The Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (video)
When it comes to flavor, this classic beef stew isn’t messing around! This is seriously the best beef stew recipe ever! It’s made with chunks of slow-braised beef, baby potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and peas. This hearty and warming chunky stew is so aromatic and flavorful, you’ll be coming back to this dinner recipe again and again!
Watch My Stew Video Tutorial!
Watch my YouTube video for step-by-step instructions on how to make beef stew! Plus, tips and tricks to make the best soup ever! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Making Stew
Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe!
- Beef Tri-Tip: this cut of beef will become super tender when cooked for a few hours. You can also use beef roast.
- Red wine: the red wine will add lots of great flavor to this recipe. You can make this recipe without the red wine, just substitute with more beef broth. I recommend using a dry red wine, such as cabernet or zinfandel.
- Potatoes: I love to use baby potatoes but regular potatoes will work great, too!
- Mushrooms: these are optional but I love to have them in my beef stew.
- Beef Broth: I recommend using a bone beef broth, which is so hearty!
- Worcestershire Sauce: this sauce is savory and adds lots of great flavor.
- Tomato sauce
- Garlic, onions, celery, carrots
How to Make the Best Beef Stew
The secret to making the best stew is time! The longer the stew gets to simmer away, the better it’s going to taste! Because it requires a few hours of cooking time, this dinner recipe is perfect for making on the weekend.
- Start by choosing the right meat: I recommend using large, 1 1/2-inch chunks of beef tri-tip, beef roast or even beef short ribs. Preheat a large pan and sear the meat all over, giving it nice color. This step is going to add lots of flavor so don’t rush the process!
- I love a good, chunky soup and this one is made with halved baby potatoes, carrots, sliced mushrooms and even peas! The baby potatoes are sweet and tender, making them perfect for this recipe. For the sweet peas, either fresh or frozen will work well.
- And for the mushrooms, I recommend going with baby bella mushrooms – they’re firm in texture and delicious! After browning the mushrooms, I add a few tablespoons of flour, which will help thicken the stew as it cooks.
- The beef and vegetables then combined with red wine, beef broth, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. If you don’t use wine for cooking, you can replace it with more beef broth but I highly recommend adding it. The wine will add lots of flavor that you just can’t get otherwise.
- I also season the beef stew with smoked paprika and Italian herbs. Once the stew comes up to a boil, reduce the heat and it cook away for at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours – the longer it simmers, the softer and more tender the beef will be.
Italian Herbs Seasoning
I like to add my own Italian herb blend to this soup recipe and it’s super easy to make: I combine 1/2 teaspoon EACH of the following dried herbs: basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. If you enjoy fennel seed, add about 4 to 5 seeds. This is a great herb blend for the stew and can also be used for other recipes!
Serving Beef Stew
There are so many great ways to enjoy this hearty and chunky stew! I love to enjoy it with a side of toasted baguette. You can also enjoy it with biscuits, or even over a bed of rice!
Common Recipe Questions
Can I make this stew without the red wine?
Yes, you can make this beef stew without the wine. Keep in mind, the alcohol will cook out very quickly, so this stew is safe for kids, too! You can replace the wine with more beef broth.
How can I make this stew thicker?
For a thicker stew, you can do either one of two things. You can double the amount of flour, or you can reduce the amount of beef broth.
Can I omit the mushrooms?
Yes, this stew will be delicious without the mushrooms, too!
More Recipes!
If you enjoyed this hearty and warming recipe, check out some of my other favorite dinner recipes!
- Braised Beef Short Ribs – the best recipe for fall-off-the-bone, extra tender short ribs in a red wine tomato sauce!
- Smoky Chipotle Beef Chili – warming and hearty chili with loads of beef and smoky chipotle peppers!
- Stewed Beef & Potatoes – a favorite Slavic recipe that’s packed with flavor!
- Classic Italian Lasagna – the best ever cheese and meat lasagna made with slow-cooked bolognese sauce!
- Ukrainian Braised Pork – hearty pork shoulder braised in a creamy mushroom sauce with mashed potatoes!
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The Best Ever Beef Stew Recipe (video)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef tri-tip, roast or short ribs
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3 medium celery sticks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 small mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 1/2 tsp Italian herbs blend
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- Ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 cups halved baby potatoes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of oil. Once the pan is hot, add the cubed beef, season generously with salt and fry for 7 to 10 minutes, until well browned all over. Transfer the beef into a large soup pot. Deglaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the liquids to the soup pot.
- Into the same frying pan, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and the carrots, celery and onion. Saute the mixture over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the onion is tender, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the mirepoix mixture into the soup pot. Into the frying pan, add the butter and allow it to melt before adding the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes, until well browned all over. Season the mushrooms with salt and then add the flour. Toss the mushrooms in the flour so they're evenly coated and cook for 1 minute; transfer the mushrooms into the pot.
- To the soup pot, add the red wine, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, beef broth, spices and herbs. Season generously with black pepper and abou 1 1/2 tsp salt. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering the soup for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the potatoes and frozen peas; if using fresh peas, add them 10 minutes later. Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Garnish the stew with chopped parsley and enjoy.
- Optional: for a richer stew, add the potatoes and continue cooking for an additional hour, bringing the total cooking to 2 or 2 1/2 hours.
I saw your recipe and really like to try it. Question: can i use slow cooker to cook this dish? If yes, how can it be done? Thank u!
Yes, this would be so great in a slow cooker! You would need to follow the recipe, frying the beef and veggies first. Then place everything into the slow cooker, including the potatoes, and set it on high heat for about 6 to 7 hours. Cook until the meat is very tender. If you want your stew to be on the thicker side, reduce the beef broth from 4 cups to 3. Enjoy! 🙂
Recipe is great. I’ve been making this for years now and by far this is my favorite beef stew recipe ever! But when you use slow cooker (which I’ve tried) you don’t need beef stock, in fact I highly recommend you to not to use beef stock cause coking beef for hours in beef broth, makes the soup way too greasy. If you are using slow cooker, just use water. It’s still perfectly delicious, this recipe is that good!
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! 🙂 And thank you so much for sharing your tips for using the slow cooker! Very helpful!
Recipe is great. CcI’ve been making this stew for months now and it is by far my favorite beef stew recipe ever!
But when you use slow cooker (which I’ve tried) you don’t need beef stock, in fact I highly recommend you to not to use beef stock cause coking beef for hours in beef broth, makes the soup way too greasy. If you are using slow cooker, just use water. It’s still perfectly delicious, this recipe is that good!
Hey Tatty love your recipe! Cooking it right now for my dinner party tonight. Bet it will be a winner – only small mention. Got a bit confused about what you meant by tomatoe sauce. So I used tomatoe paste instead. Hope that does the job. Also when do you put the sugar in?
xoxo
Eunice
Hi Eunice! I hope you loved the stew! For the tomato sauce, I used simple, pureed tomatoes. Sorry about the confusion! A bit of tomato paste should have worked great! I add the sugar with the rest of the seasonings.
Recipe is great. CcI’ve been making this for years now and by far this is my favorite beef stew recipe ever! But when you use slow cooker (which I’ve tried) you don’t need beef stock, in fact I highly recommend you to not to use beef stock cause coking beef for hours in beef broth, makes the soup way too greasy. If you are using slow cooker, just use water. It’s still perfectly delicious, this recipe is that good!
What kind of red wine do you use??
I recommend a dry red wine such as cabernet, zinfandel or merlot. Enjoy!
Made this the other day and was SO yummy! Several of my friends asked for the recipe and I happily forwarded the link to your page. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that!! 🙂 And thank you so much for sharing my recipe! 🙂
What type/brand of red wine do you recommend?
I love using a good cabernet for this recipe. Any brand that you enjoy drinking will work well for this recipe 🙂
LOVEDDDD this recipe!! I used Italian passata in place of the Italian herbs and tomato sauce and it was perfect! Will definitely keep this recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
amazing!! I have made this stew probably 5 times over the past few months. My boyfriend loves it, I love it and it has now become a staple in our home. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Jessica! That’s amazing!! I’m so glad you and your family enjoy the recipe!! 🙂 Makes my day to hear that!
This look delish and I plan on making it. I don’t really like to drink red wine so I don’t know what brand of red wine would be a good choice to use in the recipe. But I would like to use it in this recipe since you have explained that it enhances the flavor. Can you please recommend a brand? I would hate to go to all the effort of making this and choosing a bad wine. Thank you!!
It’s so delicious, you’ll love it! 🙂 I usually use zinfandel or cabernet for cooking. A great grocery store brand is Bogle. They have a great old vine zinfandel wine, too! Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks for recipe, made it tonight and turned out very yummy.
could i reduce stock so it turns out abit thicker next time?
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, absolutely! You can cut it down to even half the amount for a very thick stew. You can also double the amount of flour.
Clearly, beef stew recipes are not all the same. ATK/CI was my go-to baseline for many years, and I’ve made the occasional Internet recipe, but man this is a home run. That stew broth was delicious even before i set the meat to simmer. My guess is the separate sautee and Worcester and something else or two I can’t quite put my finger on…maybe the mushroom/butter umami? I never put mushroom in beef stew before but wow. Your recipe is seriously an ORDER OF MAGNITUDE better than I tried in two decades of eating and making this.
Hi Lorrin! I’m so glad you found my recipe and gave it a try! Makes my day to hear about how much you enjoyed it! It’s definitely one of our favorite meals!
it is a liitle to sweet for me .i left the sugar out the second time. what do you suggest
Hi! If it’s still sweet even without the sugar, try adding a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice to the stew. It will add more acidity.
I decided to cook the meat all at once instead of batches, and unfortunately it overcrowded the pan, and even after 2 hours of simmering, was very chew. The baby potatoes were quartered and still weren’t cooked, I think I could have put them in the beginning. It also wasn’t very thick, which I think was because I didn’t have enough flour.
Hi Joseph! Sorry to hear that your stew didn’t turn out well. What heat setting did you have it on? Sounds like maybe the heat wasn’t high enough and the meat wasn’t cooking. I really like using tri-tip for this recipe, the meat always comes out tender. Hope the next try turns out better for you!
How do you make the b eef broth? Or do you buy that somewhere?
Hi Daniel! I used store-bought beef broth for this recipe.
Excellent recipe! Thank you so much Tatyana!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
So I rarely cook and didn’t think this would turn out good on the first shot…I was wrong. This stew was amazing. It was light but had a very hearty taste to it. The veggies were cooked to perfection. This is now my number one recipe for a feel good stew.
The best
I’m so glad you gave it a try! It’s my go-to stew recipe! Hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂
Flavor is marvelous, but way too thin, almost like a broth with ingredients
Try adding less beef broth next time. I like mine to be on the thinner side but it’s easy to adjust 🙂
Family loved it. Kids (15 & 13). Thanks alot for this great recipe!
Wonderful!! You’re very welcome! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit!
Is the zinfandel red or white?
Thank you!
Hi Barb! Use red wine for this recipe. A red zinfandel will work well. Enjoy!
i just cooked this, and it tastes so good and the meat is so tender. thanks for the recipe
Wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for leaving a review!
This is the best tasting soup my family have ever tasted. They want more of this soup, my husband is asking how to thicken this soup a little more. It’s so delicious 😋
I’m so glad to hear that the recipe has been a hit with your family!! 🙂 To make the stew thicker, you can either increase the amount of flour or you can reduce the amount of beef broth/liquids you add. You can double the amount of flour for a thick stew. Enjoy!
This recipe sounds amazing.
What brand of potatoes do you use? And which ones?
It’s my absolute favorite! 🙂 I don’t use any particular brand of potatoes, just which ever are available at my local grocery stores. I like yellow baby potatoes since they’re sweet and have a good texture, but almost any variety will work well. You can even use regular, large potatoes and cube them into bite sized pieces. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank-you so much for responding. Gonna give this recipe a try. Will post soon. ☺
What type of red wine?
Just about any type of dry, not sweet, red wine will work. I enjoy cabernet, zinfandel and merlot for this recipe. Enjoy!
I made this dish 2 nights ago. my parents came over for dinner I wanted to wow them with this recipe and it did not fail. I however did not add the baby potatoes though, instead I ladeled the stew over a pile of fresh mashed potatoes that I cooked while the stew simmered. Life changing recipe!! loved it!!
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with everyone! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I love it 🥰
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
Hi. Recipe sounds delicious. My concern however is with the tenderness of the meat at the end. I suffer with teeth and gum issues and all meat dishes that I eat must be literally falling apart and/or super fork tender. I’ll gladly buy the tri-tips but will the meat truly come out tender as I’ve described if I prepare it as you’ve shown? Thank you. I look forward to trying this. Regards.
Hi Al! I understand your concern! Yes, the meat does become quite tender. I recommend letting the stew simmer for a good 2 or even 2 1/2 hours on low heat to get that super tender beef. I think the longer, the better and more flavorful! Hope you love the stew!
Hi how much time do I leave it to simmer on my induction cooktop please?
Hi! I like to do 2 to 3 hours, the longer the better! The beef will get very tender! Enjoy 🙂
All I have is a red burgundy wine, will that work?
Hi! Yes, that will work great, too! Enjoy 🙂
Is a five quart Dutch oven to small for this recipe?
It should fit but it will be a tight squeeze. Enjoy!
The best stew!! My mom taught me at a young age how to make stew with no recipe.. lol. Tonight I wanted to try something new and I trusted you with the recipe. So glad that I did, it’s the best stew I ever had! Great flavor and delicious!
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you decided to give my recipe a try and so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This is my second time using your fabulous recipe. This time I had exactly 1 C left of red wine to add this time. This recipe is so outstanding, thank you for sharing it with us. Today is Nov 1, cold rainy blustery day….perfect weather for this wonderful recipe!!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy this recipe! It’s my favorite for cold fall and winter days!
Thank you so much for sharing, my kids love it so much😘
You’re very welcome! I’m so happy the recipe was a hit!
I love this recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Hi there,
Is the consistency supposed to be like soup or more thick? in the video it looks like soup.
Hi! I prefer my stew on the thinner side. If you want a thicker stew, simply reduce the amount of beef broth you add, or increase the amount of flour. Enjoy!
The ingredients for this recipe were spot on. Instead of using a fry pan, I browned the meat in my Dutch oven, then set them aside on a platter. I cooked and cooked the onion, carrot, celery & garlic in the same pot. Reduced with the wine, tomato sauce, etc… its braising now. It smells great.
Thanks for sharing your tips! I’m so happy you loved the recipe! 🙂
This is by far the best recipe for beef stew that I’ve tried! Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re very welcome! I’m so happy everyone loved the recipe! It’s my favorite, too, especially for cold winter days! Thanks for leaving a review!
I’ve tried dozens of beef stew recipes over the years, and this one truly surpasses them all. The flavors are amazing!!! Thank you for creating yet another incredible recipe!
Comments like these make my day! I’m so happy you loved my stew recipe! It’s one of my favorites! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
The nutritional info is for 1 cup?
Nutritional info is calculated per serving, not cup. Each serving is approximately 2 cups; the recipe makes about 16 cups or 8 servings. Enjoy!
Excellent recipe for the winter storm. Men loved it!
Yes, it’s perfect for winter time!! So hearty and warming! Glad to hear it was a hit 🙂
I made this once before and we all loved it. We butcher our own cow so I have stew meat to use up. Would this come out just as good using that instead of tri tip? TIA
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, stew meat will work fantastic here, too! Enjoy! 🙂
Great recipe – had no trouble getting it to our desired thickness – used half the beef bone broth, deglazed the pan with the Cab Sav red wine I used and reduced it by about half during that process – cooked in a Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven in the oven and left the lid off in the later stages on low temperature. Used half and half beans and peas. Lovely flavour – thanks for posting!
Hi Marie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and thank you for sharing all the great tips!
If I double the recipe, will it have to simmer for longer?
It will take a little bit longer for the stew to come up to a boil. You’ll need to cook it for longer after adding the potatoes, too. Hope you love the recipe!
Fairly easy,very tasty with 1 COORS lite mixing with flour for 30 min at end of cooking cycle and using the new slow cooker to brown and duping grease and scraping fond in bottom no watching…….
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Looking good and I definitely want to make it 😊 thanks so much beautiful lady 👍
Hope you love the recipe!
Thank you Jessica, the stew was amazing. I think this was my very first stew and it came out well. I got stuck on movie while simmering it, so my cooking time was about 3,5h and it was still great. And another 5 portions are waiting for me in the freezer.
Last night was the first time I cook this. My family loved it. I deglazed the pan with water every time I used it. And that’s what I used instead of beef broth.
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Excellent Soup! I made this tonight for my family and everyone wanted seconds!
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad it was a huge hit with everyone! I always have to have seconds!
The best stew Iv ever eaten in my life!! I don’t drink but cook with wine and it sets it off from all the rest! Thank you for sharing! My whole family ate two big bowls a piece and I’m making it again tomorrow night!
Hi Aletha! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I always have 2 bowls, too! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This beef stew is amazing! This stew has probably been made 3 times this month. The whole family loves it, even my picky eater son. My biggest complaint so far is that there isn’t enough food for my growing boys. If I want to make a larger batch (not doubling it), what would I need to change? Just a little bigger, using 3.5 pounds of meat instead of 2.5 pounds.
Which ingredients should I increase in measurement to get the right taste? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Pamela! That’s so wonderful to hear! 🙂 I’m so happy you and your family have been loving this stew!
I would add a little extra of everything. For example, use an extra large onion, add an additional carrot and stick of celery, throw in a few extra potatoes, and a bit more of the seasonings. Depending on how thick you like your stew, you can keep or increase the amount of beef broth. This way, you’re getting more without having to double everything. Hope that helps!
You forgot the flour in the recipe.
Hmm, I seem to have it both in the ingredient list and in the instructions. Perhaps you missed it?
how can I print this recipe? I see no print feature?
Hi Clifford. If you go to the recipe card, there is a large ‘print’ button right at the top of the card. If you’re at the top of the post, simply click on ‘Jump to Recipe’ and it will take you straight to the card.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This has been my go to stew recipe for years! So delicious and my family loves it too.
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m very happy you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
How do I sign up to receive info on your recipes.
Hi Winona! Please head to the top of my page, or hit the menu button on the upper right hand corner. You should see a tab that says ‘Subscribe’. You’ll be prompt to enter your email address. You can also subscribe on YouTube.
Hubby home with a cold, saw your recipe, tried it and is truly so good that we did not speak while eating, too busy doing justice to your beef stew.
Hi Deborah! That makes me so happy! I’m very glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thank you sharing your recipe with us! We loved it and will add it to our collection of the best tasting recipes…Will share it with our family! We especially loved the wine taste! I give it 10 Stars:)
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so glad you and your family loved this recipe! It’s a favorite of ours, too!
Are the Nutrition-facts for one serving? I’ll test cooking this next time 🙂
Hi Tobias! Yes, I can usually get 8 large servings with this recipe. The recipe yields about 16 to 18 cups of stew, so approximately 2 cups per serving. Hope you enjoy it!
Delicious & Perfect for a cold Fall or Winter Dinner. I used 2 pkgs of beef stew for the meat, it was over 2 lbs, possibly a little over 2 1/2 lbs but there is plenty of broth if you have more meat than is called for. I OMITTED THE WINE & substituted beef broth instead. To make up for the flavor of the wine I added 2 tsp of Better Than Bullion(roasted beef base flavor) & the broth is rich & savory.
Hi Catherine! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thank you for sharing your tips and for taking the time to leave a review!