Beef Stew

4.95 from 36 votes

This beef stew recipe is cozy, hearty, and filling with tender beef, carrots, and potatoes simmered in a rich and flavorful red wine sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 25

Total Time2 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef stew with red wine, best beef stew recipe, homemade beef stew

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

2 pounds cubed beef chuck or beef stewing meat see note
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil + more as needed divided
1 medium onion chopped
3 sticks celery chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled & diced
4 medium carrots peeled & sliced fairly thick
1 cup frozen peas optional
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep ingredients. I recommend peeling and cutting the potatoes and carrots just prior to step 8.
Coat the beef cubes in flour, and shake off any excess.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a pot/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the beef in two batches until nicely browned (if you crowd the pot it won't brown). Don't move the meat around the pan... turn it with tongs after it's had a few minutes to sear. Add the remaining oil to the pot for the second batch. Transfer the meat to a plate after each batch.
If the pot seems quite dry, add another teaspoon or so of olive oil, then add in the onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the wine, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the beef back to the pot (and any juices on the plate) as well as the Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour. Important: I recommend stirring it occasionally during this time to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot and that the temperature is still correct. On my gas stove I cook this stew alternating between medium-low and low (I adjust as needed so it's bubbling fairly gently vs. full-on boiling).
Stir in the potatoes and carrots, cover the pot again, and continue simmering for another hour or until the potatoes, carrots, and meat are nice and tender. As per the previous step, give it a stir occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking/scorching, and adjust the stove's temperature as needed so it maintains a simmer.
Take the bay leaves out of the stew and stir in the frozen peas. Let them warm through.
Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve.

Notes

Cut up a nicely marbled chuck roast into 1.5" cubes for best results. Do not use a lean cut of beef or it'll be much tougher and more chewy.
You can do steps 7-8 in the oven. Timing will be similar for each step. Try 325F for the oven temperature.
You may need to skim a bit of fat off the top prior to serving or when reheating leftovers (this is normal).
See blog post for more success tips, info on substitutions and what kind of wine to use, and step-by-step process photos.
Other cooking methods: try my Crockpot Beef Stew or Instant Pot Beef Stew (recipes are similar to this one but not exactly the same).

Nutrition