Best Beef Stew
As the weather cools I crave comfort food meals like a bowl of this traditional beef stew. It boasts tender chunks of prime chuck roast simmered with hearty Yukon gold potatoes, vibrant carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a richly flavored gravy. Adding peas at the end provides a burst of color and a hint of sweetness to this classic, comforting dish. More beef stew recipes you may also love are this Beef Stew with Pumpkin, Mexican Beef Stew, and my Colombian beef stew, Carne Guisada. I also converted this recipe to this Slow Cooker Beef Stew if you’re looking for a crock pot beef stew instead.
Classic Beef Stew Ingredients
Broth: You’ll need three cups of low-sodium beef broth. Flour: Use all purpose flour or gluten-free flour to thicken the stew. A cornstarch slurry would also work, but I prefer flour. Tomato Paste adds a rich flavor. Salt and Pepper to season the stew Beef Stew Meat: I prefer prime beef, which is higher quality than choice or select beef. Start with a three-pound boneless beef chuck roast. Once you trim the fat and cut it into one-inch cubes, you should have about two and a half pounds. Potatoes: Peel and dice Yukon gold potatoes into one-inch pieces. Russet potatoes or red potatoes would also work. Carrots: Slice three to four medium carrots into half-inch thick diagonal pieces. Celery: Chop three celery ribs. Onion: Cut one medium onion into half-inch pieces. Mushrooms: Clean and quarter four ounces of white button mushrooms. Herbs: Use three sprigs of fresh thyme and two bay leaves. Peas: Add a half cup of frozen peas at the end.
How to Make Beef Stew
Variations
Slow Cooker: You can make this in the slow cooker with some modifications, see my crockpot beef stew recipe here. Add different veggies: Try sweet potatoes or parsnips in place of the potatoes.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
Beef stew with potatoes is a filling meal on its own. If you want to serve it with something, here are a few ideas:
Crusty bread to soak up the thick broth A simple salad, like this one with romaine A green veggie, like Brussels sprouts or roasted broccoli
How to make the most tender stew?
Making the most tender stew involves several techniques and considerations, both in the choice of ingredients and in the cooking process:
Storage and Freezer
This easy beef stew is perfect for meal prep since it makes so much. Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days. It’s also freezes wonderfully. Store it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and warm on the stove or microwave.
More Stew Recipes You’ll Love
Beef and Kabocha Squash Stew Paprika Chicken Stew Slow Cooker Chickpea Sweet Potato Stew Slow Cooker Pork and Gandules (Pigeon Peas) Stew Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew