An old-fashioned Dutch oven beef stew that’s full of tender chunks of meat, fresh vegetables, and diced potatoes in a thick, rich gravy.
If you love Dutch oven soup, stew, and chili as much as we do, be sure to try this meatball soup with cheese tortellini, a pot of beef chili, this crock pot beef stew, and this Virginia Brunswick stew, too!
Table of Contents
On a chilly day, nothing beats a cozy pot of Dutch oven beef stew. It’s total comfort food! The aroma that wafts through your home as it cooks all afternoon is like a warm hug from your grandmother.
How to Make Beef Stew | 1-Minute Video
I made this earlier in the week for dinner and it was amazing! The beef was so tender and the flavor was fantastic. It was a hit with my picky husband and my less picky kids. I ate the leftovers for lunch and it tasted even better.
– Michelle
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- Many folks prefer the convenience of a Crock Pot or even an Instant Pot, but I find that a cast iron Dutch oven yields the best beef stew every time. They retain and evenly distribute heat, while the tight-fitting lid traps the moisture inside the pot. You can easily control the cooking time of all of the individual ingredients. Plus, you get all of those flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the pot after browning the meat and bacon.
- If you’re in the market for a new Dutch oven, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best Dutch ovens you can buy.
- I purchase “stew beef” or “beef stew meat” that has already been cut into cubes for a shortcut. This typically includes chuck (which comes from the front shoulder) or round (the rear muscle).
- The key to tender stew beef is to cook it long enough. You can’t rush a pot of beef stew, which does best when given the opportunity to simmer low-and-slow on the stovetop. This breaks down the tough connective tissue and fiber in the meat, yielding a tender pot of stew.
- If you can’t find this prepared stew beef, purchase a whole chuck roast and dice it into 1-2 inch cubes at home.
Directions
The secret to good stew lies in the layering of flavors and high-quality ingredients. Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the overview:
- Sauté the bacon in butter. This adds rich, smoky flavor for the base of the stew.
- Toss the chunks of beef with seasoned flour. This helps develop a brown crust on the outside of the beef and also thickens the stew.
- Sear the beef in the butter and bacon fat. It’s an extra step, but worth the effort. The caramelized surface gives the beef extra flavor, while the browned bits and drippings in the pot add even more flavor to the stew.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine and vinegar. The red wine adds depth of flavor and pairs nicely with the red meat. Acidic vinegar brightens up the dish.
- Add the bacon and beef back to the pot, along with the tomato paste, garlic, seasoning, and beef broth.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender — about 1 ½ hours. If your meat is still tough after about 90 minutes, simmer the stew a little bit longer before adding the vegetables and potatoes. Keep the Dutch oven covered. You should end up with the perfect ratio of thick, rich gravy by the end.
- Add the onions and carrots; simmer (covered) for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes and mushrooms, and simmer for about 30 more minutes (until the potatoes are fork-tender). If you find that the stew is too thick, just add an extra splash of broth until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Discard the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper (if necessary), then ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve cozy bowls of beef stew with a mixed greens salad tossed in Dijon vinaigrette, a basket of flaky biscuits, a skillet of Southern cornbread, a loaf of crusty no-knead cranberry walnut bread, or a batch of pumpkin muffins.
Preparation and Storage
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s delicious the next day!
- How to Freeze: Allow the stew to cool to room temperature. Pack in freezer-safe containers or large Ziploc freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s important to note, however, that the texture of the potatoes and vegetables will likely be mushier when thawed.
- How to Reheat: When chilled, the fat from the stew will rise to the top and harden. You can use a spoon to scrape off most of the fat, or you can simply leave it in the pot and stir it back into the dish when it heats up. Place the cooked stew in a saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Cover and warm over low heat, just until the stew reaches the desired temperature. If it seems dry, you can add more beef broth to thin, as necessary. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Made this last night for dinner and it was by far the best stew we have ever had. Looking forward to making more of your recipes!
– Kim
More Stew Recipes to Try
Dutch Oven Pork Stew
2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Beef Burgundy Recipe
2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Chicken Stew
1 hour hr
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
This old-fashioned Dutch oven beef stew is full of tender chunks of meat, fresh vegetables, and diced potatoes in a thick, rich gravy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 lbs. beef stewing meat, cut into cubes
- 1 cup dry red wine (such as pinot noir, or other red wine of choice)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or a 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 ½ cups beef broth, plus more as needed to thin the stew at the end
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped (or about 5-6 medium carrots)
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¾-inch cubes
- 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or thyme
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, sauté bacon in butter over medium heat until crisp and browned (about 3-5 minutes). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Pat beef dry with a paper towel. Place the flour in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and season with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat well. Remove coated beef from the bowl and discard any extra flour.
- Sear beef in the butter/bacon fat until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to work in batches so that the beef can brown without overcrowding.
- Remove the beef from the pot and add the wine and vinegar. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Add bacon and beef back to the pot, along with the tomato paste, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and broth. Stir really well to completely combine. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a low simmer.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and mushrooms and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add more broth at the end to thin the stew, if necessary.
- Discard bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh herbs (if desired), and serve.
Notes
Stored properly in an airtight container, the leftover stew will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the stew in airtight containers for up to 3 months; however, it’s important to know that the texture of the potatoes and vegetables will likely be mushier when thawed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 19gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 624mgPotassium: 680mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3497IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 3mg
Recipe Variations
- The wine gives the dish so much rich flavor; however, if you want to prepare an alcohol-free recipe, simply replace the wine with an extra cup of beef broth.
- Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for savory, umami flavor that pairs really well with beef.
- Balsamic vinegar is a nice alternative to the red wine vinegar.
- I typically use sweet onion, but yellow onion or white onion will also work here.
- If using Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes instead of the russets, you do not need to peel them.
- The mushrooms are one of our favorite ingredients in this stew; however, if you don’t care for mushrooms, you can substitute with frozen peas. Celery is also a nice addition to stew. Add it at the same time that you add the carrots and onions.
- In lieu of butter, brown the bacon and beef in olive oil or vegetable oil.
This recipe was originally published in January, 2021. It was updated in August, 2024.
Best beef stew I’ve ever made
Thank you so much, Mick!
This was excellent! I followed the recipe exactly as written with these exceptions: used a better cut of meat (tri-tip), low sodium beef broth and no added salt -we are on low sodium diets. It was the first time I’ve ever made stew, and have to say we loved it! Next up is Seasoned Mom’s Chili!
Thank you so much, Laura! We’re so happy to hear this. Please let us know what you think of the chili as well!
Best ever
Thank you, Mick!
Do I need to cook this on the stove or can I put in the oven for the simmer process?
Hi, Jess! You can use the oven if you prefer. Here’s a similar version that goes into the oven to give you an idea of cooking time/process: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/beef-burgundy/
Hope that helps!
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I have been trying to find a recipe to make bear stew with but couldn’t find one that was appealing to me. I have made this several times now, but instead of using beef, I substitute bear. It is a family favorite and requested when we have business guests or friends come to our home. I also make it with a crusty bread, that is perfect for “dipping” in the broth mixture. Thank you for such a divine recipe!
Thank you, Sarah! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Apple cider vinegar and red potatoes are great in this also! If it is what you have or prefer.
Can this be cooked in the oven at a low temperature for several hours without attention
Hi Laura,
We haven’t tested it and can’t guarantee the results. But if you want to try it, we would recommend cooking in the oven at 325 degrees for roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. Hope this helps!
Perfect flavor!! For the “thinning if needed” stage, I added Golden Mushroom Soup and 1 can of beef broth. Took about 4-5 hrs total.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!
I use parsnips instead of mushrooms and celery and it came out really well more recipes for beef stew should have parsnips I love them
That’s a great tip, Douglas. I often forget about parsnips, but they are tasty!
Could I use corn starch instead of flour to dredge the meat for a GF option?
Hi, Laurel! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think that should work fine! Let us know if you give it a shot. Hope you enjoy!
Your recipe is solid with a nice soft touch from the paprika. However, your website is horrendous with all of the pop-ups and advertisements. Simply entirely too annoying and disruptive.
Turned out great – I should have counted how many times my husband said “this is really good!” Only downside was I started a little too late in the day – next time will make it on a Sunday, but will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Peggy!
I’ve made this as written many times, excellent recipe with wonderful, deep flavor. If you replace the wine with beer would you make any other changes? Mostly wondering if I should omit the vinegar. Thanks!
Wait, found the Irish Stew recipe using Guinness. For some reason I have trouble with the Search function on this website so I have to go through all the recipes in the category. I’ve checked my settings and it doesn’t seem to be that. Sorry to bother you, thanks for all the great recipes (making the Irish Stew with your Beer Bread).
No worries, Rochelle! Hope you enjoyed the meal!
Hi, Rochelle! I’m so glad that you like it! You can omit the vinegar, but I honestly think it would work fine if you leave it in there, too. 🙂
Made this last night and it was excellent. Loved the gravy and how adding veggies towards last half of cooking time really allowed them to shine through. I’d been making slow cooker stews for years, but everything in the pot blended together to taste the same. The dutch oven version really enriched the complexity of texture and flavor. Now part of my 5 star recipe rotation!
Thank you for the feedback, Patricia! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thank you this recipe came out really well! The beef is tender and the veggies are not too firm. The broth is nice and brown but a little thin. How can I thicken it?
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! The broth does stay a bit on the thinner side, but if you want to thicken it you can try stirring in a flour or cornstarch slurry. Hope this helps!
This recipe was so delicious I did not use the bacon, instead I browned the meat in butter. I followed the rest of the recipe exact. The meat was incredibly tender and just melted in our mouths. The gravy was heavenly, so rich and flavorful. This one’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing!
Forgot to add that Crusty bread is a must!! Scoop up the gravy with some warm crusty bread. No butter needed!
Totally agree. 🙂
Thanks, Patricia! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
I use parsnips instead of mushrooms and celery and it came out really well more recipes for beef stew should have parsnips I love them
Made this and it was delicious!
Thank you, Nannette!
Tried commenting positively but the screen was bouncing all over the place and it lost my comment. Hoping to try this sometime as it looked very flavorful. I made my chuck roast this morning in a crock pot and that took way more hours than your Dutch oven process.
We hope you enjoy it if you do try it, Barb!