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Home » Main Dish » Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

By Valerie · March 23, 2019 · Updated February 12, 2020 196 Comments

OP One Pot MD Main Dish
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Tender chunks of beef, vibrant veggies, and creamy potatoes all cook together in a deliciously seasoned sauce in one pot on the stove. This Classic Stovetop Beef Stew is a recipe that never goes out of style.

A ladle scoops up beef stew from a pot.

Everyone should have a solid beef stew recipe in their collection and this one is mine. It is astounding to me that I’ve been at this blog for nearly 8 years now and I have not shared this recipe with you until today.

I think it’s just one of those things like putting on your shoes every day. You do it all the time but never think to tell anyone about it. Well, this rustic stew is as lovely as my loveliest pair of shoes and it absolutely deserves it’s turn in the spotlight so here we go!

An over the top shot of a Dutch oven filled with Classic Stovetop Beef Stew.

There are so many methods out there for creating beef stew but I believe it’s important to start at the beginning and learn to make a classic beef stew the old-fashioned way. Cooked slowly in one pot on the stove until the sauce is rich and thick and the beef and veggies are fork tender.

If you’ve tried my Instant Pot Pot Roast you know I do something a bit unique with the seasonings which makes a huge difference in the result. I do something similar in this recipe.

The Ingredients in Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

A close-up, over the top shot of Classic Stovetop Beef Stew in a Dutch oven.

The ingredients are the usual suspects – beef chuck roast, baby potatoes, celery, carrots, frozen peas, onion, garlic, and a little fresh Italian parsley. You’ll also need a few dry seasonings (detailed below).

Pick up the beef chuck packaged as “beef for stew” to save yourself the time and effort of trimming and cutting up a whole roast. I still find I need to cut some of the larger pieces down to be bite-sized, but let the butchers do the hard part.

The rest of the prep is minimal and once you get it going, the process is mostly hands-free.

How to Make Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

The first step is what makes this recipe unique and ensures a fabulous result. A delicious assortment of dry seasonings are combined to create a mixture that is added in layers to the stew. First to the chunks of beef as they are browned and later to the sauce before it all simmers together.

Seasoning Mix ingredients on a white plate with text overlay.

The seasonings are simple and include rosemary, thyme, marjoram, paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. This mixture adds a flavor component to the stew that takes me home! In addition to adding flavor, the paprika does a nice job of adding rich color to the stew.

The sauce starts with a little tomato paste, low-sodium beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and a bay leaf. It’s thickened at the end of the cooking process with a simple cornstarch/water slurry into a luscious gravy-like sauce for the beef and veggies.

You’ll want to serve the stew with French bread for dipping.

Beef Stew in a white serving bowl with sliced French bread in the background.

The beef stew requires about two hours of simmer time which is the reason why recipes like this are a Sunday supper tradition.

I can’t think of a more perfect choice for a comforting meal before the start of a new week.

A ladle filled with beef stew hovering over a Dutch oven with overlay title text.

A closeup of beef stew in a pot.

Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

Tender chunks of beef, vibrant veggies, and creamy potatoes all cook together in a deliciously seasoned sauce in one pot on the stove. This Classic Stovetop Beef Stew is a recipe that never goes out of style.
4.95 from 130 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

Beef Stew Seasoning Mix

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Beef Stew

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional as needed
  • 2 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup medium to full-bodied red wine (like Cabernet, Zinfandel, or Merlot)
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pound baby yellow or red potatoes, or a combination of both, halved or quartered
  • 3 or 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas, no need to thaw
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Cut any large pieces of stew meat into smaller bite-size pieces, if necessary.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add about half of the meat to the pan, or as much as you can without overcrowding the pan. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture over the meat and sauté the beef until nicely browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a dish and set aside. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding additional oil if needed, and seasoning with 2 more teaspoons of the spice mixture. Reserve remaining spice mixture for later.
  • Add additional oil to pan if needed and add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Add the red wine and increase the heat under the pot to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, remaining spice mix and the bay leaf. Add the beef and all the juices that have accumulated back to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.
  • Add the potatoes and carrots and raise the heat under the pot to bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to LOW, cover and simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes until the veggies are fork tender. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley. Combine the water and cornstarch in a measuring cup or small bowl and stir it into the beef stew. Continue cooking, uncovered, until thickened.
  • Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Follow as directed above to create the seasoning mix and brown the beef in batches, transferring the browned beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.
  • Add additional oil to the pan if needed and add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Add the red wine and stir well. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker with the beef.
  • Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots, remaining spice mix and the bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or until the beef and veggies are fork tender.
  • About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the frozen peas. Combine the water and cornstarch in a measuring cup or small bowl and stir it into the beef stew. Cover and continue cooking for the remaining 30 minutes or until thickened. If stew does not thicken to your liking, stir in an additional 1 tablespoon cornstarch combined with 1 tablespoon water and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken a bit more.
  • Discard the bay leaf and stir in the parsley before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 1425mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5835IU | Vitamin C: 26.2mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5.2mg
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Categories: Beef, Main Dish, One Pot, Soups, Stews, and Chilis

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Viviana says

    February 21, 2021 at 7:28 pm

    5 stars
    This stew was delicious! I made it exactly like the recipe states. I didn’t have a Dutch oven but still worked out in a regular pot.

    Reply
  2. Mary says

    February 21, 2021 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    Wow!!! This is my FAVORITE beef stew recipe of all time! Whenever I make this, I make a double batch and it’s gone ever so quickly! The blend of spices is just perfect My entire family loves this beef stew.

    I’ve already made this beef stew several times this winter……

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for this phenomenal comfort food recipe.

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    February 20, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    I think this is the best stew recipe I’ve made. My family loves it too. The meat comes out really soft, and the flavor is very rich and nuanced. I’ve made it both with slow cooker and on the stove top. When I did it on the stove top, I misread the instructions and left it only partially covered – which was a mistake because it reduced the amount of broth too much, so remember to cover it fully!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 23, 2021 at 5:20 pm

      Hi Anne. If you ever find there isn’t enough sauce for your liking, just add additional broth at the end. I’ve done this frequently. Glad you loved the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  4. Anne says

    February 19, 2021 at 7:05 am

    Today, this recipe will be my “maiden voyage” with my new Le Creuset Dutch oven. The present weather here is frightfully snowy-icy so I’ll not venture out to food shop; therefore I need your help. I am out of both beef and vegetable broth, and my cornstarch is six months out-of-date. Please advise. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 19, 2021 at 9:25 am

      Hello, Anne. We are just beginning to thaw out from a severe ice storm here in Oregon so I have so much sympathy for your situation. I made this stew last night – one of the first meals I cooked with the lights on after 3 days with no power.

      Broth is a vital component to stew but I did find this article which might be of help – Quick and Simple Broth Substitutes and Tips. The good news is that cornstarch doesn’t lose potency and once mixed with liquid, it should work just fine. Wet or moldy cornstarch should be tossed immediately but if it has been stored properly, you should be in good shape.

      Best of luck and I hope your weather improves very soon!

      Reply
  5. Sue F says

    February 18, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    Been married 43 yrs and never made beef stew before! Tried this exactly as instructed and it was delicious! Perfect during this Texas record breaking ice storm!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 19, 2021 at 9:29 am

      Hi Sue. You are in Texas? Oh, you dear thing! I’m so happy the stew worked out well for you. We are just thawing out from an unusually severe ice storm here in Oregon and I’ve been holding Texas in my thoughts. This stew was on our menu last night too and it is really the perfect cold weather comfort food. I hope things improve quickly for you there and thanks so much for your comment 🙂

      Reply
  6. Lina says

    February 18, 2021 at 6:14 am

    5 stars
    DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I made the beef stew on the stove, since I was home and had time! My new favorite recipe!! Will definitely make it again! I didn’t use the seasoning mix you listed, because my son made me his “special, spicy (slightly) rub; so I dredged the meat in a mixture of that rub & flour. I forgot to add Worcestershire sauce and didn’t have celery, but it was very good despite that! I used my own homemade veggie broth instead of beef broth, but it was a hit with my family; nice & thick & absolutely YUMMY! I made cornbread! SOOOO GOOD!!

    Reply
  7. Karen says

    February 16, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious lots of flavor and hearty, I didn’t follow directions completely, to save on cooking time added carrots and potatoes after adding broth

    Reply
  8. Jack says

    February 15, 2021 at 7:49 pm

    5 stars
    After making your Blackened Mahi Mahi 2 times and loving it, I thought I would browse your other recipes. I’m not a big soup or stew person but this looked rich an delicious. The peas caught my eye oddly enough. I made this tonight and it is among the best beef stews I’ve had – reminds me of something I’d get in Ireland or France. It tastes like real food, not over-processed, and there is a depth to the dish. Both the Marjoram and red wine contribute depth in my opinionl.

    My costco was out of stew meet so I used sirloin which doesn’t hurt. Otherwise I made this to the recipe.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 18, 2021 at 1:49 pm

      What a wonderful compliment, Jack. Thank you 🙂 The mahi mahi and this stew are definitely two of my favorites so you made solid choices. I find most other stew recipes are under-seasoned and rely too much on salt and pepper alone for flavor. And, wine never hurts! I think this would be amazing with sirloin. I hope you browse and find some other recipes to try!

      Reply
  9. Amy says

    February 7, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    Made this on a whim.. didn’t have any red wine so I didn’t add it, used an additional cup of broth instead. Also didn’t have any parsley .. it turned out amazing! Everyone loved it.

    Reply
  10. Missy says

    February 1, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    First taste was okay–thought there wasn’t a whole lot of flavor and it was on the watery side. I used chianti since that was the only type of wine I had and also thought that might be contributing to the blah. Tonight I had the leftovers and the flavor leapt to surprising heights. It was classic comfort food for a snowy Boston night–it was very rich and deep in flavor, really outstanding and I can’t wait to have it again tomorrow. Next time, I’d probably make it the day before I planned to eat it given the overnight magic.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 2, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      While I’ve never found this stew to be even slightly under seasoned, I do think the leftovers are delicious. I’m glad it ended up working out for you!

      Reply
  11. Samantha says

    February 1, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    Do you have an instant pot version of this?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 2, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      Yep! Here you go –> Instant Pot Beef Stew.

      Reply
  12. Julie says

    January 26, 2021 at 7:07 am

    Can you use red cooking wine? Also, I only have regular beef broth on hand so should I just leave out sea salt?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      January 27, 2021 at 11:58 am

      I don’t recommend using a “cooking wine”. For recipes like this you want to use a wine that you would drink for the best flavor. If you are not a wine drinker, I would just replace the wine with additional beef broth. You may end up wanting to reduce the amount of salt with regular broth so try cutting it in half and add additional at the end if you feel it needs it.

      Reply
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