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Home » Main Dish » Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

Classic Stovetop Beef Stew

By Valerie · March 23, 2019 · Updated February 12, 2020 172 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.
4.97 from 106 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. Ruth says

    December 29, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic! Made the kitchen smell heavenly! I’ve made this a few times now and it is so easy and delicious. I added a small can of V8 for a bit more juice. Everyone raved about the stew. You can’t go wrong.

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      January 1, 2021 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious, and will be my go-to recipe from now on! Perfect thickness and heartiness, so flavorful and paired perfectly with homemade bread. I may try it with beer instead of wine sometime too… Thanks for a new family favorite!

      Reply
  2. Vivian Thom says

    December 24, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    Absolutely delicious! I looked at many different stew recipes and settled on yours…best decision of the day! So flavourful and your spice blend is brilliant!

    Reply
  3. Jodi Antonik says

    December 23, 2020 at 10:07 am

    5 stars
    This soup comes out absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this recipe if you’re in for a hearty, tasty soup. I added mushrooms when sautéing the celery and onions. I also added 1 cup of Farro to the broth while it was simmering with the beef in order to add a little more texture and heartiness. By no means does this soup need any extras. I just love mushrooms.

    Reply
  4. Tessa says

    December 22, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    Well, my hunt for a go-to beef stew recipe is over! I’ve made this three times now and I see no reason to move on. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  5. ML Saban says

    December 13, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect!! I’ve tried a few other beef stew recipes and this one is the ideological version of beef stew. So delicious!!

    Reply
  6. V. Roth says

    December 12, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    5 stars
    Best I’ve ever made. Definitely a keeper. Perfectly balanced.

    Reply
  7. Karen German says

    December 9, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    Does it matter if you use smoked paprika or sweet paprika?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 9, 2020 at 5:29 pm

      Hi Karen. I would not use smoked paprika or it will throw off the balance of flavors in the seasoning mix. Smoked paprika has quite a strong smoky flavor to it which could overwhelm the others. Go with regular sweet paprika for this one.

      Reply
      • ML Saban says

        December 13, 2020 at 6:06 pm

        I would disagree. I used smoked paprika because that is all I had and it came out great!!

        Reply
  8. Donna W says

    December 8, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today. Delicious! So much flavor. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Kathy says

    December 7, 2020 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! I made this last night or dinner and it was so good! Perfect on a cold day with some crusty bread. I really loved how rich the flavor was. The spice blend and read wine were perfect. My husband loved it and this is a go to recipe for me now!

    Reply
  10. Betty Wiles says

    December 4, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic ,just made it wowzer ,tons of flavor. I will never make my plain Jane stew again. I give it five stars.

    Reply
  11. Melanie Correll says

    December 2, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    5 stars
    I have been searching for years for a beef stew recipe that is seasoned just right. I have finally found it!!!! Thank you for this great and easy recipe!

    Reply
  12. MILAN HAYES says

    November 30, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    There hasn’t been your a recipe my family has made that we didn’t love! Thanks you for sharing this.

    Reply
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