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Beef Stew

This classic beef stew simmers beef chuck in a deep mahogany broth with tender potatoes and carrots. Flour-tossed, batch-seared beef plus a wine deglaze builds rich flavor, then it finishes with peas for a chunky, hearty bowl.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef stew base
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
  • 3 carrots, cut into thick rounds
  • 3 celery, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 1 cup frozen peas added at end
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and brown the beef
  1. Toss the beef chuck cubes with all-purpose flour to coat lightly, then shake off excess flour so it browns instead of clumps. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
  2. Sear the beef in batches over high heat until deeply browned on multiple sides, about 4-6 minutes total per batch. Remove browned beef to a plate and sear the rest.
Build the stew base
  1. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Stir in beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, dried thyme, and bay leaves, then return browned beef.
Simmer until tender, then finish
  1. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 60-75 minutes until the beef is very tender.
  2. Add the cubed Yukon gold potatoes and cook for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally for even cooking. Add the frozen peas and cook for 3 minutes until warmed through.
  3. Remove bay leaves from the pot, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with a thick, chunky broth clinging to the meat and vegetables.

Notes

For the richest texture, don’t overcrowd the beef while searing—work in batches so you get deep browning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing works well up to 3 months, but add peas after thawing if you want them to stay bright green. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire and season with salt only at the end.