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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.

classic beef stew

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.easy and healthy beef stew recipe
  • 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.

classic beef stew recipe

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.

easy homemade beef stew

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.

homemade beef stew recipe

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.

hearty homemade beef stew recipe

best beef stew recipe

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healthy beef stew recipe with potatoes and carrots

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easy homemade beef stew

4.97 from 506 votes

Easy Homemade Beef Stew

By: Rena
Servings: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 45 minutes
beef stew in a red and black skillet with potatoes and carrots.
Made with tender meat chunks, carrots, and potatoes in a deliciously seasoned sauce on a stove-top.

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

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

Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 32gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 972mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2223IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @healthyfitnessmeals or tag #healthyfitnessmeals!

easy homemade beef stew

vegetables for beef stew

About Rena Awada

Hi, Iโ€™m Rena! Welcome to my blog. I am here to help you prepare delicious, light, fresh meals that your whole family will love!

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4.97 from 506 votes (352 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




389 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I used the “More flavorful” method in my slow cooker, which was so GOOD! As it gets colder, I love these kinds of meals.

  2. 5 stars
    Added extra carrots and potatoes. Going to add frozen peas at the end just to heat through. My grandchildren love peas.

      1. Ah lol. Yes, you can use the stove instead of the oven. Use a pot with a tight-fit cover. It should need about 40-45 minutes on medium heat depending on the meat used. If the meat is not soft enough you can add a bit of water mix and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

  3. 5 stars
    I am cooking mine in a Dutch oven and it is tasting delicious! I did add 1/2c or so red wine to elevate the flavors, too.

  4. I just put mine in the oven. I added an extra carrot, pumpkin, and some additional seasonings. My house smells good already. It’s making me hungry just thinking about. Two and a half hours is going to feel like forever.

    1. Iโ€™m just now making the stew but thought I had tomato pasteโ€ฆbut notโ€ฆwhat can I use instead?

  5. 5 stars
    Absolutely delish! My fiancรฉ and I loved this. Didnโ€™t even end up with leftovers! To be fair, I did reduce the recipe a bit since it was just the two of us but we both had seconds. I followed the more flavorful crockpot instructions and used a little extra beef broth. It was very easy and so good. Next time Iโ€™ll definitely make the full recipe (or maybe 1.5x). Iโ€™ve had some very bland stew so I wasnโ€™t sure how this would turn out. But it had the perfect amount of rich, hearty flavor. This will definitely be a more regular staple in the dinner rotation.

    1. Yes, it’s fine. But the sweet potatoes will cook much faster so cut them into bigger peaces or add the chunks in half way through

  6. 5 stars
    I made this as directed. I added some additional broth while cooking. It was delicious, but there was no way it was going supply 6 servings. It only has 1 carrot and 2 potatoes. I also found that 2 pounds of meat was too much and I put some aside. I will definitely make this again with some slight adjustments.

  7. Does this stew freeze well? Would you recommend freezing the ingredients together before cooking or is it best to cook then freeze?

  8. Wondering if this stew would be ok to freeze preparing for hunting, also how many does it serve for regular plate serving. Thank you

  9. 5 stars
    This recipe is one of my favorites! So good! I was wondering if it could be done in a crockpot because we are going camping and it would be so much easier in a crockpot.

    1. Martha did you try to make it in the crock pot? I’m just curious if it went well. I would like to possibly make it in the Crock-Pot this weekend if it turned out okay.

      1. 5 stars
        I used this recipe in a crockpot a couple of weeks ago and it was a massive hit with my husband who doesnโ€™t normally do stews. 6hours on high was perfect with frozen dumplings thrown in 35-40mins before it finished cooking. I threw extra veg and meat in so it saw us through for two days ๐Ÿ™‚ Tasted amazing!

  10. 5 stars
    I made this the day before Hurricane Ian was supposed to hit. I was hoping to have leftovers for the rainy day coming. This was easy, tasty and delicious. So delicious, I have no leftovers. I only had 1 lb of stew meat though. I used 1/2 the salt and it tasted great. I had to add a cup of water while baking it in my Dutch oven. I will make this again! Thank you!