Cook off the flour.
4. Add liquids and seasonings and return beef to the pot.
5. Simmer covered for 2 hours until the beef is pretty tender, add in the potatoes and simmer for another 20-25 minutes (without the lid) until the potatoes and beef are very tender, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
6. Toss in the peas and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
7. Ladle into bowls and daydream about it until you make it again!

How long to cook beef stew? The total cooking time for this recipe will run you about 3 hours, but it’s an uncomplicated process and your patience will be rewarded!
How to thicken beef stew? The flour that is added in step 6 acts as a thickener, but if at the end of cooking, you still want more of a gravy, you can simply create a slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 2-3 tablespoons additional flour and 1/2 cup stew broth until combined and smooth. Slowly stir the mixture into the pot. Cover and gently simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
How to make beef stew in crock pot? You can check out this Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe – it’s different enough from this one that you’ll have two beef stew recipes to make and love!

Recipe Tips

Beef stew meat: get a beef that favors slow cooking like chuck or boneless short ribs, then cut the meat into pieces. Look for a cut that’s nicely marbled with fat, which will give you the best results.
Brown the beef: browning the beef before adding in all the other ingredients is clutch, my friends! Getting a nice sear on all the pieces of beef forms a crust and locks in flavor, and then the brown bits on the bottom of the pot dissolve into the broth adding extra flavor to the sauce. I know it’s an extra step, but it’s so worth it.
To peel or not to peel the potatoes? If you’re using new baby or golden potatoes, you don’t need to peel them. If using russet, definitely peel them.

Storing Leftovers

Some say most stews are even better the next day. I love serving this dish, knowing full well there will be leftovers.

How long does beef stew last? Allow stew to cool then transfer to airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze beef stew? Yes, beef stew freezes quite well (although the vegetables do tend to get softer and break down into smaller pieces after thawing.) Make sure to leave at least a 1/4-inch gap in the container to allow for expansion. Stored properly, it will keep in the freezer up to 3 months. If you know in advance you’ll want to freeze the stew, wait to thicken it until you reheat it.

What to Serve with Beef Stew

There’s a lot going on in this soup, so it’s really quite substantial on its own and a complete meal, but I can’t ever resist making one of these to go along with it to mop up those last dribbles in the bowl:

Watch it Being Made

Pinky promise this is the best beef stew recipe – your search is over!

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

4.98 from 42

Best Ever Beef Stew

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 3 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Hearty comfort food at its finest! Filled with all the goodies – fall apart cubes of beef, tender carrots, potatoes, and sweet peas, all seasoned in an incredibly aromatic, rich broth, this beef stew is incredible!

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, , trimmed of hard fat, cut into 2-inch chunks
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 sweet onions, , chopped
• ▢ 3 medium carrots, , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• ▢ 2 stalks celery, , cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, , minced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 beef bouillon cubes, , crumbled
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 3 sprigs fresh thyme, (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• ▢ 2 small potatoes, , peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch cubes
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions 

• Warm oil in a heavy bottomed pot over high heat until very hot.
• Pat beef dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
• Add beef to the pot in batches and brown well all over. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Lower heat to medium. If the pot looks dry, add a touch more oil.
• Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery; saute for 5 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. 
• Add flour, and stir for 1 minute to cook off.
• Slowly pour in the beef broth and whisk to combine until the flour dissolves.
• Add in the water, Worcestershire, beef bouillon cubes, and tomato paste; mix well.
• Toss in the bay leaves and thyme. 
• Return beef to the pot (including any juices). Liquid level should just cover.
• Bring to simmer, then adjust heat to low / medium-low so it’s a gentle simmer. Cover with lid, cook for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
• Add in the potatoes; simmer for another 20-25 minutes (without the lid) until the potatoes and beef are very tender, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
• During the last 5 minutes add in the peas.
• Skim off fat on surface, if desired. Discard bay leaves and thyme.
• Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
• Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley and enjoy with crusty bread or popovers, if desired.

Video

Notes

For tips and storage, please refer to the full article and make sure to watch the video!

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 849mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4825IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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