Beef stew with potatoes is the ultimate comfort food for a cool fall or winter day. Combine stew meat, potatoes, spices, and veggies in a large pot and simmer your way to a delicious dinner for the entire family!
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Old-fashioned Beef Stew Recipe
One of my favorite things about the fall is the cooler weather and all the yummy comfort foods that just taste better when it’s cold outside.
I’m talking about soups, stews, casseroles, and all those other things you don’t really want to eat during the summer because it’s so hot outside. I’m already dreaming about homemade chicken noodle soup, beef barley soup, and Cincinnati chili!
I remember my mom making beef stew when I was growing up, and I got so impatient while it simmered because it smelled so good on the stove!
This beef stew recipe is comfort food at its finest and reminds me of that old-fashioned beef stew my mom used to make. Stew meat, potatoes, and veggies all combined with one super flavorful broth.
The entire family will love the amazing flavor and there’s nothing weird about it – just meat and potatoes, so it’s great for picky eaters! Plus, it’s super easy to make and even easier to clean up (one pot meals for the win!).
It’s like the old-fashioned beef stew you used to eat but with way more flavor!
Beef Stew Ingredients
Ingredient notes & Substitutions
- Stew meat – make sure you’re getting stew meat at the store, it’s designed for things like this beef stew where the meat will be cooked for long periods of time. If you can’t find stew meat, you can cut up chunks of chuck roast or chuck beef.
- Spices – all of the spices listed in the recipe are dried spices. The dried spice mixture flavors the broth really well, so I recommend using dried and not fresh.
- Beef broth – we recommend a low-sodium beef broth for this recipe. If you use a regular one that’s not low-sodium, the broth may end up being a bit too salty. Cut the salt in half then salt to taste. You can also use beef bone broth.
- Olive oil – can also use avocado oil to brown the meat
- Potatoes – we like to use regular russet potatoes in this because they tend to hold their texture for longer than small potatoes, but you could substitute others as well if you have them on hand. Just make sure they’re fairly large chunks so they don’t dissolve too fast. Also, don’t skip the potatoes – beef stew with potatoes is so much better than beef stew without!
- Garlic – this recipe calls for both fresh garlic and garlic powder (granules). The fresh garlic is used to season the veggies and the garlic powder is used to season the actual soup broth!
Note!
I know most beef stew recipes use onion, but I personally can’t have onions (because they make me sick) so we’ve added flavor in different ways with the celery and garlic. I promise you won’t miss the onion – this beef stew is super flavorful without it!
How to make Beef Stew with Potatoes
While this beef stew does take a little while to cook, the results are worth it – trust me! And the prep and cooking are super simple, there are just a few steps to it.
1 – Prep Your Ingredients
First, you need to cut your veggies. The goal is to cut everything – celery, carrots, and potatoes – into 1 inch chunks so that they all cook and serve evenly.
If you make them uneven, you’ll end up with carrots that are cooked and celery that’s still super crunchy.
2 – Cook the Stew Meat
Once your veggies are cooked, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Everything will be made in the one pot making cleanup a breeze when the beef stew is done!
Remove beef from the packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer and cook for about five minutes until it has a nice sear, browning each side for about a minute before switching over to the other.
If not all meat fits in one layer, brown the meat in batches – brown one half and then repeat with the other half of the meat. Once all the meat is browned, remove from the pot and set aside for later.
3 – Cook the Veggies
Add the olive oil to the same pot you just took the meat out of and stir to coat the bottom.
Add your celery, carrots, and a pinch of salt and cook for about four minutes. Stir every minute or so until the vegetables have lightly browned.
You can see in the photo below the size and shape of how to cut the veggies. They’re all about the same size so that they cook in about the same amount of time.
Once the veggies are cooked, it’s time to add your garlic and spices. Add them all at once and cook for one minute – stirring constantly so you don’t burn the garlic.
4 – Add the beef
After cooking the garlic or a minute, add the beef you cooked and reserved earlier back into the pot, along with any juices that might’ve snuck out with the beef.
Sprinkle the beef with the flour and stir for three minutes or until all the flour has dissolved. This will help to thicken the beef stew once liquid is added.
5 – Add the beef broth
Add one cup of the beef broth and stir into the beef mixture to deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon.
Make sure to scrap up all of the browned bits from the beef and vegetables from the bottom and the sides as you are stirring – those are what will give it the good flavor!
Add the remaining three cups beef broth and sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. I promise the sugar doesn’t add too much sweetness, but we’ve tested it without it and it’s not as good! And it’s just one tbsp!
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for an hour. The stew should reduce and thicken a good amount while it’s simmering.
6 – Finish the beef stew with potatoes
After the hour simmering, add the potatoes, stir, and bring the heat back up until the beef stew is simmering again. Simmer for about another hour or until the beef and potatoes are fork tender.
So while this easy beef stew recipe may take a while to cook, it’s super easy to do and totally worth it!
Once the potatoes and beef are tender, remove the bay leaf and season with salt to taste.
Serve immediately while the soup is nice and warm.
Let people add any salt and pepper they want to own individual bowl, although hopefully they won’t need much of it!
Expert Tips & Storage Info
Store any leftovers of this soup in a refrigerator safe airtight container for up to five days. Or freeze for up to three months – it freezes great!
Make this gluten free by replacing the flour with a gluten-free alternative like tapioca starch/flour.
Don’t crowd the pan. You want the stew meat to all fit in one layer so that it browns nicely. Take the extra five minutes to brown it in two different groups if necessary.
Cut the potatoes in 1-inch cubes or larger so that they don’t totally dissolve into the soup. You want the stew to still have large chunks of veggies and potatoes to bite into.
Wait to cut potatoes until the stew is simmering the first time. Then you do not have to worry about them browning before they get added to the stew.
Recipe FAQs
What is the best meat for beef stew?
Beef stew meat is best for beef stew. It’ll come already cut up in small chunks and is perfect for just tossing in and browning.
Do I have to brown the meat for beef stew?
Yes, brown the stew meat first before you start cooking everything else. This guarantees that the meat is fully cooked and adds to the flavor of the meat. Plus, it’ll give you nice little browned bits when you deglaze the pot later!
Can you freeze beef stew?
Beef stew freezes great! Store in freezer safe containers for up to three months. Reheat either in the oven (if the container if is oven safe) or transfer back to the stove stop and reheat. We love these souper cubes for freezing soup – you store them in serving sizes then just pop them out (they’re silicone) into the pot to warm back up!
What foods go with beef stew?
Beef stew would be great served with some yummy bread or these garlic breadsticks and a fruit salad. Otherwise, everything you need is included in the stew!
How can I thicken my beef stew?
Adding the flour to the stew should thicken the stew plenty but if it’s not thick enough to your liking, let it keep simmering until more of the liquid has evaporated.
What are the best potatoes for beef stew?
The best potatoes for beef stew in my opinion are russet potatoes because they’re easy to cut into large cubes and they tend to hold their texture better than other varieties while simmering with the stew. You want them to still have their shape and texture, not just dissolve into the stew.
Do I have to peel potatoes before cooking?
I highly recommend peeling your potatoes before chopping and cooking in this easy beef stew. There aren’t too many to peel and the extra minute will be worth it.
More Soup Recipes
If you like beef stew, make sure to try out these other delicious soup recipes!
- Homemade chicken and noodles – this chicken noodle soup combines rotisserie chicken with homemade egg noodles for the best classic soup!
- Copycat zuppa toscana – an Olive Garden copycat that can be either made regular or made Whole 30 friendly!
- Beef barley soup – another great option for anyone who likes beef!
- Best white chicken chili – a winter staple in our house full of chicken and flavor!
- Cincinnati chili – our version of the Cincinnati classic!
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Beef Stew with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef stew meat
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 celery ribs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried garlic granules or garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 TBS flour
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth divided
- 1 TBS sugar
- 4 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Pat beef dry with a paper towel.1 lb beef stew meat
- Add the beef in a single layer in the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, browning each side for about a minute. Do not crowd the meat in the pot. If not all the meat fits, brown half, and then repeat the process with the second half. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- Add the olive oil and stir to coat the bottom of the pot.1 TBS olive oil
- Add the carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook for 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the vegetables have lightly browned.4 medium carrots, 4 celery ribs
- Add the garlic and other spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent the garlic from burning.4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried garlic granules or garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 bay leaf
- Add the beef and any juices back to the pot.
- Sprinkle with the flour and stir for 3 minutes, until all the flour has dissolved.2 TBS flour
- Add one cup of the broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up all of the browned bits left by the beef and vegetables.4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- Add the remaining broth and sugar and bring to a boil.1 TBS sugar
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the potatoes, stir, regain the simmer, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef and potatoes are tender.4 medium russet potatoes
- Discard the bay leaf, season with salt to taste, and serve warm.
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