Hearty Country Beef Stew Recipe: Cozy Comfort in Every Bite

Chilly evenings call for a hearty beef stew that warms you from the inside out.

Tender chunks of meat simmer slowly in a rich, aromatic broth packed with robust flavors.

Deep, caramelized notes dance through each spoonful of this classic comfort dish.

Slow-cooked vegetables mingle with perfectly seasoned beef, creating a symphony of taste and texture.

Rustic and satisfying, this stew brings a touch of home-cooked magic to your dinner table.

Each bite tells a story of warmth, tradition, and culinary comfort.

Dive into this soul-soothing recipe and transform an ordinary meal into an extraordinary experience.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Calories: 380 kcal

Servings: 5

What’s In Beef Stew Recipe

• Beef Cubes: Select well-marbled, tender cuts like chuck or round for maximum flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture, ensuring rich depth in your stew.

• All-Purpose Flour: Creates a golden crust on beef while helping thicken the stew's sauce, provides beautiful caramelization.
• Salt: Enhances natural meat flavors and balances overall dish taste.
• Black Pepper: Adds warm, slightly spicy undertone that complements beef's richness.
• Paprika: Introduces subtle smoky sweetness and vibrant reddish color to the meat coating.

• Olive Oil: Provides healthy fat for searing, helps develop deep browning on beef surfaces and prevents sticking to the pot, contributing robust foundational flavor.

Gear You’ll Need For Beef Stew Recipe

• Large pot: Essential for cooking the entire stew, with enough space to brown meat and simmer ingredients.
• Cutting board: Sturdy surface for chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients.
• Sharp knife: Needed to slice and dice vegetables and meat cleanly.
• Wooden spoon or spatula: Perfect for stirring and moving ingredients around while cooking.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Helps accurately measure flour, seasonings, and other ingredients.
• Bowl: Used for tossing beef cubes with flour and seasonings before cooking.
• Tongs: Helpful for safely turning and removing meat while searing.

Making Beef Stew Recipe Step By Step

• Flour Coating

Grab beef cubes and generously dust them with a blend of flour, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of paprika to create a delicious protective layer.

• Sizzling Beginnings

Pour olive oil into a sturdy pot and heat until it shimmers with anticipation, ready to transform those meat morsels.

• Meat Transformation

Drop beef pieces into the hot oil, allowing each side to develop a gorgeous golden-brown crust that locks in incredible flavor. Work in batches to ensure perfect caramelization.

• Resting Stage

Gently lift the beautifully seared beef from the pot and let it hang out on a nearby plate, waiting for its next delicious adventure.

Cooking Tips For Beef Stew Recipe

• Tender Beef Perfection: Brown the meat in small batches to ensure a beautiful golden crust without overcrowding the pot, which can cause steaming instead of searing.
• Flour Power: Use a fine-mesh sieve to evenly coat beef cubes with seasoned flour, creating a delicate crispy exterior that helps thicken the stew's sauce naturally.
• Low and Slow Magic: Consider transforming this recipe into a slow cooker or Dutch oven version by reducing liquid slightly and cooking at 325°F for 2-3 hours until beef becomes meltingly tender.
• Diet-Friendly Adaptations: For gluten-free diets, replace wheat flour with cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Paleo followers can omit flour and use almond flour instead. Keto enthusiasts can increase fat content by adding extra olive oil or using beef with higher marbling.

How To Serve Beef Stew Recipe

• Hearty Comfort Bowl: Ladle this rich beef stew over creamy mashed potatoes for a classic, satisfying meal that hugs your taste buds with warmth.
• Rustic Bread Companion: Serve alongside crusty sourdough or rustic peasant bread to soak up every delicious drop of the flavorful stew sauce.
• Winter Wellness Platter: Pair with a crisp green salad and roasted winter vegetables like carrots and parsnips to create a balanced, nutritious dinner that feels both comforting and healthy.
• Family Style Gathering: Present the stew in a large central serving dish, allowing everyone to scoop their own portions and enjoy a communal, intimate dining experience.

Storage Info For Beef Stew Recipe

• Batch Cooking Brilliance: Prepare double the recipe and freeze individual portions in airtight containers for quick weeknight meals that save time and effort.
• Refrigerator Shelf Life: Store leftover beef stew in sealed containers for 3-4 days, ensuring maximum flavor and food safety when kept at proper refrigeration temperatures.
• Freezer-Friendly Feast: Pack cooled stew in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty bags, removing excess air to maintain quality for up to 3 months without compromising taste or texture.
• Reheating Magic: Gently warm refrigerated or thawed stew in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of broth to restore moisture and prevent drying out.

Hearty Beef Stew Recipe

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4.6 from 9 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 5 1x

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Description

Hearty beef stew from French countryside kitchens delivers rich, comforting flavors in one delightful pot. Tender meat, root vegetables, and red wine create a classic meal that warms souls and satisfies hunger with each spoonful.

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Ingredients

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• 2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups (1 L) beef broth
• 1 cup (240 ml) red wine (or additional beef broth)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas (optional)
• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 3 tbsps tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsps water (optional, for thickening)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Preparation: Dredge beef cubes in a seasoned flour mixture of salt, black pepper, and paprika, ensuring complete and even coating.
2. Searing: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then methodically brown beef cubes in batches, creating a golden caramelized exterior for 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Aromatics: In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic until translucent, releasing their fragrant essence and capturing the residual meat flavors.
4. Deglazing: Pour red wine or beef broth into the pot, scraping up the concentrated browned bits from the bottom to enhance the stew’s depth and complexity.
5. Assembling: Reintroduce seared beef to the pot, then incorporate carrots, potatoes, celery, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves, creating a robust flavor foundation.
6. Simmering: Pour additional beef broth to almost cover the ingredients, then reduce heat and allow the stew to gently simmer, covered, for approximately 1.5-2 hours until meat becomes incredibly tender.
7. Finishing: Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then let the stew rest for 10-15 minutes to allow sauce to thicken and flavors to harmonize before serving.

Notes

• Sear with Precision: Brown beef in batches to develop a deep, caramelized crust without steaming the meat, which ensures maximum flavor development and tender texture.
• Wine Selection Matters: Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to enhance the stew’s depth, avoiding sweet varieties that can disrupt the savory balance.
• Low and Slow Cooking: Maintain a gentle simmer instead of a rolling boil to keep meat tender, preventing tough and stringy protein fibers from forming during the cooking process.
• Vegetable Size Consistency: Cut vegetables into uniform chunks to ensure even cooking, preventing some pieces from becoming mushy while others remain undercooked.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Searing
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 5
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 800 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 28 g
• Cholesterol: 90 mg