This old-fashioned beef stew is a hearty, homemade favorite straight from grandma’s recipe box. Filled with tender pieces of beef, fresh, bright veggies, and seasoning, all simmered in a delicious broth, there’s a reason why this recipe has been a favorite for generations.
Want more comfort food? Try our shepherd’s pie, hamburger soup or poor man’s steaks.
MORE: Old Fashioned Chili | Ham and Cheese Soup
Beef Stew Ingredients
You Will Need:
- 3 pounds chuck roast or your favorite stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces, about 1-2 inches
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 onion, chopped (one small onion or half of a large onion)
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, about 1 inch
- 2 celery stalks cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Ingredient Substitutions
You could also add mushrooms or whole tomatoes to this recipe.
You can substitute sweet potatoes for regular potatoes as well.
You could cook and crumble bacon to serve on top as garnish as well.
You can also garnish with fresh parsley if you’d like.
PRO TIP: This meal easily doubles, making it perfect if you’re serving a large crowd.
How to Make Beef Stew
STEP ONE: In a shallow dish mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Coat the pieces of in the flour.
STEP TWO: In a large stockpot add the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat pieces and brown on all sides. Once the meat is brown remove it to a plate and set aside. Cook in batches to not crowd the pan.
PRO TIP: The meat will continue cooking in the stew, so you don’t need to fully cook it at this stage.
STEP FOUR: If you need to add additional butter or olive oil you can add more to saute the vegetables. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery into the pot and cook until the vegetables start to caramelize or get slightly soft.
STEP FIVE: Add in the beef broth, tomato paste, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and rosemary.
STEP SIX: Add the beef pieces back into the pot.
STEP SEVEN: Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for one hour to 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
STEP EIGHT: Mix the cornstarch and water together and slowly stir into the beef stew to thicken the sauce. Cook for 10-15 minutes with the lid off stirring occasionally as it thickens.
STEP NINE: Remove the bay leaf.
STEP TEN: Add the peas to the stew the last 5-10 minutes while it is thickening and before serving, so they don’t get mushy.
OTHER WAYS TO COOK BEEF STEW
You could follow the above instructions and then simmer in your crockpot on high for six hours instead of making on the stovetop.
Try our Instant Pot beef stew as well!
What to Serve with Beef Stew
This hearty stew is rich and satisfying — the perfect one-pot comfort food meal.
It’s excellent served with cheese biscuits, beer bread, or cheesy pull-apart bread.
Storing Beef Stew
FRIDGE: This will last in an airtight container for up to seven days.
FREEZER: You can store in a freezer-safe container for up to six months in the freezer. I personally prefer to omit the vegetables if I am freezing as I don’t like the texture after thawing. You could add in fresh or frozen veggies when you’re heating instead.
The ultimate comfort food, this classic beef stew is a homemade favorite. Tender pieces of meat are simmered in an irresistible, rich broth along with fresh vegetables and spices for this old-fashioned recipe handed down from grandma. Served with fresh bread, this is a hearty, satisfying meal everyone will love.
More Recipes You’ll Love
EASY DINNER: Lasagna Casserole | Baked Mac and Cheese
COMFORT FOOD: Creamy Beef and Shells | Ground Beef Stroganoff
DESSERT: Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake | Oatmeal Cake
Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast or your favorite stew meat cut into bite-size pieces, about 1-2 inches
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 onion chopped (one small onion or half of a large onion)
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, about one inch
- 2 celery stalks cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 pound potatoes peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a shallow dish mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Coat the pieces of in the flour.
- In a large stockpot add the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat pieces and brown on all sides (the meat will continue cooking in the stew). Once the meat is brown remove it to a plate and set aside. Cook in batches to not crowd the pan.
- If you need to add additional butter or olive oil you can add more to saute the vegetables. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery into the pot and cook until the vegetables start to caramelize or get slightly soft.
- Add in the beef broth, tomato paste, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and rosemary.
- Add the beef pieces back into the pot.
- Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for one hour to 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together and slowly stir into the beef stew to thicken the sauce. Cook for 10-15 minutes with the lid off stirring occasionally as it thickens.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Add the peas to the stew the last 5-10 minutes while it is thickening and before serving so they don’t get mushy.
We love this recipe – hearty, satisfying, simple, and delicious — a definite winner!