This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Classic Homemade Beef Stew recipe is so easy to make and so heavenly. A one-pot meal that’s hearty, flavorful and loaded with tender beef morsels, potatoes, and carrots. Cooked in a rich and savory sauce, this beef stew recipe is comfort food at its best.
You may also like my slow cooker beef stew or my easy beef pot roast.
This simple and healthy beef stew recipe can easily be made in an instant pot, slow cooker, in the oven, or on a stovetop. I will be showing you the different ways to cook up this delicious homemade beef stew so you can make it whichever way is more convenient.
Enjoy tender, melt in your mouth beef chunks with soft comforting potatoes and carrots. I assure you that this will be the best beef stew recipe you will ever have! My kids love this and I make it for them once a week!
Ingredients needed
- Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 2-inch chunks, excess fat removed
- Kosher Salt or sea salt, adjust to aste
- Ground Black Pepper
- Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour, or Whole Wheat for non-gluten, any flour works.
- Olive Oil: I also like using avocado oil
- Yellow Onion, Chopped Large
- Garlic Cloves, minced: don’t try using garlic powder. Fresh garlic adds so much more flavor.
- Carrot, or two small-medium, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced into 2-inch pieces
- Beef Broth: I like beef broth over chicken for this recipe.
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Bay Leaves
- Fresh Thyme Leaves, to garnish
How to make homemade beef stew
Let’s first talk about how I made this easy vegetable beef stew recipe.
- Preheat oven: While prepping everything else preheat the oven to 325° F.
Step 1: Chop the carrots, potatoes, and onions.
Step 2: Prep Beef: Season the beef chunks on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over and toss the seasoned beef to coat it on all sides.
Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, on all sides, for 3-4 minutes per batch.
Step 4: Next, add the onions, garlic, and chopped carrots over the seared beef.
Step 5: Cook everything, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.
Step 6: Add the potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Step 7: Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, and return the beef to the pot.
Step 8: Cover the Dutch oven (pot), and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook the stew for 2-2.5 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the stew and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve warm.
Note: To finish cooking this beef stew on the stovetop, cover the pot and let it simmer for 60-90 using medium to low heat. Check it occasionally to see if the beef is tender using a fork and add some broth or water if the sauce starts to dry out.
How to make beef stew in a crockpot or slow cooker
So many of you out there love the convenience of using a crockpot or slow cooker. Who wouldn’t? Set everything up, go to work, go run some errands, take your kids to their activities, and come back to dinner ready to serve!
There is a quick method to using a crockpot to make this hearty beef stew and another more flavorful method.
The quick method:
- Turn on the crockpot or slow cooker
- Add the beef, veggies, broth, spices, and all the ingredients in together at once.
- Give it a nice mix
- Cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, and high 6-7 hours.
- To thicken the stew, 30 minutes before serving, remove about 1/2 cup of the liquid/sauce, mix it with about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Pour it back in and allow to cook and thicken up. Remove bay leaf, serve and enjoy.
More flavorful method:
- Set up the crockpot
- Season the beef chunks on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over and toss the seasoned beef to coat it on all sides.
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, on all sides, for 3-4 minutes per batch. The beef does not need to be cooked through. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- Deglaze – Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned. Add the broth and let it cook for another minute to deglaze the bottom of the skillet and collect all the flavors.
- In the crockpot or slow cooker, add the potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce.
- ADD in the beef. Give it a good mix to combine everything.
- Cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, and high 6-7 hours.
- To thicken the stew, 30 minutes before serving, remove about 1/2 cup of the liquid/sauce, mix it with about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Pour it back in and allow to cook and thicken up. Remove bay leaf, serve and enjoy.
How to make beef stew in an instant pot
- Prep: cut up beef into small chunk sizes along with the potatoes and carrots
- Prep Beef: Season the beef chunks on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over and toss the seasoned beef to coat it on all sides.
- Brown the beef: Turn on the instant pot, and put it on the saute mode. Add the oil and then add the beef. Brown the beef for 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Cook onion: After you remove the beef, add onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes and stir until brown and soft.
- Deglaze: Pour the broth over the onions. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir for a minute.
- Season: Next, add the tomato paste, seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add beef and veggies: Then, add the beef in, top with the potatoes and carrots. Finally, add the bay leaf.
- Close IP and cook: Close the lid of the instant pot, turn the steam release valve to seal. Press manual, and cook at high for 35 minutes, then allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes before opening the lid. Remove the bay leaf.
Notes: If the stew is not thick enough to your liking, you may thicken it with some corn starch. We mentioned above to use the sauce of the stew to mix in with some cornstarch but another way to thicken the sauce would be to mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a tad bit of water and pour into the instant pot. Mix and turn it to sautee mode again for another 5-10 minutes until the stew thickens up. Serve and Enjoy.
frequently asked questions about beef stew
The easiest way to thicken beef stew would be to mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with some water, add it to the stew, stir and cook for a few more minutes until it thickens up. Not too keen on using corn starch? You may use some whole wheat flour instead.
You could always remove some of the carrots and potatoes and blend them with a bit of water before returning it back to the stew to thicken it up.
When using a crockpot, cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium for 7-8 hours, and high for 6-7 hours.
Once you saute the veggies and browned the beef and you are ready to close the lid of the instant pot, it takes about 30-35 minutes on HIGH for the stew to cook through and become tender.
There are a few ways to cook beef stew. It will depend on your preferred method. You can cook on your stovetop, in the oven, in your crockpot or slow cooker, or in an instant pot. We have discussed all the methods above to show you how to cook your beef stew.
The most popular cut of meat used for stew is Chuck. You may also use a variety of roasts like bottom round, round tip, top round, and pot roast. Some others to consider would be oxtail, bohemian, and cross-cut shank.
What to serve with beef stew
Here are some great side options to try with beef stew:
- Cauliflower rice or Garlic mashed cauliflower.
- Quinoa or plain white rice cooked on the stovetop.
- Fluffy Homemade Couscous
- Corn Bread like this Jalapeno cornbread skillet.
- Mashed potatoes – Try Healthier mashed potatoes or my boursin mashed potatoes.
- Salads and veggies like these oven roasted veggies.
- Crusty bread or this garlic naan.
- Try them with some homemade dinner rolls.
- I also love serving it with my healthy broccoli casserole.
You may also like
- Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Chicken Chili recipe
- Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
- Chicken Enchilada soup
- Greek Chicken Bowl
- White Chicken Chili Recipe
We would love some feedback on this homemade beef stew recipe. Leave me a comment below and let me know what your thoughts are. Also, if you love this recipe, don’t forget to pin it and share it on your social media channels with your friends and family.
FOLLOW me on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER for all of my latest blog posts and recipes.
Easy Homemade Beef Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 2-inch chunks, excess fat removed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour, or Whole Wheat for non-gluten
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or avocado oil
- ½ Yellow Onion, Chopped Large
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Large Carrot, or two small-medium, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced into 2-inch pieces
- 2 Cups Beef Broth, see note
- ¼ Cup Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaves
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme Leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Season the 2 pounds Beef Chuck Roast (cut into chunks) on all sides with 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt and ½ teaspoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour over and toss the seasoned beef to coat it on all sides
- Heat the 2 tablespoons Olive Oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, on all sides, for 3-4 minutes per batch. Don’t worry about cooking the beef all the way through at this stage. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- Add the ½ Yellow Onion (chopped), 4 Garlic Cloves (minced), and 1 Large Carrot (chopped) to the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Add the 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes (chopped), 2 Cups Beef Broth, ¼ Cup Tomato Paste, 1 Bay Leaves, 2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme Leaves, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, and return the beef to the pot. Cover the Dutch oven, and transfer to the preheated oven
- Cook the stew for 2-2.5 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the stew and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve warm.
Notes
- You may add 1-2 cups of water or more broth halfway through or 30 minutes before the dish is done if you want more broth on your stew.
- Types of meat you can use: Pre-Cut Stew Meat, bottom round or rump roast, Chuck Roast, or pot roast.
- You may add a bit of heat, like 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Feel free to add some chopped celery.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
GREAT recipe and easy too!!! Putting flour on the meat makesyas a thicker sauce!!!! Loved it!!!!!
So glad you loved it
Very, very good!! I like the thickness of the sauce. Best recipe. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you loved it. Thank you.
This is the beef stew recipe I have been looking for! Easy and absolutely delicious. My hubby and son loved it, too! Thank you!
Amazing. So glad you all loved it.
This was my first and BEST EVER Beef Stew and everyone absolutely loved it. Thanks so much!
So glad you loved it.
I made this tonight. Very good! I made a few adjustments: I added 1 cup of red wine into onions and carrots to deglaze the pan, used 3 cups of chicken broth (less cholesterol), used a small bag of baby carrots and instead of Worcestershire sauce I used Pick-a-Pepper sauce (great steak sauce from Jamaica!) Everyone loved it! Thank you for a great recipe.
That sounds amazing!
When making it in the crock-pot do you add beef broth to it or not? I didn’t see that on the instructions.
Yes, you need to add it. Will get that fixed.
I don’t see how to make it in a slow cooker was going to try to make it tonight but I don’t have a Dutch oven
Hello William. I just published a Slow cooker homemade beef stew recipe if you would like to just adjust the settings
This recipe sounds so good. I have a big family. How many servings does it serve?
Hi there, It serves 6
Can I use chicken broth instead. I don’t have beef
Yes you can
I’m planning on making this Sunday. I don’t own a Dutch oven. How will the cooking instructions change if I do it stovetop?
No, it won’t change. Cover and allow it to cook on the stovetop. Check on the liquid and doneness of the veggies and meat so it doesn’t dry and burns. You can add more broth or water if needed.
Can this recipe be made in a slow cooker? Thanks. It sounds delicious. Can’t wait to make it.
Yes. I included on there how to make it in the slow cooker. Let me know if you need any help with it .
Have you made this with each method? If so, your favorite method? I have to have the beef very tender otherwise I have some who can’t chew!
If I go with 1.5 x everything (I’m feeding 8) is there anything that should not be multiplied (you know, like you never double curry). THANX
You could up the ingredients and it will be just fine. If you don’t want to add more garlic it would be fine. I honestly love adding tons of garlic to everything. Can never go wrong. As for the stovetop or oven version it really will come out the same but it will be crispier looking like the image if done in the oven. Give it time to cook for soft beef. I know what you mean when it comes to kids and how soft the beef is. I have made this not on the stovetop and oven and both times i didn’t have an issue. It all comes down to a preference.
Can this be made in the crockpot? If so how long to cook?
Yes. I have that listed under “the quick method” set it at high for 6-7 hours
Great recipe! I used 2 lbs of carrots and 4 cups chicken stock instead of the 2 cups beef broth and my husband and 1.5 year old gobbled it up. Thanks!
So awesome. Thanks for the feedback
Can I substitute the potatoes to sweet potatoes? And flour to Almond flour? Thanks!
Yes you sure can
When made in the instant pot, are the carrots mushy ? Or still have a bite to them?
They are just right and not mushy. Depends on the size of the carrots
I have been making beef stew for 40 years and made this for the 1st time. Best beef stew I ever made!
So glad to hear this. Thanks for the amazing feedback
I made this beef stew this morning and just had it this evening.. Absolutely lovely. Would highly recommend it.
That’s awesome. So glad you loved it.
This was such an easy recipe to throw together, I was thinking it wouldn’t be as great as everyone says. OMG THIS WAS AMAZING!!! So glad I was wrong!! Very flavorful, easy to throw together and literally the perfect meal for my family of 4. I’m making this again next week;-) The only thing I would do differently would be to add more veggies. 10 out of 10 Rena-thank you so much for sharing x
Yay. Thanks for the amazing feedback. Glad you loved it
Best beef stew I’ve ever made and eaten
Yay. So glad to hear this
Do you have a recommendation for how to cook this in an instant pot?
Hi Liz. I do have included on the post on how to make this beef stew in an instant pot.
How delicious it is, would you accept to participate with me in a restaurant project
So excited to be making this today! Roughly how many cups is a serving?
a bit under 2 cups. or one bowl
I made this today and it was insanely delicious!!! My husband licked the bowl clean!
So amazing. I am so glad hubby approved and loved it. haha Thank you!
Excellent! My go to recipe! I add a little Better than Bouillon base and some green beans and it’s delicious!
Awesome! Thank you
This sounds delicious. I am following my O positive blood type regime. I am going to try swapping out parsnips for carrots and sweet potatoes for Yukon (as,sadly, I have to avoid white potatoes). Pay no attention to that terribly unhappy person that wrote that unpleasant post! None of us have time or space for negativity in 2021!,,,
Thank you Sue ❤️
My husband just made this and it is great. Easy for non cookers to make! He also added parsnips and turnips. Yummy!
I would give it a 5/5.
Thank you Jill. Glad you liked it
Can you make this in the crockpot?
Yes, you easily cook it in the crockpot. Let me know if you need any help with how to let me know
There is no single way to make stew… Don’t listen to these strict authoritarians. Every single recipe for stew that you find will have a different methodology involved.
Everyone believes that their way is the only right way to do it.
This is because they are but simple creatures who cannot help but be such closed-minded simpletons, unable to see the whole world of stew-simmering potential that opened up right before them at the very thought of making stew.
I would pity them, if they weren’t so arrogantly adamant and stuck in their ways.
holy moly, who hurt your little stew feelings?