Hearty Beef Stew Recipe
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This Hearty Beef Stew Recipe is comfort food at its best. Tender chunks of beef, Yukon Gold potatoes, and carrots simmer together in a rich tomato and red wine gravy until everything is fall-apart soft. It's all one pot, same as my One Pot Chicken Stew, and the kind of dinner that makes the whole house smell like a Sunday.
The beef gets tossed in flour and browned first, which is what thickens the gravy later on — no cornstarch slurry needed at the end. Serve it with something to mop the bowl with, like my Sweet Honey Cornbread or a few Easy Crispy Hoe Cakes.
Quick Look: Hearty Beef Stew
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 2 hours
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~519 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: stew meat, flour, carrots, onion, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, peas.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy — one pot, and mostly hands-off once it simmers.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
It all happens in one pot. You brown the beef and build the whole stew in the same Dutch oven, so there's one thing to wash when you're done.
The gravy is rich and thick on its own. Tossing the beef in flour before it browns, then cooking down tomato paste and red wine with the vegetables, does all the thickening for you.
It works in the slow cooker too. Same ingredients, straight into the crockpot on low for 7 to 8 hours if you'd rather come home to it.
For another cozy one-pot dinner, try my Hobo Stew or Classic Pot Roast!
Why Tomato Paste Belongs in Beef Stew
Three tablespoons doesn't sound like much, but it's doing a lot of the work. Cooking the tomato paste with the garlic and vegetables before any liquid goes in deepens the color and gives the gravy a savory backbone that broth alone won't get you. It's the difference between a thin brown stew and one that actually clings to the potatoes.
Ingredients Needed
- Beef stew meat: Chuck works best here. It's got enough fat and connective tissue to go fall-apart tender over a long simmer.
- Flour: Tossed with the beef before browning. This is what thickens the gravy, so don't skip it.
- Tomato paste: Just 3 tablespoons, cooked down with the vegetables. It builds color and depth in the gravy.
- Red wine: I use a Merlot or Cabernet. You can swap in an equal amount of beef broth if you'd rather skip the wine.
- Yukon gold potatoes: They hold their shape through a long simmer instead of falling apart.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: Fresh makes a real difference in a stew that cooks this long.
How to Make Hearty Beef Stew
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, toss the beef stew meat with the flour until every piece is coated. Set it aside.
- Step 2: Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add half the oil, then half the beef with half the salt and pepper. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway. Remove and repeat with the rest of the meat.
- Step 3: Add the remaining oil, then the carrots and onions. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and let it cook down.
- Step 4: Add the browned beef back in along with the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Step 5: Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until they're tender.
- Step 6: Stir in the frozen peas and let them heat through for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Brown the beef in two batches. Crowding the pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and the browning is where the flavor comes from.
- Cut the potatoes into similar-size pieces so they cook evenly. No wine?
- Use an equal amount of beef broth instead.
- Slow cooker: follow the same steps, then put everything in the slow cooker on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5. Timing depends on how hot your slow cooker runs.
Hearty Beef Stew Recipe FAQ's
I use Yukon Gold because they hold their shape best while cooking.
Searing the meat adds a nice color to the beef and sears in the flavor. The bits of the meat from searing are in the bottom of the pot and loosen up when the rest of the ingredients get added.
An equal amount of beef broth for the red wine will work.
The flour on the beef is what thickens this one, so make sure every piece is coated before it goes in the pot. If it's still thinner than you like, leave the lid off for the last 15 minutes and let it reduce down.
Yes—stew is often even better made ahead because the flavors deepen overnight.
Let it cool, refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 3–4 days, then reheat gently until piping hot. If it contains potatoes, slightly undercook them so they don’t become mushy. Add fresh herbs or dairy after reheating for the best texture.
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Hearty Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 4 medium carrots chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 -1/2 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl toss beef stew meat with the flour and set aside.
- Heat a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat. Add half of the vegetable oil and add half the meat, half of the salt, and pepper. Brown for 3-4 minutes turning the meat halfway through. Remove meat and repeat with the rest of the meat.
- Add the rest of the oil and add carrots and onions, cook for 3-4 minutes then add garlic and tomato paste.
- Add back in the browned beef and pour in the beef stock, wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Stir and heat on high until it comes to a low boil reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
- Add in potatoes, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender for about 45 minutes.
- Add in frozen peas, let heat through 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Yes, this helps! Thank you so much! I look forward to making it!
You can use low sodium beef broth and worcestershire sauce to cut down on the sodium. Hope this helps Shantella 🙂
Hello! What makes the sodium content so high per serving? I have to watch my sodium intake due to high blood pressure.
The cook times are correct Deanna. The meat needs about an hour to simmer in order to come out super tender. The potatoes only need about 45 minutes, but if you cook them all together for the full length of time the potatoes will be mush. Hope this helps 🙂
Is your cook time wrong? In step 4 it says to simmer for 1 hour but then in step 5 it says to add potatoes and cook for about 45 minutes. Which is right?
I've never made it in the slow cooker, but I don't see why not.
Could you throw this all in the slow cooker instead??
Yay Nila! I'm so glad you loved it. I just made some last night, its a favorite around here.:)
This was so easy to pull together and I was able to make a small batch for two people. Very tasty!
Awesome Nurulain! I'm so glad you loved it, thanks for coming back here to let me know and the great review 🙂