This Dutch oven beef stew is the perfect meal for a chilly day! Each spoonful is filled with carrots, potatoes, celery, tender pieces of beef, and a robustly flavored broth. It’s one of the heartiest winter comfort foods that warms you from the inside out!
When winter weather approaches, this beef stew should be at the top of your list for dinner! It’s comforting, cozy, and filled with tender bites of beef and hearty vegetables.
While testing this recipe, I found that many traditional beef stews had three things in common. They didn’t have enough fresh herbs, the recipe called for red wine, adding complexity for many home cooks, and the consistency was too thick – almost gravy-like.
Instead of red wine, I used Worcestershire sauce, which adds richness and body and is something you may already have in your pantry. With the flour, we use only a little to create the perfect consistency where it’s not overly thick and helps the end result be lighter and healthier.
If you’re looking for your next chilly weekend recipe, look no further than this cozy stew!
One reader, Lauren, made this: “This is the best beef stew I have ever come across, and it’s so easy to make ahead for those busy week nights.”
★★★★★
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients & measurements.
- Meat – chuck roast is the ideal cut for beef stew. Although this beef cut can be tough, a longer cooking time will help tenderize the meat. I recommend using 1-inch cuts of meat to ensure they’re tender once the stew is finished.
- The vegetables – to add flavor, I like to use carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and then potatoes for heartiness. The potatoes also release starches, which help to thicken the broth naturally. I also like to use garlic and onion powder in addition to using it fresh to layer in more concentrated flavor.
- For flavor – to layer and develop a flavorful stew, I use a combination of fresh herbs – parsley, rosemary, and thyme. And then, for robust flavor, a little bit of tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Along with garlic powder and onion powder to layer in more flavor.
- For the broth – salt and pepper are used generously to draw out each ingredient’s flavors. Also, beef broth is the liquid, and a little flour is used to thicken it.
How to Make Beef Stew
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1
Season the beef and coat with flour. Dry the beef cubes with a paper towel, season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Toss together. Then toss the beef in 2 Tablespoons of flour until the beef pieces are evenly coated.
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2
Brown the beef. Heat a Dutch Oven pot on medium heat for several minutes, add olive oil, and brown a batch of the beef pieces for about 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the meat will steam. Then transfer the beef onto a plate when finished. Do the rest of the beef in batches until finished, add more oil to the pan as needed in between browning.
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3
Sauté the vegetables, then the tomato paste. In the same pot you cooked the beef, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until soft (about 4-5 minutes) with a healthy pinch of salt. Then add the minced garlic for 1 minute. If the bottom of the pan is really dry, add a splash of beef broth to deglaze the bottom using your spoon to scrape up any bits. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes with the vegetables.
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4
Add remaining ingredients. Then add the browned beef and all the juices, cubed potatoes, thyme and rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder, a generous pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Stir everything together.
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5
Cover and braise. Cover the pot with a fitted lid, and roast for 90 minutes at 375F. When it’s finished, add the chopped parsley, taste, and season with additional salt & black pepper until the flavor is just right. Then serve!
One reader, George, made this: “A winner recipe! The sauce was silky and so flavorful, and the fresh herbs were totally worth it. A triumph, Bethany!” ★★★★★
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tablespoon cooking olive oil
- 1 3/4 to 2 pounds lbs chuck beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon flour you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, or gluten-free flour blend
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 carrots, stem removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 celery stalks, cut into chunks
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 medium-sized red or yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
- 5 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Season the beef and coat with flour. Dry the beef cubes with a paper towel, season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Toss together. Then toss the beef in 2 Tablespoons of flour until the beef pieces are evenly coated.
- Brown the beef cubes in batches. Heat a Dutch Oven pot on medium heat for several minutes, add olive oil, and brown a batch of the beef pieces for about 2 minutes on each side. Then transfer the beef onto a plate when finished. Do the rest of the beef in batches until finished, add more oil to the pan as needed in between browning.Note: be careful not to overcrowd the beef while it's browning in the pan or it will steam.
- Sauté the vegetables, then the tomato paste. In the same pot you cooked the beef, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until soft (about 4-5 minutes) with a healthy pinch of salt. Then add the minced garlic for 1 minute. If the bottom of the pan is really dry, add a splash of beef broth to deglaze the bottom using your spoon to scrape up any bits. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes with the vegetables.
- Add remaining ingredients. Then add the browned beef and all the juices, cubed potatoes, thyme and rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder, a generous pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Stir everything together.
- Cover and braise. Cover the pot with a fitted lid, bring it to a gentle simmer, then place the pot in the oven to braise for 90 minutes at 375°F. When it's finished, add the chopped parsley, taste, and season with additional salt & black pepper if needed. Then serve!
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve it With
Beef stew is quite a hearty meal all on its own. Because it’s so filling, you don’t need a lot of extra side dishes to pair it with. But there are a few things we like to serve it with to complete the meal. Such as…
Bread. This beef stew is almost always served in our house with homemade bread, whether Drew’s homemade sourdough or this rosemary garlic bread! You can also do a French baguette or Italian loaf.
Salad. We typically serve this alongside a bright salad such as this apple walnut salad, apple pomegranate salad, or this Greek chickpea salad.
Bethany, I’ve tried many many beef stew recipes and this by far was the BEST!! I followed the recipe exactly except I added a bit more flour as I like the liquid to be a little thicker. Also I don’t have a dutch oven so I used my stainless steel cookware.
Thanks!!
Rosanna
Sounds great. I have a question, I don’t have an oven. So would I cook everything in the Dutch oven? For how long? Or would it be better to use the Crock-Pot (after browning meat and veggies ? I’m guessing cook on low.
That was absolutely delicious. We had all the support ingredients so while my wife went to the store to buy the protein, I prepped everything else. Arranged everything mise en place on the countertop and a couple of hours later, she was off to the races. A little S&P needed at the end and wow! So great, thanks Bethany.
Absolutely delicious!! The stew was good too.
❤️😘🔥