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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.
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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.
Just love all those receipts. Male learning to cook , wife not doing okay.
Haha. Let us know if you need any help
I made this tonight for dinner, and let me tell you it was awesome. Everyone liked it, which is rare in this house. 2 will like it, the 3rd will say it’s ok. This went on the keeper list.
Perfect. Thanks
My daughter made this stew while I was visiting her half way across the country. It is easy to make. I have made it about 5 times. It is the Bomb. Once you start making it, it will be the go to recipe.
Thanks for the feedback, Linda. Glad you loved it
Cooked double quantity to put some in the freezer, I use coriander to garnish the one we ate. Was delicious
Thanks Rena your recipes are so so tasty
Perfect. Thanks for the feedback
Grace I am feeding 12 so was going to double the recipe, did you double the recipe in one pot or did you make two separate batches?
I think cutting the beef to the size you recommended is key to getting tender beef in 90 minutes. Is that right? I’m glad i took the time to do so. Only cooked for 90 minutes and everything was perfect!
Yes. Or using another type of beef that isn’t tough.
Whole wheat is not gluten free, just fyi. You’ll need a gluten free flour made from something other than wheat. I personally like chickpea flour as I have found it to be a 1 to 1 substitution and doesn’t change the texture or flavor. This was a good recipe though. Easy to make a tasty!
I am planning on making this today, already started actually 🙂 but I wanted to know what the difference is exactly between cooking it for 2.5 hours in the oven or 1.5 hours on the stovetop? I’m guessing your preferred method is in the oven, I’ve just never used these pots in the oven for that long. They say they’re oven safe up to 400 degrees. Either way, curious if you’ve made it both ways and what your opinion is on each! Thank you!
Do I have to add the Worcestershire Sauce?
If you don’t have it you can skip it or add a little soy sauce.
I don’t have beef broth or chicken broth will water do.
Hi. Yes water will work. Do you have chicken or beef bouillon?
Had all the ingredients in the house. I cooked on top of stove. I never have put tomato paste in many things because my husband is a meat and potato guy, not a lot of seasoning. At least spices he does not see. This time I put in tomato paste just 1/2 and he decided to taste it and he ate 2 bowls. Now we can both enjoy a delicious meal that has great flavor.
Super awesome. Thanks for sharing that with me. Glad your husband loved it.
I made in slowly cook and really was delicious, then I made more to put in the freezer.
I put shopped coriander
I enjoy very much your recipes
Thanks Rena
Thank you!
This is like my normal stew that I make big difference is the tomato paste and definitely adds a very nice taste . I will continue to make it this way everyone loved it. I also make doughboys with my stew
Perfect!
What are doughboys?Doughboy?? Please leave us the recipe.
What is that? I tried looking
Can you add corn
Yes you can
How much is a cup in grams? I really want to make this but I have no clue how much broth to use! Thank you
Hi Sarah. One cup of broth is about 235g of broth.
What is the serving size for this? Is it a cup?
Yes. thats about right
Absolutely delicious everyone enjoy so so much
Thanks for your brilliant recipes
Thank you Grace.
We have made this stew recipe 20+times and it is spot on every time!
Thank you for sharing!!!
Amazing! So glad you guys love this
I’ve made this at least 8 times and everyone loves it. We started with my folks for a month and I made this and they loved it too. My mom even froze some for my dad to have while recovering from surgery. Great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback. So glad everyone loves this
Gorgeous recipe thankyou!
Tucking into it now with crusty bread & butter fabulous
Awesome. Glad you loved it.
This was easy and so delicious
Thanks Jane
I tried this recipe and got the taste of stew I’ve always been yearning for but I used mutton because I didn’t have beef, it was delicious 5 stars
Thank you. Glad you loved it.
I made this for the first time last week. It isn’t the type of meal that my husband or grown son usually care for but said they’d try it. We loved it! I have a huge cast iron Dutch oven with lid and I cooked it in oven. Well here I am making it a second time and doubled it! This will be my only stew recipe from now on!
Thank you so much for the feedback. I am so glad this recipe is a winner for you.