How to Make Beef Stew on the Stovetop
When it’s a perfect stew day, this slow-cooking beef stew full of hearty flavors and nutrients hits the mark. Serve it with a slice of crusty bread and everyone will go to bed happy.
This recipe might be one of the best recipes that I’ve ever concocted, which means I am giddy about sharing it here on the blog.
The broth can be gulped down on its own, it is so full of flavor. And it also has nutrients that are perfect if you are feeling under the weather.
Pair the savory broth with the tender vegetables and chunks of beef and you will find yourself wanting this on a weekly basis during the cold months.
Why You’ll Love This Stove Top Beef Stew
- The best part about this easy beef stew recipe is that it’s a true one-pot meal! You start the meal on the stovetop, and move it into the oven to finish.
- My favorite way to make this is with homemade beef broth. If you have any bones, even from steak night, be sure to whip up some broth just for this stew!
- It’s almost as “set it and forget it” as any crockpot or pressure cooker beef stew recipe – but you’ll get a better flavor!
- The simple ingredients in the classic comfort food are likely already in your pantry, or are easily found at your local grocery store.
- It’s a well-balanced, deeply nutritious meal. Hearty vegetables, fresh herbs, and large pieces of beef chuck mean that each bowl covers each base.
Tell Me About This Classic Stovetop Beef Stew
- Taste – The roast beef, sweet carrots, tomatoes, and flavorful broth create an incredible taste!
- Texture – Stew meat cooks into fork-tender morsels, carrots add a soft crunch, and the thick gravy covers everything.
- Ease – There aren’t any fancy tricks to this slow simmer recipe! Cut vegetables, brown beef, and let the oven do the rest!
- Time – It takes a long time to cook a stew filled with tender beef, but once you have the meat browned and the vegetables chopped, the rest of the cook time is completely hands-off.
Ingredients For My Homemade Beef Stew
- Butter – This is for the important step of browning your tender chunks of beef. If you need to avoid dairy, feel free to use vegetable oil instead.
- Stew Meat – You can use different cuts of beef. Typical beef stew meat is chuck roast, because it cooks down into tender and flavorful bites.
- Flour – You’ll use flour, salt, and black pepper to help season and thicken your stew gravy. Any type of flour will do.
- Onion – Yellow onions taste sweetest when cooked down in this recipe.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves have the strongest flavor, but you can use already minced garlic as well.
- Tomato Sauce – The acidity of the tomatoes helps tenderize the beef, but the long simmering time dampens the harsh acidity by the time the stew is ready to eat. You can use tomato paste as well.
- Beef Broth – You can also use a thick beef bone stock to boost the nutrient density of the gravy.
- Carrots – If you’re in a time pinch, feel free to use baby carrots instead!
- Baby Potatoes – Baby potatoes, such as yukon gold or red potatoes, are sweeter than russet potatoes. They also hold their shape better when being cooked for hours at a time!
- Oregano
- Basil
Which Cut Of Beef To Use For Hearty Stew
When you buy a package of stew beef from the grocers, what you have is precut chuck roast.
Chuck roast is used because it has delicious marbling throughout that makes a flavorful and tender meat.
However, you can cut up your own stew meat from any type of roast, from bottom round roast to rump roast.
The “low and slow” cooking method helps soften any tougher cut of meat. Y
ou can also use oxtail in this recipe to make a delicious oxtail soup, which will be loaded with collagen!
How To Make This Delicious Classic Beef Stew Recipe
- Make the Mirepoix- This is a fancy way of staying “create the flavor base” of the soup. You do this by sautéing your spices and veggies in a fat source, such as butter, to create a flavorful base for your soup.
- Cook the Soup- Add in your beef, flour, and then the broth and put the soup in the oven on 300°F to cook slowly. This creates the most tender beef.
- Finish the Soup- An hour before you are ready to serve the stew, carefully add in the potatoes and carrots. Cook them for an hour longer and enjoy this with a delicious slice of crusty bread!
How To Thicken Beef Stew
One of my favorite things about cooking is that there are many different ways to achieve a similar result!
For example, the broth and tomato sauce in this easy recipe need to be thickened into a rich gravy.
I’ve provided one way to do that, but it’s not the only way!
- Flour Mixture – As described above, you’ll add a quarter cup of flour to the large pot before adding the broth. This flour will soak up the excess butter and juices from the meat, creating a sort of “shortcut roux” that will blend in nicely with the broth.
- Cornstarch – Keep back a little bit of the broth that you add to the pot, and mix cornstarch into it separately. Then, add this cornstarch slurry to the broth.
- Long Simmer – I end this recipe with an hour long uncovered simmer. However, if you simmer uncovered even longer, you’ll allow more liquid to evaporate, thereby thickening your stew.
What To Serve With A Hearty Beef Stew
- Dinner Rolls- These are great to dip in the delicious broth that is created with this healthy beef stew recipe.
- Sourdough SlicesHow to Make Healthy Sourdough French Bread Recipe– You will love dredging a crusty slice of sourdough in this stew. The savory from the stew and tang from the sourdough are perfection.
- Corn Bread- No stew is complete without a cut of sweet cornbread.
- Cheddar Chive Biscuits- Add a bit more flavor with these biscuits.
Add-Ins For A Flavorful Beef Stew
- Red Wine – Wine works great to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of your pot, and it adds a delicious flavor to the gravy of the stew.
- Bay Leaves – Add a bay leaf or two to the stew before it’s long simmer. Just be sure to remove them before serving! You’ll love the extra flavor.
- Root Vegetables – You already have carrots and potatoes. Why not add parsnips or turnips?
- Fresh Parsley – It adds a splash of color to the top of a brown stew. It’s peppery bitterness tastes great too.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Add a glug or two into your broth for an intense flavor!
Beef Stew on Stovetop Recipe
Beef Stew on the Stovetop
When it’s a perfect stew day, this slow-cooking beef stew full of hearty flavors and nutrients hits the mark. Serve it with a slice of crusty bread and everyone will go to bed happy.
Equipment
- 1 large stock pot
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 whole onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 8 cups beef broth
- 5 large carrots, peeled and cubed
- 1 pound baby potatoes, cubed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- In a large soup pot, melt the butter on medium heat.
- Add diced onion and garlic to the pot and allow onion to soften.
- Put the stew meat in the pot and allow the meat to brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle 1/4 flour over the meat, stir.
- Once the meat has browned on all sides, pour the broth and tomato sauce over the meat.
- Cook for 3 hours, covered in the preheated oven.
- After 3 hours, add the carrots, potatoes, and spices to the pot. Stir.
- Cook for 1 hour, uncovered in the oven. Enjoy!
