The most flavorful, rich and hearty Beef Stew includes slow cooked tender beef, bacon, carrots and potatoes in a delicious gravy broth. This recipe is restaurant quality, and you can make it on the stove, oven, slow cooker or instant pot!
Nothing pairs better with stew than a loaf of the easiest (FOOL-PROOF) Artisan Bread and a classic Wedge Salad.
![A large pot of beef stew with carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and sliced baguette on the side.](images/beef-stew-9-683x1024.jpg)
In case you’re new here, let me reassure you that when I post a new recipe (like this incredible Beef Stew!), it’s been tested and perfected many times in my kitchen and I only share it when I think it’s the best of the best!
This amazing stew takes me right back to France where I had the most amazing Beef Bourguignon of my life! This recipe is very similar to the French Beef Bourguignon, since it includes red wine, but I’ve also added potatoes which are traditional in American Beef Stew. It’s includes the best ingredients, simmered together to make the most amazing, flavorful stew!
How to make Beef Stew:
- Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and add to a ziplock bag with flour, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Add bacon to a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, turning flipping every so often, until browned. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and then chop into small pieces.
- Heat the pan with bacon grease over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef in 2-3 batches (so not to overcrowd the pan), adding a little oil as needed, searing for a few minutes on each side, until browned. Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add vinegar and wine to the pan, cooking over medium-high heat, and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add beef broth, bullion, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Add beef and bacon back to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours or until beef is tender.
![Four process photos for making Beef Stew.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Beef-Stew-15-1024x854.png)
- For mushrooms, if using: Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to the pan in a single layer. Cook for several minutes (without touching). Once golden on the bottom, flip to the other side and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and frozen pearl onions to the soup pot and cook for 15-20 more minutes, until carrot and potatoes are tender.
- Taste broth. Season as needed with additional salt, pepper, bullion, rosemary, thyme, or some garlic powder. Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, if desired.
- Ladle some of the hot broth into a bowl and whisk the flour into it, until smooth. Add to pot and cook for 2-5 minutes, until broth has slightly thickened.
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with artisan bread.
![Two bowls of beef stew with slices of artisan bread on the side.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Beef-Stew-11-683x1024.jpg)
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The best way to prepare this stew ahead of time is to prep the ingredients ahead: Cut the chuck roast, and peel and chop all the veggies. You could also make the entire stew a day or two ahead and rewarm on the stove or in the oven.
To Freeze: Beef stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm on the stovetop.
Recipe Variations:
- More Veggies: Add green beans, peas, winter squash, or peas.
- Red Wine Substitute: if you don’t want to cook with wine you can leave it out and add additional beef broth to replace it.
- Baked Stew: Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position. Prepare recipe up to step 5, and then cover and place in oven for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until meat is tender. Add potatoes and carrots during last hour of cooking.
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Follow steps 1-3: Cook bacon and brown meat. Brown the onions and garlic and then add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until tender. Add flour mixture or a cornstarch slurry during last hour of cooking, to thicken soup.
- Instant Pot Beef Stew: Brown bacon, meat and onions using sauté setting on the IP. Turn IP off. Add remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Stir in flour mixture or cornstarch slurry at the end, to thicken.
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Recipe
![A large pot of beef stew with carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and sliced baguette on the side.](https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Beef-Stew-9-500x500.jpg)
Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces applewood smoked bacon , chopped
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper , to taste
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 cup good quality dry red wine , such as Pinot Noir, Burgundy or. Cote du Rhone
- 5 cups beef stock or broth
- 2 teaspoons better than bouillon beef*
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary ,or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , or ½ teaspoon dried
- 4 large carrots peeled, sliced diagonally into chunks
- 1/2 lb mini gold or fingerling potatoes , cut in small chunks
- 8 ounces frozen whole pearl onions , (optional or to use fresh pearl onions, see note below**)
- 8 oz white mushrooms , sliced, (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add bacon to a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, turning flipping every so often, until browned. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and then chop into small pieces.
- Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and add to a ziplock bag with flour, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Heat the pan with bacon grease over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef in 2-3 batches (so not to overcrowd the pan), adding a little oil as needed, searing for a few minutes on each side, until browned. Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add vinegar and wine to the pan, cooking over medium-high heat, and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add beef broth, bullion, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Add beef and bacon back to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours or until beef is tender.
- Meanwhile, chop the potatoes, carrots, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.
- Cook mushrooms (if using): Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to the pan in a single layer. Cook for several minutes (without touching). Once golden on the bottom, flip to the other side and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and frozen pearl onions to the soup pot and cook for 15-20 more minutes, until carrot and potatoes are tender.
- Taste broth. Season as needed with additional salt, pepper, bullion, rosemary, thyme, or some garlic powder. Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, if desired.
- Ladle some of the hot broth into a bowl and whisk the flour into it, until smooth. Add to pot and cook for 2-5 minutes, until broth has slightly thickened.
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with artisan bread.
Notes
Nutrition
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What an amazing recipe, my first thought was that there are a lot of ingredients, but after looking through it, it’s really all ingredients that most households have. The Applewood bacon gave it such a nice sweet and smoky flavor, but not overwhelming. I did not have any fingerling potatoes so I used what I had which was russet I do not feel like this changed my recipe. This was an amazing recipe especially on a nice stormy day.
I love this recipe and would love to have more soup and easy stew recipes
I made this stew for my brother Mark for his birthday. Everyone ate like they were starving. This is the best stew recipe I have ever made. Again I say thank you for your recipes. I have not found any I don’t care for. They have all been fabulous. Get her cookbook. Wear it out. You can’t go wrong.
I have never commented on a recipe before – but I have been making this beef stew for 2-3 years and it is AMAZING! It is so fool proof, and i’ve made it with mushrooms and the onions or with out! It is always a crowd pleasure at my house!
Amazing beef stew recipe! We all love it and such wonderful flavor. Deep, rich and filling. I have made several times!
I love this recipe….how do I save it ??
Thanks so much! You can find everything you need to know to save recipes here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-save-recipes/
This was undoubtedly the best stew I’ve ever made for my family! They could not stop going back for more helpings. This will be made many times this fall/ winter season, especially for company 🙂
This was absolutely delicious. I made a few minor changes. I used venison and left out the pearl onions and substitued basalmic for the vinegar. I put my dutch oven in the oven for 2 hours at 300 instead of the stove top and did not thicken with flour. It was the best stew ever.
So excited to make this tonight. Currently watching my calorie intake though- Can you tell me the serving size for this recipe?
Made thus recipe for the family and they love it. I added more flour than the recipe called for to get the desired texture, i also did not add the wine, everything turned out perfect!