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Overhead view of a bowl of beef stew topped with chopped parsley.
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Beef Stew

Hearty and comforting Beef Stew made with beef chuck and Yukon gold potatoes has a velvety broth that will warm you on any chilly day.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, French
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 589kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or large pot

Ingredients

  • 2½ pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 1-inch pieces (1.13g)
  • 2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 medium yellow onions chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
  • 4 cups beef broth (1L)
  • 2 cups dry red wine (480ml)
  • 1 pound Yukon potatoes peeled and cubed (450g)
  • 4 large carrots sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (340g)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Season the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, garlic, and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you stir. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth, wine, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil.
  • Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if desired.

Video

Notes

  • Cube your own meat. Precut stew meat is often cut into a variety of sizes and is typically a lower-quality cut of meat sold at a higher price per pound. For the most tender beef, look for a boneless chuck roast with marbling and cube the meat into 1-inch pieces.
  • Don’t skip browning the beef. Browning the beef takes just a few minutes and adds great flavor. Brown the meat in a few batches so that the cubes have plenty of space in the cast iron to be flipped over to add color on multiple sides.
  • Wine-free variation. If you don’t have wine on hand or prefer a wine-free option, you can replace the wine with an equal amount of beef broth or stock.
  • Deglaze the pan. If you have quite a lot of fond (or brown bits) built up on the bottom of your pot, pour a few tablespoons of the wine in before adding the beef to release the. Use a spoon to scrape all the little browned bits on the bottom of the pan as you stir. Doing so will add valuable flavor to the dish and deglazing the pan will prevent the bits from burning later.
  • Add the flour when you return the beef to the pot. The all-purpose flour is an important thickening agent and will thicken the stew over time, so be sure to add it when you return the beef to the Dutch oven. It is added at this point and cooked for 1 minute before adding the remaining ingredients to remove the raw flour flavor. If it were added in later, the stew would have a starchy aftertaste.
  • Optional: cornstarch slurry thickening method. To thicken your stew more or without using flour, mix 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the stew once the meat is tender. Simmer until thickened and translucent. This is a great method to utilize if you prefer a thicker stew, or if you want to make it gluten-free and skip the flour.
  • Make ahead. This classic beef stew recipe only gets better with time and is ideal for meal prepping to have a savory and filling lunch to pack all week long, or when you need to make a meal ahead for guests or busy weeknights. The flavors are enhanced, and the meat will continue to tenderize as it sits.

Nutrition

Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1607mg | Potassium: 1332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8186IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 6mg