This Best Ever Beef Stew is a perfectly seasoned, comforting, hearty dish full of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and savory broth! Your family will come running for dinner!
Beef Stew Recipe
Is there anything better or more comforting on a cold day than a nice big bowl of soup or stew?! This is my go-to recipe when I know we have a few cold days coming up. Often, I will make a double batch of this recipe so we can enjoy the leftovers for lunch with my Air Fryer Grilled Cheese!
We’ve had a few colder nights here in Eastern NC and while I am used not someone who gets cold easily, I have had to kick the heat up in the house a bit because I have been freezing cold!!
I don’t know about you, but I love making soup when the weather is cold and this Best Ever Beef Stew is a family favorite! My family comes running when they know this is on the table!
This Best Ever Beef Stew really is the best. It’s so comforting and hearty. The perfectly seasoned broth makes you want to slurp it up!
Not only have I been craving this dish, but we’ve been enjoying this stew every week for the past month. Believe me, that doesn’t happen very often!
I love serving this Best Ever Beef Stew with The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits or Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. What do you usually serve with beef stew?
Beef Stew: Ingredients & Utensils
To make this Beef Stew recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- olive oil – or any other neutral-flavored oil
- beef stew meat – you can buy this already cut up at your local grocer – or you can buy a roast and cut it up yourself.
- onion – I prefer yellow onion for this recipe, but you can also use white onions. Skip the red onions for this recipe.
- carrots and celery – typical vegetables found in beef stew
- all-purpose flour – used as a thickener. You can omit this if you prefer, but note your broth will be thinner.
- Beef Stew Seasoning mix – available in your local grocery store, usually near the gravy mixes. Or, you can try my homemade mix!
- Worcestershire sauce – add umami flavor to the broth. You can use soy sauce instead.
- paprika, salt, and pepper – seasonings used to flavor the stew.
- garlic – used to flavor the stew. If you prefer more garlic, feel free to add more.
- bay leaves – used to flavor the broth.
- potatoes – I prefer russets. You can use other non-waxy potatoes.
- beef broth – I prefer to use low-sodium.
Utensils
- knife
- cutting board
- measuing cups and spoons
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
- spoon or spatula for cooking
- ladle for serving
Recipe Tips
- You can also make this Beef Stew in a crock pot or slow cooker!
- Play with the spices for a different flavor profile. Prefer a sweeter stew? Add a touch of brown sugar or honey. Make the flavors pop by adding a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Want more spice or depth of flavor? Try adding some chili powder.
Beef Stew: FAQs
Yes, you can! I’ve included recipe directions for this method also!
You should because browning the meat builds flavor through the Maillard reaction. As the browned meat cooks in the broth, it spreads that delicious flavor throughout the dish.
Personally, I think you should. First, it helps the meat brown better, which in turn helps flavor the stew. It also helps improve the surface texture of the meat.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Best Ever Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 packet Beef Stew Seasoning mix 1.5 oz.
- 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 russet potatoes peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 8 cups beef broth
Instructions
Stove-top version:
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook and stir the stew meat for 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the flour, stirring well to combine.
- Add the Beef Stew seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic and bay leaves. Mix well. Add the potatoes and beef broth. Stir well.
- Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cover with a vented or tilted lid. Allow the stew to simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slow cooker version:
- Place stew meat in 6-qt slow cooker. In a small bowl combine the flour, beef stew seasoning, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic, bay leaf, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.
Notes
- You can also make this Beef Stew in a crock pot or slow cooker!
- Play with the spices for a different flavor profile. Prefer a sweeter stew? Add a touch of brown sugar or honey. Make the flavors pop by adding a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Want more spice or depth of flavor? Try adding some chili powder.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on January 1, 2016. Updated on February 16, 2022.
Yum! I haven't made beef stew in quite some time and this is the perfect weather for it!
This looks so good Jamie perfect winter grub!
There's nothing better than a good beef stew, and this looks perfect! I haven't made it in forever so thanks for the reminder!
Looks delicious and Beef Stew is one of our favorite meals !
This sounds like the best kind of comfort food!
This is the perfect time of the year to have this great beef stew in our menu line up!! Can't wait to try it!
I'm not a huge beef eater, but my ENTIRE family loves it! I need to make this for them!
Hello, does this beef stew freeze well? Thanks!