Classic Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
Beef stew made the slow way with chuck roast, red wine, carrots, and potatoes simmered in one pot until fork-tender. About 3 1/2 hours, mostly hands-off.
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Beef stew is a Sunday project, and I’ve stopped pretending otherwise. Chunks of chuck roast get seared hard, then simmer in red wine and beef broth for two full hours before the carrots and potatoes go in, and by the end the meat falls apart against a spoon. It takes about 3 1/2 hours, most of it the pot doing its thing while you do yours.
Chuck roast is the whole reason this works. It’s a hard-working shoulder muscle laced with collagen, and long, gentle heat melts that collagen into gelatin, which is why a cheap cut ends up tender while a pricier sirloin turns to shoe leather in the same pot. Rushing the simmer is the number one way people end up with tough stew meat.
Browning the beef in batches is the other thing worth your time. Crowded meat steams and stays gray, and gray beef makes gray stew. Three batches, four or five minutes each, and the bottom of the pot builds a dark crust that becomes the backbone of the gravy the second the wine hits it.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Stew Recipe
- Fall-apart tender beef. Two hours of gentle simmering breaks down the collagen in chuck roast into something silky.
- One pot, one Dutch oven. Searing, simmering, and the vegetables all happen in the same pot from start to finish.
- A gravy with real depth. Red wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire build a sauce that tastes like it simmered all day, because it did.
- Better the next day. The flavors settle overnight, which makes this one of the best make-ahead dinners there is.
Beef Stew Ingredients
Buy a whole chuck roast and cut it yourself instead of grabbing the packages labeled stew meat. Pre-cut stew meat is usually trimmings from several different cuts, so some pieces turn tender at two hours and others never do.
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Crusty bread, for serving
Recipe Variations
- Leave out the wine and use 5 1/2 cups beef broth total plus an extra teaspoon of Worcestershire. You’ll lose a little acidity, so finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar to make up for it.
- Add 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms with the carrots for a deeper, earthier stew.
- Swap the baby potatoes for 1 1/2 pounds of peeled Yukon Golds cut into 1-inch chunks; they break down a little more and thicken the gravy on their own.
How to Make Beef Stew
- Season and sear the beef: Pat the beef cubes very dry and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in 3 batches, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch, turning once, until each piece has a deep brown crust. Transfer to a plate as you go.
- Soften the onion and garlic: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot along with the onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and picking up color from the browned bits underneath, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Bloom the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens from bright red to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp. This step is small and it makes a real difference in the finished gravy.
- Stir in the flour: Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the raw taste. It will look like a thick paste, which is exactly right.
- Deglaze with the wine: Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until every browned bit lifts. Let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes to cook off the sharp alcohol edge.
- Simmer low and slow: Return the beef and any juices to the pot with the beef broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours. The beef passes the USDA-safe 145°F within the first few minutes, so from here you’re cooking for tenderness, not safety.
- Add the vegetables: Stir in the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover and simmer for another 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the beef pulls apart when you press it with a fork.
- Finish and serve: Uncover and simmer 5 minutes more if the gravy is thinner than you’d like. Fish out the bay leaves, taste for salt, and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and pass crusty bread at the table for soaking up the gravy.
Recipe FAQs
Why Is My Stew Meat Still Tough After 3 Hours?
It needs longer, not shorter. Tough usually means the collagen hasn’t finished breaking down, so cover it and give it another 20 to 30 minutes at a gentle simmer. A hard boil actually makes it worse by squeezing moisture out of the muscle fibers.
What Cut of Beef Is Best for Stew?
Chuck roast, without much competition. It has the marbling and connective tissue that turn silky over long heat. Bottom round and rump work in a pinch but stay leaner and drier. Avoid sirloin and other quick-cooking cuts.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?
Yes. Do the searing, onion, tomato paste, flour, and wine steps on the stovetop, then move everything to a slow cooker with the broth and seasonings. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours, adding the vegetables for the last 3 hours so they don’t turn to mush.
How Do I Thicken Beef Stew That Came out Too Thin?
Simmer it uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce it. If it’s still loose, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water, stir that in, and simmer 2 minutes.
Can I Make It a Day Ahead?
This is one of the few dinners that genuinely improves overnight. Cool it, refrigerate it, and reheat gently the next day. The gravy thickens in the fridge, so stir in a splash of broth as it warms.
Cooking Tips
- Dry the beef with paper towels before it hits the pan. Wet meat steams instead of browning, and you can’t get that crust back once you’ve lost it.
- Keep the simmer at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil. Hard boiling tightens the muscle fibers and squeezes out moisture, which is why aggressively cooked stew meat turns stringy.
- Hold the potatoes and carrots until the last 40 minutes. Adding them at the start means they’ll be falling apart by the time the beef is ready.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep the stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The gravy sets up thick when it’s cold, which is normal.
To freeze: Freezes well for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Be honest about the potatoes, though: they soften and turn a little grainy after thawing. Freeze the stew before adding potatoes and stir in fresh ones at reheat if that bothers you.
To reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, with a splash of beef broth to loosen the gravy. A microwave works for single bowls in 1-minute bursts.
How to Serve Beef Stew
Beef stew wants something to mop the bowl with, and warm crusty bread is the move. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette balances all that richness, and roasted green beans fill out the table if you’re feeding a crowd. Our Classic Meatloaf lands in the same comfort-food category if you’re building a cold-weather rotation.
Loved This Recipe?
Beef stew asks for an afternoon and gives back a pot of fall-apart beef and gravy that tastes even better on day two.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Classic Beef Stew with Carrots and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tsp salt divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 large carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 stalks celery cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes halved
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Season and sear the beef: Pat the beef cubes very dry and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in 3 batches, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch, turning once, until each piece has a deep brown crust. Transfer to a plate as you go.
- Soften the onion and garlic: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot along with the onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and picking up color from the browned bits underneath, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Bloom the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens from bright red to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp. This step is small and it makes a real difference in the finished gravy.
- Stir in the flour: Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the raw taste. It will look like a thick paste, which is exactly right.
- Deglaze with the wine: Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until every browned bit lifts. Let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes to cook off the sharp alcohol edge.
- Simmer low and slow: Return the beef and any juices to the pot with the beef broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours. The beef passes the USDA-safe 145°F within the first few minutes, so from here you’re cooking for tenderness, not safety.
- Add the vegetables: Stir in the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover and simmer for another 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the beef pulls apart when you press it with a fork.
- Finish and serve: Uncover and simmer 5 minutes more if the gravy is thinner than you’d like. Fish out the bay leaves, taste for salt, and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and pass crusty bread at the table for soaking up the gravy.
