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.
This simple and healthy beef stew recipe can easily be made in an instant pot, slow cooker, in the oven, or on a stovetop. We 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. We assure you that this will be the best beef stew recipe you will ever have!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BEEF STEW
Lets first talk about how we made this easy vegetable beef stew recipe.
- Preheat oven: While prepping everything else preheat the oven to 325° F.
- 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.
- Heat Skillet: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. If you don’t have a dutch oven, use an oven-safe skillet/pot that has a cover.
- Partially cook beef: 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 other ingredients: Then add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned. 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.
- Mix and simmer: Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, and return the beef to the pot.
- Cook in Oven: 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.
- Serve: 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.
Some frequently asked questions about beef stew
How to thicken 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.
What to serve with beef stew
Here are some great side options to try with beef stew:
- Cauliflower rice
- Quinoa
- Brown or basmati rice
- Corn Bread
- Mashed potatoes – Try THIS low carb cauliflower mash potato
- Salads and steamed veggies
How long to cook beef stew in a crockpot
When using a crockpot, cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, and high 6-7 hours.
How long to cook beef stew in an instant pot
Once you’ve sauteed 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.
How to cook beef stew
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.
what cut of beef is a stew meat
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.
We would love some feedback on this homemade beef stew recipe. Leave us a comment below and let us know what your thoughts are. Also, if you love this recipe don’t forget to share in on your social media channels with your friends and family.
We think you may love these other recipes, so if you have a moment check them out:
Also, remember to subscribe to my NEWSLETTER for free and receive recipes like this homemade beef stew recipe delivered right to your inbox!
Finally, if you try a recipe and you like it, please use our hashtag #healthyfitnessmeals on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! FOLLOW Healthy Fitness Meals on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER for all of our latest blog posts and recipes.
Easy Homemade Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast cut into 2-inch chunks, excess fat removed
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ Tsp Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat for non-gluten
- 2 Tbsp Olive 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
- ¼ Cup Tomato Paste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaves
- 2 Tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- 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
- Heat the 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 onions, garlic, and carrots to the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned.
- 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- You may add an additional 1-2 cups of water or more broth if you like to have more broth on your stew
Nutrition
Rosa V García says
Delicious
Rena says
Thank you
Suzanne says
Made this in my crockpot instead of the stove. Didn’t brown the meat beforehand. Just threw everything in together, mixed & left to cook for 4hrs on high. It was SO delicious! By mistake added 1tsp Thyme to the mixture not after and actually gave it a nice flavour. Will definitely be making it again
Sarah T says
Has anyone made this in the pressure cook. I am going to double the recipe and want to cook it in my 8qt cooker. How long did you cook?
Thanks
Norma A. says
I’m making my stew on the stove. When is done I would let everyone know how it came out. I’ll take a pic too.
Allison Vela says
i need you Norma. how’d it turn out??
Pam Murray says
Yum. Made exactly to the recipe minus the bay leaves and thyme (didn’t have on hand)
This is delicious and easier than others I have tried. Will be my go to.
Thanks
Jeff says
Norma.Don’t make promises you can’t keep,lol.
Theresia lans says
I made this today and we love it
This is the best Beef stew recipe
And will make it again
Rena says
Awesome. Thank you!
inda says
Instead of potatoes can I serve with egg noodles?
Rena says
You sure can
Janine says
I made this last night and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe! I will be making this again soon! Delicious!
Rena says
Nice. Thanks for the feedback
Angela says
Great recipe! I added 1 additional cup of water for water reduction/evaporation and 1/4 cup dry red wine for flavor. I had 2 extra stalks of celery in the fridge, which I threw into the recipe, with a dash of celery salt. I will keep this recipe on hand! Hearty and flavorful!
Amani says
Can i use an oven pan and cover it with foil instead? I don’t have a dutch oven
Rena says
Yes you can
Adele Benecke says
I made it triple fold in the crock pot on high for 7 hours. It was the best beef stew I’ve ever made and the guests went for second and third and even fourth helpings! I served it with home made bread, glazed sweet potatoes and cheesy cauliflower. This will be my default beef stew recipe from now on!
Sami V. says
I’ve made this recipe twice now, love finding gluten free options. It is very delicious. I added 4 cups beef broth as I wanted a very liquid stew, probably more a soup. I also add in more potatoes because I had a bag that were sprouting do I had to use them up. First time was simmering on the stovetop for about an hour, I added some frozen mixed veggies near the end (not soon enough) which made it taste very similar to my fav beef vegetable canned soup. It was very good the next day. This time I started it on stovetop and finished in the oven. I just used my stockpot, don’t own a dutch oven. Definitely a new favorite recipe!
Rena says
Such great feedback Sami, thanks for sharing that
Vanessa says
I made this even though I was missing 1/2 the ingredients for the “sauce” and it still came out phenomenally!
Rena says
Amazing. Glad you loved it
Arlene Riswick says
Can you sub Almond or coconut flour for the all purpose? Tx this looks great always on the look for new recipes!!
Rena says
Not sure. It should be fine. I just haven’t tried it.
Tara says
How did it come out with the almond or coconut flour? Did you try using one of those instead?
Tony says
Making it now smells delicious
Rena says
Awesome. Thanks!
Dawn H says
Made this about 2 weeks ago while visiting family. Very picky eaters in the house, but all gave it two thumbs up. New recipe to add to the collection
Rena says
So awesome! Thanks for the feedback
Bobbie Lemos says
I have used this stew recipe many times.
My family loves it with dumplings!
Rena says
Amazing!
Claudia Ruiz says
Very good
Rena says
Thank you
ken semethy says
Hello, first time I look to get what I want.
Paula Jech says
This was absolutely delicious! Wonderful flavor my only addition was at the final 15 minutes I added frozen peas and a bit more beef broth. I will make this again!!! My husband said he’d give this a 10!!
Rena says
Nice. Glad your husband loved it
Pauline says
This the best beef stew i ever had.
David says
Wonderful as well as delicious.
All her recipes are easy to follow and a rave when family sits down at the table.
Rena says
You are the best David. Thank you
Pam says
I followed this recipe and was very pleased with the outcome.
Thanks
Rena says
Thanks. Glad you liked it
Dan says
Can you do this on the stove top instead of putting in the oven for 2 hrs just leave it simmer on the stove? Dont have a Dutch oven
Rena says
yes you can
Dee A says
Got to make this with my youngest son, who loves beef. And we subbed sweet potatoes for potatoes as that’s what we usually have. I did some easy self raising herbed drop dumplings after 2hrs of cooking and then let it simmer for 30 minutes longer without opening the pot and after removing the bay leaf. This is a def keeper for the winter months and cold days. Thanks for doable recipe.
Brittani says
I subbed butternut squash for the potatoes (we just don’t eat potatoes often) and deglazed the pan with a little whiskey before adding the onion/carrot/garlic. this recipe is a hit all around!
Rena says
Sounds amazing!
Dee A says
Like the sound of what whiskey essence in the pot!
Dee says
It was supposed to say “that whiskey essence”.
Roma says
So easy and delicious!
Rena says
Thanks for the feedback Roma
Gill Patrick says
Just love all those receipts. Male learning to cook , wife not doing okay.
Rena says
Haha. Let us know if you need any help
Barbara Sherritt says
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.
Rena says
Perfect. Thanks
Linda M says
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.
Rena says
Thanks for the feedback, Linda. Glad you loved it
Grace says
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
Rena says
Perfect. Thanks for the feedback
Donna says
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?
Beck says
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!
Rena says
Yes. Or using another type of beef that isn’t tough.
Anna says
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!
Lindsay says
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!