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This Hearty Beef Stew is full of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory broth. It’s a simple, old-fashioned beef stew that’s especially good on a chilly day. Serve it with some warm bread to soak up all that delicious broth!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This stew is so rich in flavor! Thanks for the recipe!” – Anna
“So flavorful. We all loved it.” – Allison
“I made this stew for dinner last week. Me and my husband loved it! It was so easy to make.” – Trinette
A Favorite Family Dinner
This beef stew has been a family favorite for years. It’s an easy dinner to make when the weather starts getting colder, and I love that you can throw everything into one pot and let it simmer until the beef is nice and tender.
We usually serve it with fresh apple slices and some homemade honey whole wheat bread or buttermilk biscuits. It’s a simple meal, but it’s filling, and there’s nothing better than having some warm bread to dip into the stew!
🩷 Erica
Hearty Beef Stew Ingredients
You don’t need anything fancy to make a good beef stew! Just beef, vegetables, a few seasonings, and some time to let everything simmer until tender.
- Beef and cooking oil: Use cubed steak or beef stew meat. Beef chuck is a good choice because it becomes tender as it cooks. Cut the pieces into roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You’ll also need a little cooking oil to brown the beef before adding the other ingredients.
- Vegetables: Onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, frozen corn, and frozen peas. Cut the potatoes and carrots into similar-sized pieces. The corn and peas go in toward the end so they don’t get overcooked.
- Broth and seasonings: Beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper. Start with a little Tabasco and adjust to your liking. You can always add more!
- Tomato juice and cornstarch: Tomato juice goes into the broth toward the end of cooking. If you prefer a thicker stew, you can stir in a little cornstarch mixed with cold broth. It’s completely optional.
How to Make the Best Beef Stew
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed beef and brown it on all sides, turning the pieces as little as possible so they get a good sear. Browning the beef adds flavor to the stew.
- Season the beef with Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, then sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
- Transfer the beef and onion mixture to a large pot. Add the beef broth, potatoes, and carrots. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for about an hour, or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. Check the beef, too. If it’s still chewy, give it more time to simmer until it becomes tender.
- About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen corn, peas, and tomato juice. Continue simmering until the vegetables are heated through.
- If you like a thicker stew, mix about a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little cold beef broth until smooth, then stir it into the simmering stew. Add more broth if it gets too thick, and finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips for the Best Beef Stew
A few easy ways to make this beef stew your own:
- Use leftover roast: Have some leftover roast beef from Sunday dinner? You can use it instead of steak. It’s a great way to use up leftovers!
- Add extra vegetables: Mushrooms, celery, green beans, or bell peppers are all good options. Just keep in mind that some vegetables cook faster than others, so adjust when you add them.
- Change up the seasonings: A little rosemary or thyme works well with beef stew. If you like some heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little extra Tabasco sauce.
- Don’t rush the beef: If the potatoes and carrots are cooked but the beef is still chewy, give it more time to simmer. Tougher cuts of beef need time to become tender.
READ NEXT: Easy Crockpot Soup Recipes
Storing and Reheating Beef Stew
Beef stew makes great leftovers! The flavors have more time to blend together, and it’s easy to reheat for another meal.
- Refrigerator: Let the stew cool slightly, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Leftovers will keep for 3–4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled stew in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little room for expansion. Keep in mind that potatoes can get a little soft or grainy after freezing.
- Reheating: Thaw frozen stew overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through to 165°F. Add a splash of beef broth or water if the stew has thickened too much.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
Beef stew is pretty much a meal on its own, but it’s always nice to have something to soak up that extra broth! A batch of soft, buttery homemade dinner rolls is a great choice. You can also serve it with cornbread or a simple green salad if you want something on the side.
More Delicious Soup and Stew Recipes
Hearty Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons cooking oil, (for browning the beef)
- 2 pounds steak, cubed
- Tabasco sauce, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into large cubes
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup tomato juice, or to taste
- cornstarch, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides.
- Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add onions and garlic, sauté until onions become clear.
- Transfer to a large pot and add beef broth, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour (or until potatoes are cooked through) if you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer.
- About 20 minutes before serving, add corn, peas, and tomato juice and simmer until ready to serve.
- If you like your stew thick, add about 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to some beef broth, stir until smooth, then stir into the stew.
- Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
How to Make Beef Stew in the Crock Pot
- Add the beef, onion, garlic, beef broth, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the potatoes and carrots during the last 2–3 hours of cooking, allowing enough time for them to become fork-tender.
- Stir in the frozen corn and peas during the last 20–30 minutes of cooking, just long enough to heat them through.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, stir in a cornstarch slurry near the end of cooking and allow the broth to thicken before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I cooked this for my wife with peanut butter and honey sandwich 🤤 it was so delicious thank you for sharing
What a sweet husband you are! I am sure she loved it!
So flavorful. We all loved it. I didn’t have tomato juice so i added just a tablespoon of tomato paste and it was just enough. Great job, Erica.
Thanks Allison! You are the best, and so good to hear from you! It has been a long time! Hope you are doing well!
mmm…the perfect comfort food!! YUM!!
Beef stew is a classic & favorite of ours!! This weather in AZ has made me crave some…so I will be adding it to the menu this week!
This is a great one to keep on hand for Fall. I love the hearty comforting flavors!
There’s a very similar Vietnamese beef stew recipe and it reminds me of my mother and her cooking. Love! Wonderful for fall.
This stew is so rich in flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
It says tomato juice in the ingredients but tomato sauce down in the directions. which is it supposed to be?
I made this stew for dinner last week. Me and my husband loved it! It was so easy to make. I threw in some matchstick carrots and 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables that I had on hand–there were plenty of carrots. 🙂 I replaced the tomato juice with a small can of V8 juice. Yum! This one is a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
This stew sounds like something that my husband would love!