EretenSouthern and Tex-Mex recipes

From-scratch Dutch Oven Beef Stew

From-scratch Dutch Oven Beef Stew

This Old Fashioned Hearty Beef Stew is a traditional style stew made on the stovetop with soft beef, carrots, spices, potatoes, and herbs.

beef stew in a bowl served with breadsticks and topped with parsley

Old Fashioned Beef Stew – Stove Top Recipe

Sometimes with comfort food, you want the classic style. That’s no exception when it comes to beef stew. While there are many variations out there, this version leaves you with the classic, old-fashioned beef stew many of us grew up on.

Whether you’re making this for your family at home or a crowd, everyone will love it and ask for the recipe.

It only requires some basic ingredients. It’s packed full of flavor and easily customized. Serve it with some satisfying dinner rolls and you’ll have everyone going back for seconds.

Stove Top Beef Stew Ingredients

  • Chuck roast
  • All purpose flour
  • Ground black pepper
  • Oil
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Garlic
  • Tomato paste
  • Red wine
  • Beef stock
  • Potatoes
  • Bay leaves
  • Herbs de provence
  • Worcestershire
  • Thyme
  • Salt & pepper

What is a house favorite beef for stew?

Chuck Roast – we always recommend chuck roast as a first choice when making beef stew. It has great marbling and gives a soft, flavorful beef stew every time.

Ribeye – Ribeye has excellent marling but can be pricey. If you can afford this cut of beef, it makes a wonderful stew.

Pre Cut Stew Meat – Stew Meat found in the meat section of your local grocery store isn’t a house favorite option for beef stew. Often times it’s low quality, lean, tougher cuts of meat. You won’t get the same result as you would with chuck roast or ribeye.

ingredients for old fashioned beef stew

How to make Beef Stew in a Dutch Oven

Detailed instructions and measurements to make Classic Beef Stew are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

  1. Start by mixing the all-purpose flour and pepper in a shallow dish.
  2. Take the beef pieces and coat them on all sides with the flour mixture. Shake off any of the excess flour and set them aside.
  3. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is heated and shimmery, add the flour coated beef and brown it on all sides. You don’t want to cook it through, you want to sear and brown the outside. Don’t overcrowd the pot and do them in batches if necessary.
  4. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
  5. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the dutch oven. Add in the onion and carrots and saute until they begin to caramelize. It will take about 3-4 minutes.
  6. Add the garlic to the dutch oven and let it saute with the onion and carrots until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  7. Add the tomato paste to the dutch oven and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally until it turns into a rust color, about 2 minutes.
  8. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot by using a flat wooden spoon. Make sure to get all of the brown bits up from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce down to about half.
  9. Add the beef, potatoes, beef stock, herbs de provence, worcestershire, dried thyme, and pepper and bring to a boil.
  10. Cover and simmer over low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef is tender and cooked through.
  11. Remove the bay leaves, test for salt, and serve with your favorite dinner rolls.
flour and black pepper combined in a bowl
beef chuck roast coated in flour and pepper
beef chuck roast pieces seared in a dutch oven
vegetables and tomato paste caramelized in a Dutch oven
wine simmered down in the process of making beef stew
simple beef stew recipe in a dutch oven about to be simmered on the stove

How to Thicken Old Fashioned Beef Stew

If your beef stew is too thin or runny, you can thicken it by using a slurry. You can use a corn starch slurry or all-purpose flour.

To make a slurry, add a small amount (think teaspoon) of corn starch or all-purpose flour to a bowl.

Add enough cold water to combine. It’s important to use cold water so that it dissolves without clumping. Mix it until it dissolves and pour it into the beef stew. Allow the beef stew to simmer and it will begin to thicken.

Remember to go straightforward at first. Too much slurry will make it too thick.

How to keep potatoes from getting mushy in beef stew

Be sure to use the right type of potato (we recommend Yukon Gold or Russet) and leave them cut in large chunks. By having them cut in large pieces, they will take longer to cook and be ready at the same time as the beef.

What to serve with Stove Top Beef Stew

What goes with beef stew? If you want to add a little to your stew, here’s what we like to serve ours with:

How to keep Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Allow the stew to cool completely and place it in an airtight container. It will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze beef stew?

Beef stew freezes exceptionally well! Allow the beef stew to cool completely and add it to an airtight container.

You can also use a zip-top style bag if you prefer. If using a zip-top bag, lay it flat in the freezer until it freezes completely. It will last up to 6 months in the freezer when stored properly.

How to reheat beef stew

To reheat the beef stew, we recommend using the stove top. By adding it to a saucepan and heating it over low heat, you’ll prevent overcooking the beef. It will stay soft and satisfying.

simple beef stew recipe in a dutch oven topped with parsley

Dutch Oven Beef Stew FAQs

classic beef stew served in a bowl topped with parsley and breadsticks

Prep 5 minutesCook 2 hoursTotal 2 hours 5 minutesMakes 8 people

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chuck roast cut into 1" cubes
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil divided
  • 1 small onion diced into large pieces
  • 4 large carrots cut into 1½" pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 4 whole yukon gold potatoes cut into large pieces
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon herbs de provence
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • dash pepper to taste
  • dash salt to taste (this will depend heavily on the beef stock you use)

Method

  1. Mix together the all-purpose flour and pepper in a shallow dish.
  2. Take the beef pieces and coat them on all sides with the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour.
  3. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is heated and shimmery, add the flour coated beef, browning on all sides. You aren’t trying to cook it through, sear and brown the outside. Don’t overcrowd the pot and do them in batches if necessary.
  4. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
  5. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the dutch oven .
  6. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic to the pot and saute until they begin to carmelize, about 3-4 minutes.
  7. Add in the tomato cook, paste, and stir until it turns a rust color.
  8. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot with a flat wooden spoon . Make sure to get all of the brown bits up from the bottom of the pot.
  9. Add in the potatoes, beef stock, herbs de provence, worcestershire, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
  10. Bring the stew to a boil. Cover and simmer over low for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beef is tender and cooked through.
  11. Remove bay leaves and serve with dinner rolls or cornbread.

Other plates from the kitchen

Dishes that sit near this one, with their own ingredient list.