This braised Beef Stew Recipe is so simple and so melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It’s truly the ultimate comfort food!
Be sure to try our Braised Beef Short Ribs and Juicy Braised Beef Recipe.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This time of year, my favorite thing to serve is comfort foods. And this Beef Stew is the definition of a hearty and satisfying comfort food, perfect for cold weather.
- TASTE: Caramelized beef that’s savory and flavorful is combined with red wine and lots of fresh herbs. This Beef Stew tastes utterly delicious.
- TEXTURE: It’s made with juicy beef, tender vegetables, and a thick broth that make it so filling.
- TIME: This recipe will take 2 hours and 45 minutes.
- EASE: This is a really easy dish to make. You can use kitchen basics, make it one pot, and even make it in the slow cooker so you can set it and work on other things.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Beef- You can use any cut of meat you prefer, but I like to use Chuck Roast because it’s collagen-rich and a good slow cooker meat.
- Vegetables- We’ll use Potatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic to add great flavor and a little bit of texture to the stew. The potatoes also add starch to thicken the broth.
- Herbs + Spices- Paprika, Oregano, Thyme, Salt, and Black pepper are all great flavor enhancers. The fresh-tasting herbs are a good complement to the savory flavors of the feel.
- Chicken broth- This provides the liquid for the Beef Stew. It imparts a nice flavor and thickens up well.
- Flour + Butter- These together make a roux, which is combined with the broth to thicken it.
- Red Wine- The alcohol will cook off as the Beef Stew is simmering, but it adds a rich flavor that’s really delicious in this dish.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Make it in a slow cooker- If you prefer to make this braised beef stew recipe in a slow cooker, don’t forget to brown the beef. It imparts great flavor and locks in juices for the long cooking process.
- Substitute another cut of beef- If you can’t get chuck, you can also make this recipe with short rib, sirloin, oxtail, or brisket.
- Make it allergen-friendly- This is an easy dish with which to avoid allergens. Just replace the butter with a plant-based version and use gluten-free flour.
- Skip the alcohol- If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can skip this ingredient and just add extra broth. Or you could use an alcohol-free red wine so the flavor is there without any trace of alcohol.
How to Make Beef Stew
- Braise the beef. First, you’ll want to braise or brown the beef chunks in a large dutch oven pot over high heat. Then remove the braised beef chunks and reserve for later.
- Cook the onion and garlic. Now, in the same pot, cook the chopped onion and minced garlic until translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and spices. Now add the sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Then you’ll add the spices and simmer them for about 2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the veggies and beef. Next, add the celery, carrots, baby potatoes, and reserved braised beef chunks.
- Pour in the wine and cook. Add the red wine and chicken stock to the pot and stir. Now place the lid on and bring it to a boil. Then cook the braised beef stew in the oven for 1 hour at 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make a roux. Meanwhile, with a fork combine the softened butter with flour.
- Thicken the beef stew. After the beef has cooked for an hour, add the flour-butter roux to the pot and cook for an additional hour with the lid back on. Serve.
Pro Tip: Give the roux a good stir to fully incorporate it into the pot. You don’t want any flour chunks in your beef stew.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the vegetables to similar sizes- Keeping the ingredients a uniform size will help even cooking throughout the simmering time. It also makes it more pleasing to eat.
- Don’t make the beef chunks too big- Whether you buy them pre-cut or do it yourself, it’s important to keep them about the size of the potatoes. Otherwise, you won’t get a little of everything on your spoon.
- Take it slow- Don’t rush this dish. It takes time to break down the collagen that tenderizes the meat and makes it juicy. Cook it too fast and the muscle becomes tough and chewy.
- Thicken the beef stew- If you like a thick beef stew, thicken up the juices by combining flour and softened butter in a small bowl and pouring it straight into the stew. Then cover and cook for another hour.
FAQs
Choosing a good meat, like chuck roast, for your beef stew is important. But the real secret is cooking it low and slow. Let the collagen break down by cooking the beef stew for at least 2 hours so it’s nice and tender.
When you make beef stew in the oven, it should take about 2 1/2 hours to cook. If you do it in a slow cooker, it will take 7 hours on low, 4 hours on high. If you opt for the slow cooker, just remember to brown the beef chunks in a skillet with hot oil over high heat beforehand, add in the rest of the ingredients (except flour and butter), and cook. Mix in the flour-butter roux to thicken and cook for another 30 minutes on high. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Because this Beef Stew recipe is so versatile and complementary, it goes with anything. Here are some tasty ways to enjoy it.
- Salad: Start the meal off with a Cucumber Radish Salad, Spinach Salad Recipe, or Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Bread: Serve this Beef Stew with some Focaccia Bread, Super Soft Brioche Dinner Rolls, Cornbread Muffins, or Rustic Bread.
- Sides: Enjoy it alongside a side dish, like these Scalloped Potatoes, Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, or Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli.
- Desserts: End your meal with a cool weather favorite, such as Chocolate Creme Brulee, Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), or Homemade Apple Pie.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can braise the beef ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook everything together. Or you can prepare this Beef Stew and store it in the fridge once cooled to reheat later.
Storing: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze this Beef Stew recipe in gallon-sized ziplock bags for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. Then reheat in the microwave or oven.
More Delicious Stews and Soups!
Full Recipe Instructions
Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chuck beef
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 ribs celery
- 1 lb baby carrots
- 2 cups baby red potatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 2 tbsp flour
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 2-inch chunks. Then add olive oil into a Dutch oven pot. Bring the heat to high. Once the oill is nearly smoking, add the beef chunks into the pot. Evenly brown each side of the beef chunks. Then remove from the pot.
- Place the chopped onion and minced garlic into the pot and stir over medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and stir until they become tender.
- Place the celery, baby carrots, and baby red potatoes into the pot, then place the browned beef chunks on top. Give them a quick stir.
- Pour in the red wine and chicken stock.
- Place the lid over the pot and bring it to a boil. Remove from the cook top and place it into a 320 Fahrenheit degree oven for 1 hour
- Meanwhile, with a fork combined 2 tbsp softened butter with 2 tbsp flour.
- After the beef has cooked for 1 hour, place the butter and flour mixture into the pot and cook for an additional hour with the lid back on. This butter and flour mixture will thicken the beef stew liquids.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Jan 31, 2018, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Ainamaani prossy says
Why do you add red wine in stew ?beef
Dina says
It adds a lot of amazing flavor. I hope you love it!
Natalie says
I totally love your beef stew recipe! Best one I’ve tried! And it’s so simple to make! I did leave out the celery, mushrooms, and red wine. I used some additional chicken stock. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Dina says
Hi Natalie 🙂 Very happy to hear that you loved this beef stew recipe! I love that recipes can be adjusted to fit everyone’s preferences 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Gill Bullock says
Why use chicken stock in a beef stew?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Gill 🙂 Good question! I use it for a little bit of flavor. It is better than using water and it will not make your beef stew have a chicken flavor. Most people don’t have beef stock or broth at home. More people tend to carry chicken stock, so I try to incorporate ingredients to make it easier for my readers. Hope that helps clarify 🙂
Hannah Flack says
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight! I’m going to make it on the stove instead of the slow cooker, though. Thanks for the lovely dinner inspiration! 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
My pleasure Hannah! It’s such a simple and delicious meal. I’m going to be making it for a family gathering next week too 🙂
Mikaela L. says
Yummy! It was so delicious! We doubled the liquid and swapped celery for green peas. Thank you for the amazing recipe! 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for taking the time to write such nice feedback, Mikaela! I’m glad this beef stew was a winner for you!
Vesna says
Perfect ratio of ingredients and liquid and well seasoned. I used beef stock which is the only change I made. I’ve made a lot of stews and was anxious about the butter flour addition at the mid pount as it was new to me. But it was perfect! Gives the stew the right glossy thickness and did not lumpy. A great and easy recipe. Thsnk you.
simplyhomecooked says
I am so happy to hear that you loved this beef stew recipe, Vesna! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂
Kendra says
Sooooo yummy…..comfort in bowl! Made this on a rainy windy Sunday in February….everything about it was perfection. Thank you for the recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Kendra! I am so happy to hear that you love my braised beef stew recipe 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write feedback and I hope you enjoy more recipes from my blog! 🙂
Albert Bevia says
It´s so true, when the weather is freezing outside, there is nothing better than a warm bowl of comfort food, this beef stew is just calling my name, beautiful dish filled with simple yet tasty flavors….great recipe
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Albert!