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.
I used Chicken Broth instead of beef broth and included 1 cup of red wine for the liquid, and Worcestershire sauce. Seasoned my one pound of beef and veggies well with kosher salt, pepper, garlic, and granulated onion. Unfortunately I didn’t have any herbs in the house.
Otherwise followed the recipe (you tube video) exactly. The stew baked in the oven for approximately 2 and 3/4 hours because I forgot about it. THE BEST BEEF STEW I HAVE EVER EATEN.
Dear Bethany – I was desperately looking for a beef stew recipe that had flavors without the use of exotic ingredients. I came across your recipe. I was impressed by your description on Youtube, and I sought out opportunity to try it. The additional ingredient I added was fresh mushrooms. At first, I thought, uh oh, I had added too much herb and my wife will complain. Wow, but when served, it was PERFECT! My wife didn’t say anything because she didn’t have to as she had gone back for more. Same with my son. He had three helpings. We have leftovers and we’ll have that tonight. Perfect comfort food for cold weather (northern Illinois). I completely recommend this!
Bill, that means so much to hear! I appreciate you sharing how this turned out and I’m thrilled the family approved of it too☺️ I hope the leftovers were just as delicious! Thank you so much!
Another great one! So good the next day all that goodness marinates together! Paired with pinot noir a great winter dish! Thanks cant wait for another batch!
Yes! recipes like this really are so great after the flavors have sat and marinated more. Pinot noir would be my choice for this too 🙂 love to hear it! Thanks so much, Ron!
Hello, I am new to cooking. Could you please tell me how large your Dutch Oven is (# of quarts)? My Dutch Oven is 7 Qts and I hope it is large enough. If it is not, could you point out what I could do to reduce the receipe so that I can use my Dutch Oven without buying an other one? Money is a little tight in my household. Thank you, Scott
Hi Scott, 7 Quart is perfect! My green one in the video is a 7 quart 🙂 my blue is a 5.5 and I find it’s good for every day but the 7 Q is great for bigger quantities. So yes use what you have!
If I can only use the stove top instead of braising in oven, what would you recommend?
I’d cover it on a low simmer for about 2 hours. Check on the liquid here and there, see how tender the meat is at the 2 hour mark. 🙂
This beef stew is the best I’ve ever had. I haven’t made stew in years, but when I did, it was similar to yours. Yours added the worstershire, the herbs and garlic and onion powder. They’re small differences, but make all the difference between a good beef stew and a stellar beef stew. I just finished it for dinner tonight and it was so good, I want seconds. I won’t because I’m full on one serving.
What I would do differently next time, is I would prep everything before beginning. I found I was floundering and dropping things trying to keep up. You make it look so easy to prep as you go along. I, on the other hand, am frazzled.
I’ve made several of your recipes and each one is top notch. I’m so glad I found you while scrolling around on UTube. I watch you frequently. My granddaughter and I have made your San Marzano sauce and your meatballs several times.
I’m going to visit my son and his girlfriend in NJ in January. I’m making several of your recipes while I’m there. Anyway, thank you for sharing your recipes.
A winner recipe! Prepping the chuck roast as indicated is key so the meat and vegetables are perfectly cooked in the time allotted. I confess to using wine and tomatoes so my wife would not detect that I had used a new recipe. The sauce was silky and so flavorful, and the fresh herbs were totally worth it. A triumph, Bethany!
Thank you so much for sharing, George!! I truly appreciate the feedback and love the addition of wine and tomatoes. Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing about it being a different recipe🤭
Would this recipe change much if I cooked it in a crock pot? I would obviously need to sear the beef in a skillet. This lloks wonderful and can’t wait to try it. Thanks
Hi Craig, I would think you’d need a little bit more time since it won’t get as hot as the Dutch oven. Put the crock pot oh high and then once the potatoes are fork tender and the meat is able to be shredded with a fork, you’re good to go. I’d say around 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high!
Tried this recipe and it turned out sooo delicious! Take your time making it. Don’t crowd the floured cubed meat when searing cooking only enough beef to cover the surface of your Dutch oven. This will ensure that it is being seared evenly. Once first batch of beef are seared remove beef placing on a plate. Repeat process until all beef cubes are done. I used a little less salt than what the recipe calls for only because I need to reduce my salt intake. I will definitely come back to this recipe. Remember to use the suggested cut of beef (chuck).
This is the best beef stew I have ever come across, and it’s so easy to make ahead for those busy week nights. I used venison (cubed) instead of beef, added the parsley with all the other herbs, and used Lawry’s seasoned salt instead of regular salt. I froze it in a vacuum seal bag and reheated it by boiling the bag (the vacuum seal bags were made for boiling!). I got SO many compliments. Can’t recommend this recipe enough!
Making this and it smells delicious already!!! You always have the absolute best recipes! 🙂
you’re so sweet, Jenn! Thank you for sharing:)