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Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

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OP One Pot CF Comfort Food

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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 filled with Beef Stew hovering over a Dutch oven.

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.

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.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6
Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.
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4.97 from 28 votes

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

  1. Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Cut any large pieces of stew meat into smaller bite-size pieces, if necessary.

  2. 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.

  3. Add additional oil to pan if needed and add 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.

  4. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 93mg
Sodium: 955mg
Potassium: 1425mg
Carbohydrates: 27g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 38g
Vitamin A: 5835%
Vitamin C: 26.2%
Calcium: 81%
Iron: 5.2%
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  2. Wendy says

    This stew was the best I have ever made and had incredible flavor.

    I did not have everything on hand but made some substitutes.

    I did not have marjoram but used oregano instead and left out the rosemary as I did not have it.

    I only had 1/4 of red wine but substituted beef broth in its place. I also used more beef broth than the recipe called for. I also used sweet potato for the potatoes.

    Thank you for writing this delicious recipe.

    Reply

  3. Jaiden Hamilton says

    Hey, I’m wanting to try this but my husband and I would like to have a lot of leftovers, how would this scale to a 20 qt stock pot?

    Reply

    • Valerie says

      Hi Jaiden. You can use the scaling feature on the recipe card to easily scale this recipe. I’m sure a 20-quart stockpot is plenty big enough to double the recipe.

      Reply

  4. Cathy says

    Has anyone ever made this without Worcestershire sauce? I don’t have any and was wondering if I could skip it. Have lots of good red wine to add! Looks great! I can’t wait!

    Reply

    • Liane Beland says

      Yes, I made it without the Worcestershire sauce. Not because I don’t have it but I forgot about it. I made a couple of minor substitutions, it was delicious. Go for it. Should have had some nice fresh bread or buns to dip into the juicy broth.

      Reply

  8. Peta says

    This stew can only be described as perfection. I have never tasted a stew as delicious as this. Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely be making this one on a regular basis.

    Reply

    • Kaitlyn Liu says

      Is it necessary to cut the meat into bite sized pieces before cooking it? I usually reason the meat, sear it, and then slow cook it in the broth u tol it is tender. What works best for you?

      Reply

      • Valerie says

        Hi Kaitlyn. We like our stew with chunks of beef. If you were to cook an entire chuck roast you would want to let it cook until it was tender enough to shred. This is just not the consistency I’m going for with beef stew and I also believe it would increase the cooking time.

        Reply

  9. Julie says

    Made this tonight and my husband and 3yr old loved it!! I did change the potatoes for sweet potatoes (husband hates potatoes) and I didn’t have peas so threw in okra which I browned before adding at the end. I also didn’t have marjoram so I threw one dash of sage which was perfect. I will be making this again because my husband asked if I bookmarked the recipe. So delicious

    Reply

  11. Abby says

    My husband has been raving about this stew all evening and I am in love with it, too! I used cut Brussels sprouts instead of peas and I added barley, which was a really nice texture variation and added nutrition. This will definitely become a staple winter stew in our house!

    Reply

  13. Angela says

    Decided to make beef stew but too late in the day for the slow cooker. Found this Wanted stovetop version and two and a half hours later we had the best beef stew I’ve ever made! I didn’t have marjoram on hand, and rather than using oregano I substituted with mustard powder. All the other ingredients were true to the recipe, including the wine. This stew is delicious, so much flavour! We all loved it! Will make again, for sure!

    Reply

  14. Lynn D says

    I have been making stew for nearly 40 years and thought I’d try a new recipe today (Don’t tell Mom). This is seriously the. best. stew. ever. I didn’t have wine on hand and it was still good with just broth. Next time I’ll try it with the wine.

    Reply

    • Natalie says

      So delicious! I didn’t have wine and I’m cooking for kids so I used a 1/4 of balsamic instead. It’s amazing!!!!hopefully there will be some left when they get home from school. 😉

      Reply

  16. Dawn says

    after trying so many recipes of stews and even making my own recipe, I have to say this is the tastiest one I’ve ever had. My husband and son are not a lover of stews but they thought this one was amazing! I stuck to the recipe, nothing else added or replaced. Definitely for keeps this one! Thank you! 😀 xx

    Reply

  18. Katie says

    I made this ahead of time for a cold weather camping trip and heated it up again over the fire. It was a HUGE hit! Best beef stew I’ve ever had. I’ll be making it again ?

    Reply

  22. B says

    Wow! Beef was on sale this week, and I thought of beef stew. But I wanted a stovetop recipe, not oven. A Google search turned up your recipe, and I decided to take a chance. This is fabulous! The only thing I changed was to omit the marjoram and rosemary (none in the house) and subbed dried basil instead. This is definitely a keeper. And now I’m off to check out the rest of your site… 🙂

    Reply

  23. Pat says

    Delicious Beef Stew!!! Made exactly by the recipe and served it over rice. I’ll definitely make this again and again! Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply

  24. Terry says

    I made this before we went camping. Took it to our gathering of friends. Everyone loved it . The men kept saying it was the best they ever had. Love it. Making it tonight. Setting in for a winter storm.

    Reply

  25. Judy says

    This stew is wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly, except I used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce since I had no paste. My family raved. I will definitely make again!

    Reply

  26. Yvonne says

    This is a delicious stew! I didn’t have beef broth or red wine. I used vegetable broth and 2 bullion cubes. I think I followed the recipe other than that. I didn’t thicken it as I wanted to have thinner “soup” vs “stew”. It was Y U M M Y! Definitely a keeper and a do again recipe!!

    Reply

  27. Lara says

    HANDS DOWN THE BEST BEEF STEW EVER! I am kind of new to cooking but this turned out absolutely delicious. You will never need to look for another beef stew recipe after you make this one.

    Reply

  28. Abigail Gagne says

    I have made many Beef Stew recipes in that past. This is by far the best one. I think the cornstarch was a great addition to make a thick consistency to this stew. Even my husband said this was the best stew I made. Thank you?

    Reply

  29. Ryan says

    I’m wondering how this can be modified for an Instant Pot? Looking to have a comfort meal to enjoy as this cold weather starts to set in.

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  30. Mary says

    Hands down BEST beef stew recipe ever. My husband said “book mark this one”. I used a whole box of the Campbell’s beef broth with red wine already in it and turned out perfectly. Making my second pot now in two weeks. Recipe left as is besides that!

    Reply

  31. Deb says

    This was a great recipe because it leaves room for minor seasoning/flavor changes, but the outcome is perfect stew! I added red cabbage because I need more veggie servings in my diet and I try to eat the rainbow, as they say. I added it during the last 15 or so minutes of cooking time, before the cornstarch addition. I also used fingerling potatoes and it all turned out just as I had hoped. I also used a Tempranillo red wine because it was the only red I had, and it was tasty. I’ll try the others when I make another batch!

    Reply

  32. Steve says

    Excellent recipe; I added mushrooms and bell peppers, in place of the peas.
    With 15 minutes remaining, I enclosed the stew in shortcrust pastry, then oven-baked for a futher 30 minutes.
    I served with home pickled beetroot and sweet piccalilli… and a glass of red wine.
    Comfort food at it’s best!

    Reply

  33. Stephen Lynch says

    Excellent recipe; I added mushrooms and bell peppers, in place of the peas.
    With 15 minutes remaining, I enclosed the stew in shortcrust pastry, then oven-baked for a futher 30 minutes.
    I served with home pickled beetroot and sweet piccalilli… and a glass of red wine.
    Comfort food at it’s best!

    Reply

    • Judi says

      Stephen Lynch, how did you make the pastry to bake stew in? Would love to give that a try!

      Valerie – looking forward to making this stew for my family tomorrow night. It’s going to be a perfect dinner for tomorrow’s freezing temps!

      Reply

  35. Christine @ myblissfulmess says

    This was amazingly good! I don’t measure things like dried herbs and salt & pepper. I just add them to taste. I probably added more than is listed in the recipe, but that’s ok! It was a perfect rainy day dinner with hot yummy rolls!

    Reply

  36. Bill says

    Made it last night, very good will definitely make it again. I added more broth and it took a little longer from start to finish about 3.5 hrs. But well worth it

    Reply

  37. Gord says

    This was a great recipe for a Sunday afternoon in the fall. Spices were perfectly balanced. I added 1/2 cup more broth because I knew there’d be lots of bread dippin’. Served with French bread with butter. It was the perfect comfort food while watching football. 10/10 will make again… soon!!

    Reply

  38. Denise Belangia says

    Made this tonight. It was wonderful, I did ad a little more broth. I wish I had added more wine. Will make again for sure.

    Reply

  39. Jean Maria Vine says

    I usually cook casseroles in the oven but now want to do them on the hob. When cooking a beef stew I like to add suet dumplings near the end of the cook time. My question is can I still cook dumplings in the stew with the hob method.

    Reply

    • Valerie says

      Hi Reagan. I assume you mean that the stew was too thick and you’d like a thinner consistency. If this is the case, go ahead and add as much additional broth as you’d like.

      Reply

    • Valerie says

      Hi Marsha. There is no corn in the recipe but maybe you are referring to the peas? They are added at the end – take a look at the end of the directions on the recipe card.

      Reply

  42. Heather says

    I will be serving this to my kids who are not old enough for wine.
    What can I replace the wine with or is it safe to use wine in this recipe ?

    Reply

    • Valerie says

      Hi Heather. Much of the alcohol cooks off when the wine is brought to a boil however, you can absolutely just replace it with additional beef broth if you’d like. I love the flavor that wine imparts to the recipe but it will be delicious either way.

      Reply

      • Valerie says

        This recipe was specifically written and tested for the stovetop method. You can incorporate elements of this recipe and adapt it for the slow cooker method but I’d recommend searching for another recipe for the details on cook time, etc.

        Reply

  43. Allison says

    I’m not normally one for stews or casseroles but your pictures looked good so I gave it a try. I was blown away! We loved it! The flavors in the broth, the tender beef- it was all delicious! I’m already planning on making it again. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  44. Nicole says

    I always feel discouraged when I see a recipe that requires wine. I am clueless about cooking with alcohol. Are there certain brands I should use? Or is Barefoot or Beringer ok?

    Reply

    • Valerie says

      Hi Nicole. If you are not a wine drinker you can substitute with additional beef broth but you won’t get the same depth of flavor in the finished dish. If you do want to purchase a bottle, go with one of the varietals I listed in the recipe card. You don’t need a super expensive bottle of wine so something in the lower to medium price range is going to work just fine. And, yes, Barefoot or Beringer will do the trick!

      Reply

    • Tracy says

      This looks amazing! Looking for meals my hubs can re-heat in an oven while hunting. Do you think this would freeze well and be reheated in an oven?

      Reply

      • Valerie says

        My favorite way to freeze soups and stew is to ladle the cooled recipe into gallon size freezer-safe plastic storage bags. Press out as much air as you can, seal, and label the bags with the date. You might find that the veggies are a bit softer on the reheat but it should be just fine. I would recommend using it within 3 months for the best result. Also, sometimes when you use a thickener like flour or cornstarch it can separate when you freeze and reheat so you might need to add a touch more broth or water mixed with a little cornstarch if it needs additional thickening.

        Reply

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