This beef stew post was originally posted in 2016 (whew!) and was recently updated with clearer content, step-by-step process photography, and an FAQ section. The recipe remains the same! Thanks for supporting Sweet Tea + Thyme and enjoy the recipe.
This old-fashioned beef stew has been with me since I was 19, newly married, cooking in a tiny Texas apartment after a 22-hour drive from South Florida.
It was our first real winter in years, and I wanted something hearty and familiar. A classic beef stew with tender vegetables, rich gravy, and plenty of crusty bread for sopping it all up.
Anyway, I thought I'd be fancy and add some red wine my husband brought home (I had never cooked with it before) and I ruined the entire pot! I didn't know anything about cooking with wine and didn't drink it so...I ended up making a chicken pot pie soup that night and tried again another day. Without the wine.
Over the years, I’ve made this beef stew more times than I can count. It’s been tweaked and loved on through many tiny kitchens, busy holiday seasons, and long, cold winters because I just keep coming back to it. It's that good!
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TL;DR Why We All Love this Beef Stew Recipe
- It's a one pot wonder - everything is done in your dutch oven, from searing the beef to simmering and serving!
- A perfect freezer-friendly recipe - it freezes beautifully and all you need to do is thaw and reheat for comfort food anytime.
- Alcohol-Free - this beef stew is made without wine, so it's kid friendly and you don't need to worry about any alcohol content.
- Nearly 15 years of refinement behind it - This isn’t a first draft recipe! I've tweaked this, worked it, and perfected it for a long, long time, honey.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vegetable Oil - use a high heat oil you like, avocado oil or vegetable oil works well.
- Beef Chuck Roast - this is the best cut for beef stew: full of connective tissue that gives really beefy flavor and thickens the stew, and marbled with fat so it stays nice and juicy.
- Carrots, Onions, and Celery - the classic mirepoix, the French basis to many dishes. These aromatics also add heartiness to our dish.
- Minced Garlic
- Tomato Paste - tomato paste is concentrated, cooked tomato condensed into this thick thing with a ton of umami flavor.
- Dried Herbs - I love using thyme and oregano when making stew, along with the stew-classic: a good ole bay leaf. But be careful with strong herbs like rosemary, too much can overpower the entire stew.
- Gold Potatoes - these are a creamy, buttery potato that hold their shape in stews and aren't too starchy. Do not use russet potatoes, they break apart so easily and make the stew really starchy.
- All Purpose Flour
- Beef Broth or Stock
- Worcestershire Sauce - this adds extra flavor to the beef stew, a little more savoriness.
- Frozen Sweet Peas - this is optional (saying this for my husband and son, who both don't like peas lol)
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
How to Make Beef Stew
Step 1
Brown the beef.
Season your beef well, then sear it in a single layer over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Let it get deeply browned on at least two sides before removing it to a plate.
Pro Tip: Work in batches. Crowding the pot = steamed beef and no flavor.
Step 2
Build the flavor base.
Lower the heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté the vegetables with the tomato paste. Season lightly and let everything cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and dried herbs at the end and let them bloom for about a minute.
Step 3
Add flour for thickening.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until everything is evenly coated. Let it cook for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour taste. This is what gives you a thicker stew, not a soupy one.
Step 4
Deglaze + add it all back in.
Slowly pour in the beef broth, scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the Worcestershire, return the beef to the pot, drop in the bay leaves, and give it a good stir.
Step 5
Simmer low + slow.
Cover and bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the beef is tender. Stir occasionally and check for shreddable fork-tenderness.
Step 6
Finish with the peas.
Stir in the peas during the last few minutes, just long enough to heat them through. Overcooking them will make them dull and starchy.
Step 7
Serve!
Serve hot, preferably with crusty bread, a bright winter salad, and maybe some sauteed green beans!
Chef's Tips
- Vegetable Timing Variation! I personally love really soft, tender veggies in my stew but I know not everyone enjoys that. Instead add the carrots and potatoes in about 45 minutes to an hour before the end of the cook time (around 2 hours in) for veggies that are just cooked through.
- Never use stew meat. This pack of meat is actually just scraps from different cuts the butcher had left over. A little this, a little that, but none of it will cook the same or at the same time and not to mention the grisly bits...ugh.
- Cook the tomato paste until it darkens slightly. Raw tomato paste tastes sharp. Giving it time in the fat mellows it out and adds depth without making the stew taste tomato-forward.
- To make the stew taste even more savory add umami-packed ingredients like MSG, soy sauce, or porcini mushroom powder. This also helps fix a bland tasting stew. Sometimes you're just missing that umami punch!
Troubleshooting
It just needs more time. Chuck softens when the connective tissue finally breaks down. Keep the heat low and let it simmer until the beef is shreddable.
Always trim excess fat from the chuck, especially if it's well marbled. That rendered fat can make your stew really greasy, so skim the fat from the top of the stew as it simmers to remove it.
If it tastes heavy, you can brighten it up with a little apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, but no more than about .5 teaspoon at a time. Taste and adjust as needed!
Beef stew should be spoon-coating (aka napé), not soupy but not paste-thick either.
You want it to cling to the beef and vegetables. If it's thin like soup broth, it’s too thin (use a cornstarch slurry to fix that). If it sits in a mound, it’s too thick (add low-sodium broth to fix that).
Beef stew freezes really well! Let it cool completely, then portion it into airtight containers or freezer bags. It’ll keep for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove. If it’s a little thicker after thawing, just loosen it with a splash of beef stock or broth.
Skip anything labeled “stew meat.” The best choice is chuck roast, cut into large chunks. It’s made for long, slow cooking and turns tender as it simmers.
“Stew meat” is usually a mix of random beef scraps from different cuts and sizes, which cook unevenly and can turn tough.
The Cozy Dinner Rotation Plan
These are my go-to's all winter long. Easy, comfy, rib-sticking meals that can be dressed up or down.
Homemade beef stew on a Sunday evening is exactly what I'm talking about, friend! Cozy and rich and perfect for warming up from the cold. If you cook this one up, tag @sweet_tea_thyme on IG, I love seeing these dishes make their way to your table.
Dutch Oven Beef Stew Recipe without Wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped to bite sized pieces
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, medium dice
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 7 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped to medium size
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano , or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups beef broth or stock
- ½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup frozen peas
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Season the chuck roast cubes evenly with salt and pepper, then sear the beef in batches (as to not overcrowd the pot) to get a deep brown crust, about 2-3 minutes. Remove each batch with tongs or an asian spider to a large bowl or plate and continue searing each batch until all the meat is seared. Set the beef aside.2 lbs beef chuck roast, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoon black pepper
- Lower the temperature to medium, and add carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and start to brown. Add the tomato paste, potatoes, garlic, and herbs and stir in for a minute, then stir in ¼ cup flour. Make sure the flour is coating the veggies well, there should be no dry flour in the pan.3 medium carrots, 2 ribs celery, 1 large yellow onion, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 7 medium yellow potatoes, 5 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- Stir while letting the flour cook through for about one minute, then add in a splash of beef broth and stir well. Then add about a cup of broth and stir well once again. It should look kind of like a paste. Add another cup of the broth and stir well. Add the rest of the broth, stir again. Then add the beef and their juices from the bowl into the pot.6 cups beef broth or stock
- Add worcestershire sauce and bay leaves, raise temperature to medium-high and let the pot come to a gentle simmer. After it comes to a simmer, lower the temperature to medium low and cover the pot with a lid.½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves
- Let the beef stew simmer for 2.5 hours, check the beef for tenderness. If tender and ready to eat, then remove the lid for 15 minutes. If not, let it cook for another 30 minutes, then remove the lid for 15 to help thicken the stew.
- After 15 minutes has passed, stir in the frozen peas and let cook for another 5-10 minutes. Check stew for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.½ cup frozen peas, Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Remove bay leaves and serve the beef stew while hot.
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