This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This hamburger stew recipe is thick, hearty, and easy to make! It’s a delicious family meal that uses inexpensive everyday ingredients.
You may also like my Hamburger Soup or this American Goulash recipe.
Easy ground beef stew
Ground beef stew is sometimes referred to as “poor man’s stew”, but this dish is full of rich flavors! Sometimes it’s nice to spend some extra time making a Classic Beef Stew, but when you’re looking for a comforting stew that’s ready fast (about an hour including prep time), this is your recipe!
Your whole family will devour this budget friendly stew, and you can feel good knowing you’re serving up a complete one pot meal with real ingredients like beef, vegetables, and hearty potatoes.
What goes into hamburger stew
- Celery, onion, garlic, and olive oil – sauté these aromatics to make a wonderfully flavorful base
- Beef – ground beef is one of the most affordable proteins
- Flour – don’t skip the flour as it’s a thickening agent
- Tomato paste – easy way to add more savory flavor
- Beef broth – way tastier than simply using water
- Worcestershire sauce – gives this stew more umami flavor; it’s not overpowering!
- Italian seasoning – a herb blend that includes rosemary and thyme. It’s fantastic in soups and stews
- Potatoes, carrots, and peas – hearty and filling vegetables to round out this stew
What kind of beef to use?
- I use lean ground beef. It’s a good compromise between saving a few calories but keeping flavor and moisture, and you typically don’t have to worry about draining extra fat after it’s been browned.
How to make hamburger stew
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion and celery in a soup pot for 5-7 minutes, then add in the garlic. Stir in the ground beef and cook until browned.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often (this cooks the floury taste out). Stir in the tomato paste.
Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, potatoes, and carrots. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Stir in the peas and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Substitutions and variations
- Feel free to throw in any extra veggies you happen to have on hand! This is a very forgiving stew, and you can clean out your fridge of any extra vegetables. Root vegetables would work especially well.
- I used Italian seasoning to give the stew some extra flavor, but you could use a different kind of dried herb blend or even something like steak seasoning if you prefer.
- Like a little heat? Add in some crushed red pepper flakes.
Tools for this recipe
- Any soup pot will work, but I love my Staub Dutch oven.
- I quickly crush the garlic using my garlic press. I do this for most recipes that call for minced garlic!
What to serve with it
- It’s a complete meal in itself, but I’ll never say no to a slice of crusty bread to make it even heartier. Or go all out with a slice of Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- You could also pair it with a side salad. Try mixed greens and this Homemade Ranch Dressing. You’ll never buy the bottled stuff again!
Leftovers and storage
- This stew is even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to meld more. Reheat on a low heat, and if you find the leftovers are a little dry, simply add a splash of beef broth when reheating to make more sauce.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, and this stew also freezes well.
More delicious hamburger recipes
Questions about this ground beef stew recipe? Ask me in the comments below!
Hamburger Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 sticks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth + more if needed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 4 medium carrots peeled & sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, onion, and celery to a soup pot and sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the beef to the pot and cook, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along, until it's browned (about 8 minutes).
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes (stirring often).
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, potatoes, and carrots. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook, covered (with the lid slightly open), stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the flavors have had some time to build. Add more broth if the stew starts to get too thick, and if you want it thicker, cook it for longer with the lid off.
- Stir in the frozen peas and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Really good. I don’t use flour for anything – and instead added a can of pumpkin puree to this for thickness and added nutrition. Great stuff.
I’m so glad the tweak worked, Sharon!
Probably one of the best recipes on Pinterest. Inexpensive and delicious!. You can add whatever vegetables that you like and it is just as great. I added yellow squash and zucchini when I added the peas. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much, John!! Glad you found me!
This was so delicious. Never thought to use ground beef instead of stew meat. The only thing I changed was to add a 1/2 cup of red wine. I made a quadruple batch and froze 3 meals for busy nights. Thank you
Love that!! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Quick and easy….and super delicious!
Thank you, Mandy!! 😀
Loved this! Stew beef is so expensive now that it was nice to be able to use hamburg and have it taste so good. I did add a lot of extra seasonings to give it some extra flavor and two extra potatoes because I like a lot of potato. I think the next time I make it , I will use a packet of McCormick beef stew mix for extra flavor!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Sue! 😀
Can you cook this recipe in the crockpot or slow cooker and if so, for how long?
Hi Bianca! I’ve only tested it on the stove, so I am just guessing here. I’m not sure how the flour would do in the crockpot… it could get a bit gloopy if you’re cooking it for hours. I feel like doing this stew in the crockpot might be more involved than needed – you’d still need to do the searing steps on the stove so you’ll dirty up a skillet, and the veggies might get too soft if you don’t cut them up quite large. I’d probably do the usual 3-4 hours on hight or 6-8 hours on low if you want to try, though. Perhaps adding a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken it would be better than doing the flour.
I usually make a standard beef stew which is a lot more work, but I want to make this as it looks delicious! However, can I substitute chicken broth for the beef broth, or even ground turkey for the ground beef? Thank you!
Hi Jackie! Yes that should work, but it won’t be quite as rich tasting with ground turkey or chicken broth. You may need to up the other seasonings a bit and ensure you salt it well. Let me know how it goes! 😀
I’ve followed many recipes on Pinterest but this one immediately became our favorite! Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome!!
Do you think I can substitute sweet potato for the russet?
Sure! 🙂
Quick, easy and delicious! Who knew you could make a hearty stew with hamburger meat? It is as good as any stew I’ve ever made with stew meat! Definitely making this again!
Thank you so much, Sherrille!! 😀