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.
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.
- 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.
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
Beef Stew
Restaurant-quality flavorful and hearty Beef Stew with slow cooked tender beef, bacon, carrots and potatoes in a delicious gravy broth.
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
*Better than Boullion Paste: I add this to the broth because it adds a deeper flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t have it, or add 1-2 beef bouillon cubes.
** For fresh pearl onions: boil water and add the unpeeled onions to the boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and cut off the non-pointy end of the onion. Hold the onion on the pointy side and push the “pearl” onion out from inside the shell. Add to soup according to recipe instructions.
Beef: I recommend a chuck roast over packaged “stew meat”, because stew meat is usually a combination of different trimmings from leftover steaks and roasts. The chuck roast is around the same price and the quality will be better.
Wine: if you don’t want to cook with wine you can leave it out and add additional beef broth to replace it.
Veggies: Add more veggies if desired, including green beans, peas, winter squash, and peas.
Freezing Instructions: Beef stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm on the stovetop.
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: Cook bacon, brown meat and onions. 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 721kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 49gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 864mgPotassium: 1672mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 6912IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 6mg
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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!
Thank You Lauren! Once again I served my family a delicious meal from one your easy to follow recipes and videos. This beef stew is so luscious and full of flavor! It is not your typical stew. It’s more like a special steak dinner out. It was a hit with everyone …all five of us felt satisfied and went for seconds.
I made this meal for my 97 and 92 year old parents, and my 80something aunt and uncle. My Dad said, “that beef is Devine” and my Aunt said she loved the flavor. Oh, and I gave two neighbors taste tests. One said it was “fire!” This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank You!
So tasty complex rich flavors perfect for a special dinner with family. I bought red cooking wine because we typically don’t have wine in the house. I didn’t like that I had to dirty another pan for the mushrooms. Why couldn’t I brown them with the onions, but I followed the recipe. I cooked the meat for an hour put veggies in and cooked for another hour.
I made this beef stew this winter and my husband I were both so pleased with how delicious this was! I don’t drink alcohol, and truth be told it was my first time cooking with wine but I felt like it added such a wonderful flavor. I bought my dry wine in the small bottles of four, and only had to use one. Now I will be ready for the next time I make this recipe! Love.
Needed some warm wintery comfort food for supper last night so I went to my trusty go to site…tastes better from scratch for inspiration.
This is THE BEST beef stew! I will never go back to my old way of preparing this dish. Absolutely fantastic!
Thank you for all the great recipes!
I’ve always made the easy slow cooker version of beef stew and thought I would give this a try to see if it was worth all the effort. IT. IS. I made a crusty bread to with it and the meal was absolute perfection.
Prepared it today. It was delicious!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was fantastic. Such a warm comfort food. All of my kids and husband thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be making this for years to come.
This was SO good! The flavors were so rich! Perfect comfort food! My daughter said this needs to be made again! Thank you for such great recipes! Your recipes are a trusted source for me!!
Hi Lauren, I am so glad I tried your recipe, it is absolutely delicious!