Best Traditional Beef Stew Recipe - Food.com (2024)

192

Community Pick

Submitted by Christina Chavez

"I originally found this recipe at Recipe Goldmine but have added and subtracted after trial and error. The original recipe called for a 10 oz pkg of frozen peas to be added during the last 15 minutes of cooking. I usually add a little rosemary and cayenne. Can add the spices you wish. This is very good!"

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Ready In:
2hrs 40mins

Ingredients:
14
Serves:

4-6

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ingredients

  • 1 - 1 12 lb cubed beef stew meat
  • 12 cup flour
  • 1 12 teaspoons salt
  • 12 teaspoon pepper
  • 14 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1 carrot, chopped fine
  • 14 cup finely chopped celery, with a few minced leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 pinch thyme
  • 3 12 cups beef broth
  • 2 medium potatoes, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 onions, diced

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directions

  • Put flour, salt and pepper in a large ziploc bag.
  • Heat oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven.
  • Place meat in bag with the flour and shake until well coated.
  • Shake off meat pieces and add them to the oil and stir until slightly browned, Add remaining flour from the bag and the finely chopped onion.
  • Stir until well browned.
  • Add finely chopped carrot and next 4 ingredients.
  • Cover and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours (stirring every 15 minutes).
  • Add diced potatoes, carrots, and onions, cook for another 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Questions & Replies

Best Traditional Beef Stew Recipe - Food.com (13)

  1. Looks good, taste is fine, but it’s rather soupy. Followed direction exactly. Should I add some flour/ corn starch? Thanks, carl

    carlbrouwer

  2. I see a lot of the reviews added wine. I don’t drink wine so I never use it to cook with but I’d love to try to cook with wines, I just have no idea what kind to use because I’ve always heard you should cook with wines that you drink. How do I choose which wines to use?

    Lana M.

  3. Can I do this in the crock pot instead of a dutch oven? If so - any idea about how long?

    Liz S.

  4. Can I double this one?

    Corrine M.

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Reviews

  1. After reading numerous recipes and reviews, I settled on this one for my 1st ever stew. Yumm! I added a packaged of onion soup mix to the flour to coat the meat, would add onions at the same time as the meat next time so they cook more. Added 2 carrots in the beginning and no extra carrots or onions at the end. Added 1 cup red wine (mmmm) for 4 total cups of liquid with the beef broth. Also used 5 red potatoes total and added them at the same time as the liquid so they would cook all the way through. I served over egg noodles for a one-dish meal. Was about 90 min total cooking time and so worth it.

    dawn2701

  2. This recipe has been included in book#246531. This has the hearty, old-fashioned taste that I've been looking for. The meat cooked up so tender, and the gravy was really delicious! I added a few fresh mushrooms and 1/4 cup of barley I had on hand. The whole family loved it and it is a perfect dinner for a cold evening! Thanks for posting this terrific recipe!

    TasteTester

  3. I have to agree with the name! This is the best beef stew I've ever made, and I've made a few! I've made it twice now, and the the second time I made a few changes that made it just a teensy bit better! I added about a cup of red wine with the beef broth, some crushed red pepper flakes and rosemary and about a cup and a half of frozen peas at the very end. Served it up with Irish Soda Bread rolls...perfect!

    Captains Lady

  4. Great stew, just make sure you stir it often enough because mine burned at the bottom a bit. Thank you.

    Katanashrp

  5. This stew was really good. I only wish the gravy was a little smoother. I followed the recipe to step 5 then put it all in my crockpot. I used 3 medium potatoes and 4 carrots and I think it needed more of both. I also used 3 cups of very flavorful homemade stock and needed 2 more cups of water to cover it all. I didnt have thyme, so I added dill, marjoram and rosemary. Also, some worchestershire. Thanks for sharing, I will make this again.

    Island Girl 525

see 181 more reviews

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Tweaks

  1. Added a little extra flour and a whole head of freshly peeled garlic (we have a garlic abuse problem in my household. Others abuse alcohol, we abuse garlic.) Used five red potatoes, diced a bit finely. Added a shake of worcestershire, a fair amount more thyme, a bit of red pepper flake, and a whole lotta rosemary.

    TeaLeavesGreen

  2. This was fantastic! Perfect snow day meal! I used baby carrots instead of sliced carrots in the final step. Delicious and hearty dinner! Thank you!

    AlabamaPrincesses

  3. Substituted out potatoes for diakon radish and added rosemary, white pepper and a pinch of dry mustard.

    Chris M.

  4. Followed recipe EXCEPT...NO salt to season at start....Broth has sufficient salt. No Worcestershire needed. After meat is browned, 1/2 Tspn Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, add 2 shallots + 2 med onions chopped. The broth (2 cup beef broth, 2 cup water w/1 beef demi-glaze packet from Savory and 1/2 cup red wine) to meat and simmered 1 hour stove top. Then veggies. (no salt required to season meat or veggies seeing broths had sufficient salt (I could add some later). CAME OUT AWESOME and tad heart friendly.

    George A.

  5. I cooked it in a 14in skillet with lid to substitute for a large dutch oven, however due to the cook time, my broth had boiled off a bit and was non-existant by the time I put my final vegetables in. Next time I think I'll use 4-4.5 cups of broth in that container. Cheers

    Kyle M.

see 16 more tweaks

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Christina Chavez

United States

  • 10 Followers
  • 3 Recipes

I live just south of Chicago. Although I work in the social service field at a non-profit agency, my other passion is cooking.

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Best Traditional Beef Stew Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good beef stew? ›

Using the right type of beef, searing the meat before cooking, deglazing the pan, cooking for several hours, and using plenty of salt all make a huge difference in the flavor of your beef stew.

What makes beef stew taste better? ›

I almost always add some beef bouillon crystals to my stew, it helps oomph (yes, a technical term) the beefiness of the stock. Sometimes also use a few shots of worcestershire sauce or soy sauce - both will also add some oomph to the flavor.

What is the secret to tender stew meat? ›

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

Why do you put vinegar in beef stew? ›

Add vinegar when putting the meat in the pot after browning (Maillard reaction). Add spices at this time. Tough stew meat will take a couple of hours to get tender, and the vinegar helps this happen as well as add special flavor.

What does red wine vinegar do to beef stew? ›

Vinegar & optional red wine - Use red wine vinegar and some red wine to give this stew a deep and rich sweet and savory flavor. The wine is optional and can be replaced with additional beef broth, but I do love the complexity it gives to this recipe.

Should beef stew be thick or soupy? ›

Part of what makes a stew a stew and not a soup is the mixture's thickness and the chunks of ingredients. The liquid suspending the chunky ingredients in a stew should be more of a gravy than a watery dish.

Does beef get more tender the longer you stew it? ›

It is a tough muscular meat. Longer cooking time at a lower temperature, especially in liquid can make it tender. Longer cooking time + low heat = tender meat. Pat the meat dry and brown it in the kettle you'll be using before adding the other ingredients to start the slow cooking.

What is the tastiest meat for beef stew? ›

Go for the chuck

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

What adds richness to a stew? ›

The first step to a flavorful stew is browning the meat. Searing it over high heat gives the meat a deeper, richer flavor thanks to the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that browns and caramelizes the exterior of the meat.

Should I add tomato paste to beef stew? ›

Do you need tomato paste for beef stew? We recommend using tomato paste for this recipe. Tomato paste adds crucial flavor and body to the stew meat when cooked with herbs, garlic and wine.

When should celery be added to stew? ›

Once the meat is tender - but not falling apart, add the potatoes, celery, carrots and butternut squash. Pour over another 2 cups of beef broth and enough water to cover the vegetables. Raise heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes - until the vegetables are tender.

How do you make stew meat taste better? ›

Sear the meat well.

Searing meat takes a long time, and it's tempting to skip it. Don't. Searing the meat until it develops a dark brown crust and a sticky “fond” starts to glaze over the bottom of the pan are both key to creating the kind of rich, caramelized flavors that make stews irresistibly good.

How to make beef stew meat tender and juicy? ›

What is the best way to make beef stew meat tender and juicy? If you want to prepare beef stew meat that is both tender and juicy, the best way to cook it is by searing it on all sides in a hot skillet and then crumbling it on top of a lightly browned roux sauce for about 10 minutes.

How long to cook beef stew until tender? ›

Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1½ hours.

What adds flavor to stew? ›

Paprika. Use regular or hot paprika if you want a little warmth and Smoked Paprika if you're after more of a barbeque style smoky flavour. Chilli and paprika work well with tomato based dishes where as herbs work best with gravy based stews.

What is the basic stew formula? ›

The Ideal Stew Ratio: Two Parts Meat, One Part Vegetable

Most meat-based stews call for tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, while vegetarian recipes include the same onions, carrots, and celery typical of a beef stew. Two parts meat to one part vegetables is the perfect ratio for a meaty stew.

Can I use red wine vinegar instead of red wine in beef stew? ›

The Best Substitute for Red Wine

Alcohol-free red wine. Beef broth. Chicken broth. Red wine vinegar (use ½ vinegar and ½ water for similar flavor results)

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