Dutch Oven Thick & Hearty Beef Stew

Hearty beef stew is so easy, budget-friendly, and a perfect one-pot meal.  

It’s rich, thick, comforting, and amazingly delicious.  Cold weather months are easier with these types of meals.

Beef stew in a white bowl.

What You’ll Need

  • Chuck roast – Or beef stew meat. Chuck roast is the perfect cut of beef for slow cooking. It’s the best choice for stews.
  • Salt and black pepper – For seasoning of the meat.
  • Vegetables – Carrots, celery, onion, garlic cloves, and potatoes.
  • Vegetable oil – Or canola oil.
  • Flour – This is for making a roux to thicken the stew.
  • Spices for Beef Stew – Dried thyme, bay leaves, dried oregano, and tomato paste – For scrumptious flavor!
  • Red wine and beef broth – If you don’t want to use the wine, just substitute it with additional beef stock.

How to Make A Hearty Beef Stew

Diced potatoes, carrots, and celery in a white bowl.

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Prepare the beef stew ingredients.  

On medium-high heat, add the oil to a large dutch oven or large, heavy pot (one that has a tight-fitting lid).

Add the beef and brown it very well when it begins to smoke slightly. Do it in batches, don’t crowd the pan. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Browned cubed meat in a white bowl.

Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Beef stew in a blue dutch oven.

Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.

If you don’t cook with wine and are absolutely opposed to it, just use an equal amount of beef broth (1 cup) as a replacement.  I don’t recommend it, the wine gives such a depth of flavor to this beef stew. I wouldn’t want you to miss out.

Simmer the wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, tomato paste, and beef.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew - Thick, creamy, flavorful comfort food from your slow cooker!

We are not going to bring this to a boil. We want a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on very low for about 1 hour.

Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with your crusty bread, and enjoy! My family loves this deep rich-flavored stew! Comfort food at its finest.

Do you have to sear stew meat?

Searing the meat seals in flavor and adds a nice depth of color to the stew.

How long to cook beef stew?

From beginning to end it should take about 2 hours to cook beef stew.

How can I make my beef stew recipe more flavorful?

Sear the meat – Season the meat with salt and pepper. Searing the meat in batches locks in flavor, leaving browned bits on the bottom of the pan that gets scraped up during the deglazing.
Deglazing – Deglazing the pan with wine also adds good flavor.
Slow cooking – A slow, gentle cook helps tenderize the meat and allows the flavors to develop.

Storing

Cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop slowly over medium heat.

Freezing

Freeze the completely cooled beef stew in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind the potatoes will change in texture.

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Hearty Beef Stew - Thick, rich and amazingly delicious. The beef melts in your mouth.

Dutch Oven Thick & Hearty Beef Stew Recipe

Thick, rich, and amazingly delicious stew. The beef melts in your mouth.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 385kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 2 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Pepper, more to taste
  • 1 large Onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Red Wine (the one you would drink)
  • 4 cups Beef broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
  • 4 medium Carrots,
  • 3 stalks Celery, including tops/leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 large Russet Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

  • On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a dutch oven or large heavy pot (one that has a tight-fitting lid).
  • When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon set aside.
  • Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.
  • Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, tomato paste and the beef.
  • Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.
  • Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 989mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5208IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg

Adapted from about.com

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15 Comments

  1. That looks so delicious. I know it is not always easy to make savory dishes look inviting in photos. You have done just a wonderful job of conveying delicious to us through your photos.
    Thanks so much for bringing this to the Blogger’s Pit Stop.Every post adds value for us all. We love to see you enjoying the blogging experience and we want to help you do that.
    Kathleen, Pit Stop Crew

  2. Perfect for a cold winters night! Yum! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you tomorrow!! Pinned!

  3. I make a very similar beef stew and it is so yummy! Once in a while I use pearl onions and they are fun and delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    1. Oooo pearl onions sound great in this stew! I’m going to try that next time. Thanks for stopping by Jann and have a great Thanksgiving!

  4. First let me say, your pictures are making me hungry! Pinning and tweeting to share. Thank you for coming by and sharing your recipes with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    ~Laurie

  5. The weather just finally turned cold here in Minnesota so I am craving any warm comfort food like stew, soup, or chili. This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing on the Small Victories Sunday Linkup!

  6. Yum! This stew looks fabulous! My husband was just mentioning to me how much he loves stew. I’m going to have to make him some of this!

    I was “parked” by you today on Think Tank, and I’m glad to find your post.

    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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