The BEST Beef Stew recipe - Tastes Better from Scratch (2024)

5 from 120 votes

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• ▢ 8 ounces applewood smoked bacon , chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ Salt and pepper , to taste
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 yellow onion , chopped
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 cup good quality dry red wine , such as Pinot Noir, Burgundy or. Cote du Rhone
• ▢ 5 cups beef stock or broth
• ▢ 2 teaspoons better than bouillon beef*
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary ,or ½ teaspoon dried
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , or ½ teaspoon dried
• ▢ 4 large carrots peeled, sliced diagonally into chunks
• ▢ 1/2 lb mini gold or fingerling potatoes , cut in small chunks
• ▢ 8 ounces frozen whole pearl onions , (optional or to use fresh pearl onions, see note below**)
• ▢ 8 oz white mushrooms , sliced, (optional)
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Add bacon to a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Turn heat to medium-low and cook, turning flipping every so often, until browned. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and then chop into small pieces.

  

• Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels and add to a ziplock bag with flour, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.

• Heat the pan with bacon grease over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef in 2-3 batches (so not to overcrowd the pan), adding a little oil as needed, searing for a few minutes on each side, until browned. Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.

  

• Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add vinegar and wine to the pan, cooking over medium-high heat, and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.

  

• Add beef broth, bullion, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Add beef and bacon back to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.

  

• Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours or until beef is tender.

• Meanwhile, chop the potatoes, carrots, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

  

• Cook mushrooms (if using): Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to the pan in a single layer. Cook for several minutes (without touching). Once golden on the bottom, flip to the other side and cook for a few more minutes.

  

• Add mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and frozen pearl onions to the soup pot and cook for 15-20 more minutes, until carrot and potatoes are tender.

• Taste broth. Season as needed with additional salt, pepper, bullion, rosemary, thyme, or some garlic powder. Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, if desired.

  

• Ladle some of the hot broth into a bowl and whisk the flour into it, until smooth. Add to pot and cook for 2-5 minutes, until broth has slightly thickened.

• Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with artisan bread.

*Better than Boullion Paste: I add this to the broth because it adds a deeper flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t have it, or add 1-2 beef bouillon cubes.

** For fresh pearl onions: boil water and add the unpeeled onions to the boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and cut off the non-pointy end of the onion. Hold the onion on the pointy side and push the “pearl” onion out from inside the shell. Add to soup according to recipe instructions.

Beef: I recommend a chuck roast over packaged “stew meat”, because stew meat is usually a combination of different trimmings from leftover steaks and roasts. The chuck roast is around the same price and the quality will be better.

Wine: if you don’t want to cook with wine you can leave it out and add additional beef broth to replace it.

Veggies: Add more veggies if desired, including green beans, peas, winter squash, and peas.

Freezing Instructions: Beef stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm on the stovetop.

Baked Stew:Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position. Prepare recipe up to step 5, and then cover and place in oven for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until meat is tender. Add potatoes and carrots during last hour of cooking.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Cook bacon, brown meat and onions. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until tender. Add flour mixture or a cornstarch slurry during last hour of cooking, to thicken soup.

Instant Pot Beef Stew: Brown bacon, meat and onions using sauté setting on the IP. Turn IP off. Add remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Stir in flour mixture or cornstarch slurry at the end, to thicken.