Best Beef Stew Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jan 27, 2026 
On a cool, crisp evening, nothing beats winding down with a hearty bowl of my mom’s best beef stew recipe. I’m obsessed with the herbaceous melt-in-your-mouth beef chunks simmered in the most savory veggie-packed broth. This one-pot meal is a great make-ahead and comfort in every spoonful.
Growing up, beef stew was a weekly staple in our family, and my mom truly makes the best beef stew recipe. Trust me, I’ve tasted many versions, but nobody’s stew comes close to my mom’s. It’s perfectly chunky, yet with the most tender pieces of beef, soft, silky vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms, and a rich herb-packed, broth base. The comforting and cozy feeling my mom’s stew creates is what inspired my recipe. It’s hearty and nourishing like my beef and lentil stew, but with more veggies in every bite.
Jessica Burgess – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This beef stew is a new go-to! I didn’t realize it was so easy to make until I tried this recipe and it’s the best we’ve ever had!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Incredible Leftovers – This slow-simmered beef stew makes the best leftovers. That’s exactly why I make a bigger batch than I need, so that I can enjoy these comforting bowls of goodness for a few days in a row, especially during the winter.
Tender Beef – The secret to making the best beef stew is letting the beef simmer low and slow for a few hours. There’s nothing like eating a chunk of melt-in-your-mouth meat that is incredibly tender and soft. I’ll show you how.
Family Favorite – This is the kind of recipe that everyone at the dinner table loves. Adults and kids alike go for seconds, and let me tell you, it’s hard to get everyone on the same page when it comes to dinner preferences!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Thick-cut bacon – Instead of oil or butter to sauté the veggies, I cook with bacon fat to add that luxurious porky essence and extra depth of flavor.
- Beef chuck roast – Chuck roast offers just the right amount of fat marbling, so the beef cooks down slowly into tender morsels. Using high-quality ingredients is important in a beef stew this delicious. But you can go for a cheaper cut of beef since it will cook slow to tender perfection.
- Stewed tomatoes – I add canned stewed tomatoes for balance and color. Make sure to break them up with a wooden spoon, or crush them in your hands before adding them to the pot.
- Italian seasoning – Dried herbs are perfect for beef stew and soups. The long simmer time brings out their flavors.
- Beef broth – I love to use a really good quality beef broth for my stews. You can also use beef bouillon, or beef base with water, or mushroom broth.
- Red wine – Adding a splash of red wine gives the stew that little extra something. It’s not necessary, but it does make a difference in overall flavor. Use either cooking wine or a regular wine you like to drink.
- Russet potatoes – For chunky goodness and thickening, I like to use russet potatoes, but you can also use Yukon gold potatoes if you have those on hand.
- Mushrooms – Paired with beef, they create a rich, earthy umami flavor.
- Onion – The background of all great dishes, I build the base of this savory broth with freshly chopped sweet onions.
- Carrots – Carrots give a pop of color and a subtle sweetness to every spoonful of this hearty stew.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Chop – I start off by chopping up all of the veggies, except for the potatoes. We’ll do those later.
Sizzle – Since we all know that bacon makes everything taste better, now is the time to sizzle that pork fat before adding in the vegetables.
Sauté the veggies – I add the chopped onions, celery, and garlic into that delicious melted bacon fat and I let them soften.
Brown the beef – I gently move the cooked veggies to the side of the pot and I add in the chunks of beef. I give them a nice sear until they’re golden brown on all sides.
Add more veggies, herbs, and broth – Once the beef has that gorgeous golden crust, I toss in the rest of the veggies — carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes — herbs, broth, and red wine.
I cover the pot and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
Potato time – Finally, I throw the peeled and chopped potato chunks into the simmering stew and I let those cook until they’re soft. I like to give the beef a head-start and add the potatoes about 30 minutes into the cooking time. That way, they are soft and still thicken the stew base, without fully disintegrating.
Simmer – Cover the pot and let it simmer another hour or so, until the beef chunks are ultra tender. There’s nothing worse than tough beef in a stew.
Recipe Variations
- Sweet potatoes – For added sweetness, you can swap the regular potatoes with sweet potatoes.
- Heat – Stir in a dash of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for some added spice.
- Creamy – Add a splash of heavy cream to make this stew a bit creamier.
- Fresh herbs – To boost the herby flavors, add a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme into the pot as the stew simmers.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty beef stew is pretty wholesome and filling on its own. But sometimes we all need an extra something, so here are some of my favorite add-ons to serve alongside it:
- Easy garlic bread
- Southern biscuits
- A dollop of burrata
- Chunks of fresh and creamy avocado
- A side of mashed potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
If your stew isn’t as thick as you want it to be, you can add a cornstarch slurry. Simply mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and whisk well. Then pour that into the stew, stir, and simmer. You can add more after that if it still isn’t as thick as you want it!
Sure, you can! Frozen corn kernels are a great add-in, along with chopped bell peppers, zucchini, and lima beans.
Storing
Beef stew will last seven days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until reheated! Store cooled leftovers in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 9 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before reheating on the stovetop.
Looking for More Amazing Soups and Stews? Be Sure to Try:
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Best Beef Stew Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms, quartered
- 28 ounces stewed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop all the meat and produce, except the potatoes. Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Then add the chopped bacon and brown it.
- Once the bacon is cooked add the chopped onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes to soften. Then push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add in the beef chunks. Stir and brown for another 5-10 minutes.
- Next add in the carrots, mushrooms, stewed tomatoes with juices, Italian seasoning, beef broth, red wine, 2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir, and break the tomatoes up a little with a wooden spoon. Then cover and bring to a boil.
- Let the beef stew simmer for about 30 minutes. Then peel and chop the potatoes and stir them into the pot.
- Cover and allow the stew to continue simmering on medium to medium-low for another 60-90 minutes, until the beef is very tender. Stir occasionally. When ready to serve, stir in the chopped parsley. Then taste, and salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- Start on the stovetop to brown the bacon, sauté the vegetables, and brown the beef as seen above.
- Then transfer it to a large slow cooker, and add all remaining ingredients, except the parsley.
- Cover, and slow cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. Stir in the parsley when ready to serve.
- Reduce the entire recipe by half. (Use our Servings Slider in the recipe above to adjust the ingredient measurements.)
- Sauté the bacon, onions, celery, and garlic in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
- Then add all ingredients and set on Pressure Cook High for 20 minutes.
- Perform a Quick Release. Once the button drops, it’s safe to open the lid.
This beef stew is a new go-to! I didn’t realize it was so easy to make until I tried this recipe and it’s the best we’ve ever had!
Hi can anyone tell me if I cook 4 1/2 lbs of meat should I triple the ingredients? I’ve never cooked that much soup or stew before
Hi Heidi,
Whoa, that’s a lot of meat for beef stew! LOL! Yes, you can triple the recipe. You may need three large pots to do it though. Or you can portion out the beef you need for 1-2 recipes and freeze the rest.
Perfection!!!!!
Wonderful recipe!
This is so delicious… Very very tasty.
Just as easy as the recipe indicated. Delicious! This will be a staple in our home from now on!
Great and simple recipe, I made only one adjustment – I did not use as much broth. I felt there were plenty of liquids with the stew tomatoes, used about 4 Cups of broth instead of the 8 Cups. Stew came out great and the family loved it! It will be a keeper.