Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
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This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
With over 4,000 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the all-time most popular recipe on my website. It is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Chunks of well-marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce. It takes a few hours to make, but the recipe is mostly hands-off. Go ahead and make it a day or two ahead of time; the flavor improves the longer it sits.
This stew is part of my classic French recipe collection, which includes similar slow-cooking comfort food recipes, like coq au vin and braised short ribs, and impressive main courses, like steak au poivre or roast beef tenderloin with red wine sauce.
what you’ll need to make beef stew with carrots & potatoes
The most important thing is to start with the right cut of meat. You want to buy chuck roast that is well-marbled—that means it should have a good amount of white veins of fat running through it. Stay away from meat generically packaged as “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean (I can guarantee you it will not get tender, no matter how long you cook it).
For the wine, use any dry red (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
How To Make Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
Begin by removing any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to (like the one my knife is pointing to below), but don’t overdo it with the trimming, as the fat helps make the beef tender.
Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.
This step is a bit time-consuming but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew. (Note: it’s important not to crowd the pan — if you try to brown all the meat at once, it will steam instead of sear and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.)
Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pan. The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor.
Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.
Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.
Stir until the flour is dissolved.
Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.
Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking. You can leave out the potatoes and serve it over buttered egg noodles, or toss in some frozen peas or sautéed mushrooms at the very end. Either way, it’s soul-satisfying comfort food for a cold night.
You may also like
- Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
- Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Guinness Lamb Stew with Vegetables
- Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
- Coq Au Vin
- Meatloaf
Video Tutorial
Beef Stew with Carrots & Potatoes
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. After a few hours in the oven, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on a diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
- Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
- Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the stew warm -- or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
- Note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven or covered pot that is appropriate for the oven, the stew can be cooked on the stove. The timing will be the same and it should be cooked over the lowest setting.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 539
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 54g
- Sodium: 1189mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Excellent recipe! Finally found a recipe that describes how to properly buy and cook the beef! Thank you 😊
This is THE BEST stew I have ever made or eaten. I added a tiny bit of cayenne because it gives it the special spiciness. Oh. My. Goodness. Best ever. Thanks so.much for this recipe
I’m wondering if I might omit the potatoes and add barley? I love the flavor of it with beef.
Sure, Susan, that would work. Just keep in mind that if you have leftovers, the barley will soak up much of the liquid. Also, if you have my cookbook, I have a very similar recipe that has barley. It’s on page 71. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
I have my grandmother’s old cast iron dutch oven. Will that work?
Jana Reidy
Yes, Jana, it will work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
This stew looks amazing, but I’m wondering if it tastes strongly of wine since there are 2 cups of it. That wouldn’t be a plus in my household, so should cut down to 1 cup and make up the difference with beef broth, or is it not a strong flavor? Thanks!
Hi Kay, the finished stew doesn’t taste strongly of wine — it just adds dimension to the flavor of the stew. But if you’re concerned about it, you could always replace one cup of the wine with additional beef broth. Hope you enjoy!
I have cooked it both ways, as I at first wondered about the wine myself. I found myself going back to the two cups of wine 🙂 it adds a much deeper flavor to the stew. This is an amazing recipe for beef stew. I looked for a long time for one that I love and I have been making it for the past four years since I found it!
Hi! I only have 2 pounds of meat.
How would I reduce the rest of ingredients? And which ingredients should I reduce?
Hi Rie, I’d cut all the other ingredients by one third. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn.
Have you any advice about adding a piecrust on the top?
SO Looking forward to this recipe…been driving all around town for proper ingredients…
Hi Nancy, I’ve never added a pie crust on top but suspect it could be done on individual bowls. You may want to take a peek at my chicken pot pie recipe and consider going the route of puff pastry. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
can it be cooked in a crock pot?
Sure, a slow cooker will work. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). Enjoy!
Made this last night. The reviews are accurate. One in our family that doesn’t care for stew said it was the best ever. We will be making this again. Plus I shared the recipe with others.
I made it, had a delicious flavor, but it did not thicken AT ALL.
The only change I made was to use Coconut flour.
I’d appreciate your input.
Hi Beverly, I don’t think the coconut flour would’ve had an impact on the stew. It should thicken up right at the end. If you’d like it thicker, you can make a paste with 1 T soft butter and 1 T flour; whisk it in and bring the stew to a simmer and it should thicken right up.
I have been making this stew for the past couple of years – FABULOUS ! After 50+ years of cooking stews I finally found the perfect recipe! The only thing that I do differently is to add the carrots at the beginning – we like our carrots succulent and they just don’t soften up enough in the last hour….otherwise this is an amazing recipe – as are all of Jenn’s recipes – my go to place!
What size dutch oven would be best for this recipe? a 4.5 quart or a 6 quart?
Hi Nancy, If you hove both, I’d go with the 6-quart. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn- I have always dredged my meat in flour before Browning but am wondering if that really changes anything or will it come out the same if I skip that step and follow your recipe.
I really don’t think dredging the beef in flour before sauteeing it would have a noticeable impact on this recipe. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I made this stew yesterday and it was amazing! Everyone loved it. This will be my go to stew recipe.
I found your blog while looking for a stew recipe. This is the first one of your recipes that I tried. That was 4 days ago and I’m on recipe 6! This stew was fabulous. I’m so glad to learn about searing the meat.
Definitely a keeper.
This recipe is sooo good and is definitely suited for company! In fact, I just printed the recipe, created a binder titled “Recipes for Company” and this recipe now has a very special place in my kitchen! I served the stew with a fresh romaine salad and homemade crusty artisan bread. Could not have been better! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I make this stew all the time in the winter months, Absolutely delish. I do have a question Jenn do you have a recipe for Coq Au Vin? I have scoured the internet for the perfect recipe and really have come up with nothing. I have your cookbook and love it, Just wondering because I love all your recipes
Hi Tami, glad you like the stew! I don’t have a proven recipe for coq au vin – I’m sorry! I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. Thanks for the suggestion as I’m always looking for new inspiration!
This is the best beef stew I have ever had! I love the balsamic with the red wine and garlic. The flavors meld together and the sauce is thick and hearty. Absolutely delicious!
Oh well, this is making the entire house smell amazing. Our dog has been guarding/herding the stove for the last hour, howling every few minutes (and she’s a border collie mix so who knows how she learned that new trick,) so I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is going to taste even better than it smells, like all the recipes from Jenn.
LOL — Hope you enjoyed it!!
Hi,
This is a delicious stew! This is probably a silly question but if I double the recipe, do I need to double the cooking time?
Not a silly question, Christine! The cooking time should remain about the same even if you double the recipe. 🙂
Yay, I’m making a double batch today. My son loves this stew recipe. He asked that it be his bday dinner. Using venison & chuck roast cut up. It will be smelling good in the hood today!
Awesome, simply awesome.
I had some leftover corn and diced tomatoes in the freezer so I added both these ingredients in addition to all those in the recipe. Fabulous dinner, jammed full of veggies and wonderful flavour. Thank you Jenn for another fabulous recipe.
This recipe is absolutely fantastic!!! This stew receives raving reviews anytime I make it and it is requested often! I first made it a couple of times exactly as written and now I have adapted it a bit. I used a Cab-Shiraz red wine, thus I did not add any sugar (or it would be too sweet). The balsamic vinegar and wine, plus carrots add more than enough sweetness. 7 cloves of garlic sounds like a lot; but it is not at all! You can’t even taste the garlic nor the wine in the end product. I was really surprised. I now increase the Thyme and add Rosemary too. Once, I chopped my onions a bit too fine and they just sort of just melted into the stew gravy; so I added a jar of drained cocktail onions when adding the carrots & potatoes and I’ve used blanched pearl onions another time; either is a nice addition. I always use more beef (more like 4-5 pounds, so I increase the other ingredients accordingly). I use an entire carton and a half of salt free beef broth, no water. 3 bay leaves. I’ve used baby potatoes cut in half and it turns out so nice. I find it needs another 1.5 hours in the oven after adding in the veggies though (due to increased ingredients). I also really like the stew without the potatoes because it is so beautiful served over mashed potatoes (and easier to freeze the extra stew for another night). Parsnips are a nice addition too. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I will never make beef stew any other way from now own. This recipe is a winner for sure and very easy to adapt and make it your own!
This was divine! This is going on our Christmas break menu planning. Although perfect as is, what I’m going to do then is leave the potatoes out, double the sauce and serve over the Parmesan Mashed Potaotes from this site. First recipe I have made from Once Upon a Chef but not the last! What to make next????? #yum
I make this often and it is always delicious! I’m watching my daily caloric intake and appreciate your estimates of a recipe’s calories per serving. As with this recipe, sometimes there’s no indication of the size of a serving. Is two cups a ballpark estimate for a stew? Thank you!
Hi Linda, Yes, I would guesstimate that a serving is about 2 cups. (And glad you like it!)
Hi Jenn,
Can I cook this on the stove top instead of the oven? If so, do I lower the heat to simmer and cook for the same amount of time as I would have in the oven? Or do I need to cook for a longer time?
I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Aloha,
Lucy Conway
Sure, Lucy, cooking it on the stove on simmer is fine. Hope you enjoy (and glad you like the recipes)! 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious no need to try any more beef stew recipes this is the one. My only problem was it did not thicken. I saw the suggestion about making a butter/flour paste so I will do that next time. The flavor of this stew is outstanding!
I just picked up 4 lbs of Prime Beef at Costco – can’t wait to make this! Any advice on increasing the amounts accordingly? Thanks!!!
Hi Rebecca, Math is not my strength, but you’ll need to multiply the ingredients by 1 & 1/4. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious!
Hi Jenn! I have a question for you. Your recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it this weekend here in chilly North GA. I was wondering if I could add some celery?? I love it in soups and stews but was thinking maybe you omitted it for a specific reason. Thanks! Jackie
Sure, celery would be a nice addition here. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much! Making today. ☺️
This recipe was easy to follow and the stew came out very well. I will be making this recipe in the future.
This is my all time favorite beef stew recipe! I’ve mad this 5-6 times now and My husband and I literally lick our bowls clean EVERY time. SO GOOD! And makes excellent leftovers!
Can you just use gluten free flour in this to make it gluten free?
Definitely — Hope you enjoy! 🙂
It’s fun to cook with a well-written recipe that produces such a great result. My family loved it!
With fresh baked rolls and a green salad it was the perfect dinner for a blustery October evening. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Made this for the first time last night and it was a HIT! Usually, I get anxious making anything that calls for wine because sometimes it can taste, ‘uncooked’ however this recipe did not end up that way. So good and a keeper!
This was absolutely delicious! My house smells amazing. Served over egg noodles and added mushrooms before putting in the oven. Thank you for a great recipe!
Made this exactly per recipe. BEST beef stew ever! Will be keeping this recipe in the family favorites.
By far the best beef stew I’ve ever made. Definitely a keeper!!
This was FANTASTIC. I’ve made my fair share of French-style beef stews over the years, and this was tops. The gravy was the bomb, my preschooler was lapping it up! I only had 1.5 lbs meat so compensated with a few extra potatoes. Also, I added the carrots at the beginning. Will be making again soon 🙂
I made this in a hurry. Did not put in the oven but simmered on stove top. My family enjoyed it. Tasted great.
This is a fantastic and super easy to follow recipe!! Thank you for the notes about using the proper cut of beef, I will never buy “stewing beef” again!
Hi! Do you have a proper method for reheating the entire pot?
Sure, Erika — just reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Hi Jenn!
Finally have a bit of cold weather down here in Georgia and I think this will be excellent for this weekend!
If I make it a day ahead, how long should I reheat in the 350 degree oven? What do you suggest?
Thanks!
Hi Nicole, I’d actually reheat it on the stove as, that way, it will be easier to check to see when it’s heated through. Hope you enjoy!
This is the second time I made this beef stew. Soooo good!!! This is a keeper. Thank you so much .
Rose
Thanks for the step-by-step pictures—very helpful! Great recipe too!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi – I do not have a dutch oven pot to place in the oven. If I leave it on the stove top, will it turn out just as good?
Yep, won’t make any difference. 🙂
The best beef stew I have ever
Made or ever enjoyed as much!
It is the best of the best!
A very favorite to serve guests
On a cold winter night! Yum!
Jenn,
This was incredible. I have never once reviewed anything, anywhere. But felt compelled to do so now. Thank you for sharing your talents. Truly delicious.
Michi
Amazing flavor!
Excellent!!!
Best beef stew ever.
Hi Jenn, would a Marsala fortified wine be ok here in this recipe?
Hi Tammy, I’ve never made this with Marsala wine, so I’d probably just use extra beef broth in place of the red wine. It will still be delish!
Excellent! Instead of putting potatoes in stew I made mashed potatoes and ate the stew on top of them. I have been making an Irish stew for awhile but decided to try this instead-good decision . Enjoyed by all.
Would this work in a crockpot?
Sure, Olivia, a crock pot will work. I would suggest searing the beef first as the recipe indicates and then cooking the stew for 4 – 5 hours on high in the slow cooker (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait). (You can also cook the stew in a pot on the stove if you’d prefer.) Enjoy!
What a delightful recipe! I cook for about 25 college kids every Wednesday Night for the last 22 years and wanted a change in my regular Beef Stew. I just loved it! Perhaps the balsamic vinegar made all the difference but no matter what it was, it is wonderful. I quadrupled the recipe and the timing was still perfect (browning the meat took quite awhile). Thank you for this taste treat!
Wow, dinner for 25 college kids — that’s an undertaking — so glad they enjoyed! 🙂