Easy Stovetop Beef Stew

Easy Stovetop Beef Stew with melt-in-your-mouth beef tips, tender veggies, and a rich red wine beef broth. The ultimate comfort food that will warm up any cold day.

Recipe inspired by Joyous Apron

What You’ll Love About Easy Stovetop Beef Stew:

You are absolutely in the right place if you came looking for a cozy and comforting stew. This Easy Stovetop Beef Stew cooks low and slow making the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender, with lots of veggies, and the most incredible rich broth.

When I was growing up my mom made beef stew often for our after-church supper. She’d make biscuits or simple buttered bread. It was the best! This stew transports me back to my childhood and feels like the biggest hug from mom.

This recipe is very easy. Just a few items to prep but everything happens in one pot over the stove. You can customize the veggies with your favorites or leave in the classics. So yummy!

For a crockpot version try my Slow Cooker Beef Stew. A traditional beef stew slow cooked for hours and perfect any night of the week.

Simple Ingredients:

• Olive oil- You’ll need a little oil to help sear the beef.
• Beef- I like to buy stew meat already trimmed and cut to make my life easier.
• Onions and garlic- Onions are essential in a classic beef stew. I like to smash the garlic for just a touch of garlic flavor.
• Canned tomatoes- Whole tomatoes offer a rich flavor.
• Beef broth and wine- This combination in beef stew adds depth of flavor and richness.
• Veggies- Carrots, baby potatoes, and celery.
• Seasonings- Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf.
• Corn starch- You’ll need this to thicken the stew.

Substitutions and Add-Ins:

How To Make Easy Stovetop Beef Stew:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot to medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add oil to the pot and cook beef cubes until golden brown on all sides.

Step Two. Add onions and sauté until softened then add garlic, beef broth, wine, seasonings, and bay leaf. Simmer on medium-low for 1 1/2 hours.

Step Three. Stir in canned tomatoes and use kitchen scissors to cut tomatoes in half, then add carrots, potatoes, and celery. Simmer for 45-minutes to an hour. Meat should be fall-apart tender. Mix water with corn starch and slow pour into the stew. Cook another 10-15 minutes. The stew should be thick.

Important Tips:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Irish Beef Stew
• Pot Roast Stew with Beef Barley
• Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Easy Stovetop Beef Stew

Easy Stovetop Beef Stew with melt-in-your-mouth beef tips, tender veggies, and a rich, red wine beef broth. The ultimate comfort food that will warm up any cold day.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 524kcal

Equipment

• 1 6 Qt Dutch oven or soup pot with fitted lid

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lbs stew meat such as chuck roast cut in 1-inch pieces, fat trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups quality beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine, such as cabernet or merlot
• 1 (30) ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick
• 1 lb baby yellow potatoes, left whole if bite size or cut in half
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar optional and only if broth is too acidic
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp water
• fresh or dried parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or soup pot to medium high heat. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and add half of the beef chunks to pot. Sear on all sides until deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate and sear the remaining beef.
• Add the beef from the plate with the juices back to the pot and stir in onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add in smashed garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Using your spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot. Turn heat up to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Note: If the liquid gets too low add 1/2 cup water.
• After the cooking time add canned tomatoes and use kitchen shears to cut whole tomatoes in half. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Turn the heat up to high to bring the liquid back to a boil, place the lid on and turn heat down to low and cook another 45-minututes to 1-hour. Meat should be fall apart tender and veggies cooked.
• Once meat is tender, combine corn starch and 3 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Slow add this to the stew. Continue to stir and cook 10-15 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper as needed and garnish with fresh or dried parsley.

Notes

Important Tips:

 

• Beef should be bite size pieces- To ensure the meat has a chance to become tender within the cooking time make sure the beef pieces are no larger than 1-inch chunks.
• Cook meat in batches- When searing the beef add just a few pieces at a time to make sure the beef has a chance to brown. I usually do this step in two batches.
• Add water as needed- While the meat cooks during the first step you may need to add more water as the liquid will evaporate some. I only needed to add 1/2 cup of water during the 1 1/2 hour cooking time.
• Add brown sugar if your broth is too acidic- Depending on the type of canned tomatoes you use the broth can be a bit acidic. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and this will balance out the flavor.
• Mix corn starch first- Make sure to add cold water to your corn starch and mix until smooth before adding it to the stew. If you add plain corn starch to the hot liquid it will clump.
• Cook low and slow- Stew meat needs a low and slow cooking time to become tender. If your meat is still tough after the second cooking time, it needs more time. Make sure heat is set to medium-low during the cooking process.

 

Substitutions and Add-Ins- 

 

• Canned tomatoes- You can also use canned diced tomatoes or even crushed tomatoes.
• Wine- If you don’t have red wine or don’t want to use it, substitute with more beef broth.
• Veggies- Add other veggies like sweet potatoes, green beans, or peas.
• Seasonings- Other dried herbs that work well in this stew is rosemary, thyme and oregano.

 

Common Questions- 

 

What kind of meat is best for stew?

Chuck roast meat is the absolute best for stew. I like to buy the pre-trimmed and cut stew meat pieces for easy prep. You can also use a bottom round roast for stew.

What goes well with stew?

My absolute favorite is baking a batch of biscuits or dinner rolls. Crusty bread is also great for sopping up the rich broth.

How long does stew last in the refrigerator?

Beef stew will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze beef stew?

Yes! I love to freeze the leftovers in individual freezer containers to pack up for lunch. Frozen stew is best eaten after 3-4 months.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 1582mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4324IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 7mg

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