Easy Stovetop Beef Stew

Yumna Jawad
Updated

4.99 from 766 votes

The easy Beef Stew is hearty, comforting and made in one pot. Full of tender flavorful beef and requires minimal prep, it makes for a delicious family meal!

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If you are in the need for some hearty comfort food, then this one pot easy beef stew is perfect! Packed full of veggies and loaded with flavor, this quick to prep meal is perfect for the whole family.

Beef stew in a dutch oven ready to serve
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Ingredients

  • Beef: Use stew beef for this recipe. It’s a tough cut of meat that becomes wonderfully tender and flavorful during the slow cook.
  • Flour: To coat the beef and thicken the stew. You can use all-purpose flour, or a gluten-free blend if you have a wheat intolerance.
  • Vegetables: Onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, celery.
  • Tomato paste: For a rich tomato base for the stew.
  • Seasonings: Thyme, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
  • Broth: You can use either beef or vegetable stock in this recipe.

How do you make beef stew

It’s so quick and easy to make this flavorful beef stew and it’s all cooked in one pot! Start with beef stew meat, season it with salt and pepper and then toss it with flour until its well coated.

Beef chunks coated with flour
  1. Now, transfer the coated beef into a dutch oven or deep pot and start cooking the beef on all sides. You don’t want to move them around too much or there’s no need to completely cook the beef. You’re just looking for some good color on all sides.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and saute just for a couple minutes until they become fragrant and lightly golden. This will help deepen the flavor of the dish.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste with the beef, onions and garlic.
  4. Add in the rest of the veggies, season with salt and pepper and throw the herbs on top. It may seems like a lot but it will really help flavor the dish which has a long cooking time.
  5. Pour in the broth.
  6. Simmer until the beef is tender and enjoy it!
Step by step shots to show how to make the beef stew in a dutch oven

Tips for making this stew recipe

  1. Be sure to coat the beef in flour before browning it. It helps to provide a flavorful crust as well as thickening the stew so there’s no need to thicken the stew later on. If you are gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 GF flour.
  2. Make the stew in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan. It will help to distribute the heat evenly so that you don’t get hot spots that can burn the bottom the food.
  3. Make sure you sear the beef well before adding the other ingredients. This really helps to lock in the flavor. Brown the meat long enough so that it gets a nice crust on it, but don’t worry about cooking it all the way through.
  4. Don’t rush the cooking process. The meat needs time to cook so that it becomes tender. Test a bit of meat before serving it so you know that it isn’t tough. It could take between 60 and 90 minutes.
Beef stew served in two bowls

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best cut of meat to use?

I like to use stew meat for stew, that you can get in your local store or butchers. The stew is slow cooked, so it’s ideal for more flavorsome and tougher cuts like chuck. If you use a leaner cut of meat it can become overcooked and chewy.

Can you make the stew ahead of time?

Beef stew is a great dish for make ahead meals. Once you have made the stew, let it cool completely and it will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also get ahead of things by cutting the veggies up to a day before you cook the stew, making prep a breeze.

Can you freeze this easy beef stew?

Yes! This is such a great freezer meal and will keep well for up to 3 months, so make a double batch! Thaw the stew in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop.

What do you serve with beef stew?

Beef stew is great with something starchy to help mop up all of those juices. Crusty bread, mashed potato and sweet mashed potatoes work great. I also like to add some simple steamed green veggies like broccoli or asparagus.

Beef stew in a bowl with a spoon

This easy beef stew is such a hearty and comforting dish, and so perfect for freezer meals. It’s loaded full of rich flavors and I love how easily it comes together! Check out my mushroom stew for an alternative to beef.

More Easy Beef Recipes

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feelgood Easy Beef Stew recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Beef stew in a large pot after it's done cooking
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Review

Easy Beef Stew

The easy Beef Stew is hearty, comforting and made in one pot. Full of tender flavorful beef and requires minimal prep, it makes for a delicious family meal!
5 from 766 votes
Author Yumna Jawad
Servings 8 servings
Course Main Course
Calories 286
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 pound potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 6 carrots roughly chopped
  • 3 celery sticks sliced
  • 2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups vegetable or beef broth
  • Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  • Season the beef with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour on top and toss well to combine.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Brown the beef on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes
  • Add the onions and garlic, and saute until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste and continue to cook with the onions and garlic, about 1-2 more minutes.
  • Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, thyme and basil along with the broth and stir to combine, scraping any brown bits in the pot.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes, or until the beef is very tender.
  • Remove the bay leaves, season with fresh parsley and serve warm.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep for around 3 days. You can also freeze the stew and it will keep for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 456mg, Potassium: 879mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 7824IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Main Course

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Comments

  2. It was EXCELLENT!
    I would add to the directions to cook the meat in the broth & seasonings for 30-45 min & THEN add the vegetables. Our potatoes were falling apart by the time we ate them. Or maybe cut the potatoes bigger so they don’t fall completely apart. But the recipe is sooo good !

    Reply

  3. Easy Beef Stew-delicious! And easy to make.
    I have tried several of your recipes and have not been disappointed.
    Thank you. 🙂 I’m enjoying cooking again.

    Reply

  4. This is delicious! Was much easier than I expected. The beef was super tender and the flavors were perfect. I added peas too.

    Reply

  5. Greetings Yumna, this looks so worth trying and I’m excited to make it. I don’t eat red meat so if I used chicken what works be the cooking time say for chicken thighs? Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.

    Bon appetite

    Reply

  6. Have made this twice. Delish and warm on these cold winter days. I did add 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour with water to thicken up and did the trick.

    Reply

  7. I made this Christmas Eve and it was a hit by all. Warmed it up Christmas night for others and it was devoured and praised by all. I used rump roast cubes and blended about 1 cup of the cooked potatoes to make the broth a little thicker. Thank you for this delicious stew recipe.

    Reply

  8. Recommend!! Although it’s not pleasurable to sear the meat, it makes a huge difference in meat tenderness. My alteration is to add 1 Tbsp of Italian Seasoning to the flour & coat the stew meat with the mixture. I don’t add seasonings later.
    This recipe is now my go-to favorite for a beef stew!! Easy as is titled.

    Reply

  9. Both my husband and I loved this soup. I made it in our new Le Creuset pot, it was heavenly good, a comfort food on a cold winter day! I will definitely make it again soon. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  10. Love this beef no stew. Saved some in the freezer from first try and ate tonight. So good again. Going to buy all ingredients this week and make some more. Thanks for the recipient.

    Reply

  11. Thank you so much for the recipe! I got a new staub dutch oven and decided the first meal to make in it would be your beef stew. It turned out fantastic. I added some mushrooms and my 3 yo daughter who hates carrots ate the carrots willingly! I was in shock and will be putting this in our winter meals rotation. Ty again!

    Reply

  12. This was so delicious. The beef cooked perfectly and my husband and I ate it all. Saving some to take for our camping trip too. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe

    Reply

  13. This was absolutely incredible! Savory and just what we’ve needed to warm us up this winter. The beef was tender and the veggies were perfect. Thank you!

    Reply

  15. Delicious! It contains a lot of liquid, so I simmered uncovered for 45 mins and mashed up some of the potatoes and mixed them back into the stew to thicken. Also added red pepper flakes while simmering for some zing and fresh lemon juice (1/2 small lemon) before serving. Whole family enjoyed it!

    Reply

  16. Deliciousness! Love this recipe. I substituted beef chuck steak which was more tender. And topped with dobble of sour cream. ❤️

    Reply

  17. I found this recipe when I was trying to find one I loved when I was much younger. It was very similar, except it had a few cloves in it, in addition to the other herbs. Absolutely fabulous. So I changed your recipe by adding 6 cloves, and got my old favourite back! Thanks so much.

    Reply

  21. Just made this recipe, delicious!!! I let it simmer for an hour and a half, used venison stew meat added crushed red pepper at the end to give it a little heat, definitely my stew recipe from now on. I Did not have tomato paste so just used 1/4 Ketchup instead couldn’t tell the difference.

    Reply

    1. So sorry to hear this did not turn out well for you. How long did you cook the beef and veggies for? And what cut of beef did you use? Stew beef can take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to become tender depending on the size pieces you use.

      Reply

  23. Not sure what happened, but I followed the recipe to a t and it turned out awful.. beef was not tender, it was tough and there was still so much liquid left left in the pot

    Reply

    1. Hi Jennifer, all of the ingredients along with the measurements are in the recipe card right above the comment section. I hope it turned out well!

      Reply

    2. Made this for my dinner tonight. It was delicious. I went back for another bowl. I’m sure the family will enjoy it tomorrow .
      Such a simple tasty stew. It’s a keeper.

      Reply

  28. Thank you for sharing this outstanding recipe!!!😋 I got lucky and had all the ingredients. It’s absolutely delicious!!!💞🍴

    Reply

  29. I made this stew last night and it was delicious! I added a chopped turnip to it as I had one in the fridge to use up.
    My 9 year old had 2 servings and raved about the “sauce”. Thank you!

    Reply

  30. As a novice cook, this is now my go-to recipe for beef stew! So easy and delicious. I squeezed some lemon in toward the end for a little zing. Thank you!

    Reply

  31. I didn’t see when to add the basil leaves so I added them when I added the broth. Just so you know, maybe I missed it?

    Reply

    1. I would recommend 4-5 hours if it’s on high setting, or more like 8 hours on a low setting until the beef is tender.

      Reply

  35. I tried it it’s amazing soooo yummyyy
    In plus my kids liked it and my husband too
    I will make it again & again….😍♥️♥️♥️

    Reply

    1. Hi! Thanks so much for sharing the pan version on your Instagram- it looks so tasty! You mentioned using Middle Eastern spices like ginger and cumin in the caption. Can you share the specifics, please? It looks like this recipe is for the stovetop one and is slightly different. Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try it!!

      Reply

    1. I would recommend 4-5 hours if it’s on high setting, or more like 8 hours on a low setting until the beef is tender.

      Reply

    1. I would recommend 4-5 hours if it’s on high setting, or more like 8 hours on a low setting until the beef is tender.

      Reply